UPDATED: Glen Ridge HS Athletic Hall of Fame to induct seven

GLEN RIDGE (updated Friday May 11, 1:32 p.m.)  – The Glen Ridge High School Athletic Hall of Fame 2018 induction ceremony will be held at The Glen Ridge Country Club, 555 Ridgewood Ave. in Glen Ridge, on Friday, May 18. The program will begin at 7 p.m. Dinner will be served. There will be a cash bar.

This year’s induction class includes:

• Malcolm McGregor, Class of 1964
• Richard Branca, Class of 1965
• Dan Murphy, Class of 1974
• Donna Watkins/Tirrell, Class of 1976
• Michael Ostella, Class of 1994
• Ryan McAvery, Class of 1998
• Anthony Miscia – The Danny Gleeson Award for Meritorious Service

Tickets are now available at glenridge.org/Domain/166. Download a ticket order form. Then send the form with a check, payable to GRHS Athletic Hall of Fame, to Glen Ridge Senior-Community Center, 228 Ridgewood Ave., Glen Ridge, NJ 07028. Please include contact information (e-mail address is best) to receive confirmation that your check has been received and your seats have been reserved.

For more information, call Glen Ridge Recreation Director Jim Cowan at 973-748-2924.

The following are the inductees’ bios:

Mal MacGregor

By his teammates, Mal was regarded as his era’s most dedicated Glen Ridge High football player, because of his intimidating on-field presence along with his gift for leadership.  A-three-year starter, he played tight end on offense and middle linebacker on defense, and was a co-captain in his senior year.

Considered to be the heart and soul of Ridgers football, Mal’s  1961, 1962, and 1963 teams were 22-1-1, as they were undefeated (16-0) his junior and senior years with two North Jersey Conference championships. He was recognized with all-conference and All-State Group I first team honors in his junior and senior seasons.  He also was a second team All-Essex County selection as a senior, and he was named by the New York Daily News to its 1963 all-star team.

Mal earned a full scholarship to the University of Virginia, where he was a three-year starter at linebacker. In his senior year at UVA, he was captain, MVP and named to the All-Virginia collegiate team. He also earned academic recognition having been elected to Omicron, Delta Kappa (national leadership honor society), earned a master’s degree at Tulane in education and a master’s degree in Spanish at Catholic University, which he used during a distinguished career as a teacher and coach.  

Richard Branca

Richard played during what has been described as a “Golden Era of Glen Ridge High School sports.” A three-sport star, he earned eight varsity letters, two in football, three in basketball, and three in track & field.

In football, he was a two-year starter at offensive guard and defensive end.  He helped to lead the Ridgers to two undefeated seasons, which enabled them to win Group I state sectional titles and North Jersey Conference championships in 1963 and 1964. Subsequently, he was selected as second team, All-Essex County and first team All-North Jersey Conference.

On the basketball court, his teams won North Jersey Conference championships in his junior and senior years, along with a Group I sectional title his junior year and making the sectional final his senior year. During his three-year varsity career, his teams posted a 50-11 record.  Along with Bill Stableford, he was co-captain as a senior and named second team all-conference.

In track & field, his specialty was discus throwing, and he contributed to three consecutive Group I state championships (1963, 1964, and 1965).  As a sophomore he was fourth in the conference championship meet. As a junior, he won the conference and Group I state titles, and as a senior he won the conference crown and was second in the Group I meet. When he graduated in 1965, he held the Glen Ridge High school discus throw record at 156-feet, three inches.

In 1965, he received the Men of Essex honor for scholastic and athletic achievement.  He matriculated to the University of Colorado, where he received degrees in architectural engineering and business administration.  He has been a successful business man in New Jersey for more than 40 years.

Dan Murphy

The “runner life” of Dan Murphy began when he was a child as he was a “fast kid” and would regularly compete. However, it was at the Glen Ridge High School where his running career took off and then subsequently extended well beyond his “Ridgers” running days.

For Glen Ridge High, Dan was a sprinter and was dominant in the 440-yard dash as a junior in 1973 and as a senior in 1974, winning the Colonial Hills Conference, the Essex County Meet, the Group I Sectional and the Group I State Meet titles.   Murphy was the anchor of the mile relay team, which set a school record with a win at the prestigious Penn Relays. The mile relay team also enjoyed tremendous success with wins at the Colonial Hills Relays, the New York Relays, and the Group I Sectional and State Meets during the 1974 season. As co-captain of the track team in 1974 Murphy lead the Ridgers at the Colonial Hills Conference Meet with an exciting win in the 100-yard dash, breaking the school record with a time of 9.9, setting the momentum for the teams overall conference championship. That team also prevailed in the State Group I Championship that year.  Dan still co-holds the school record for the 220 yard dash which he tied as a junior. Murphy was also the co-captain of the GR Cross Country team.

Dan went on to a distinguished track career at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Donna Watkins Tirrell

As a student, Donna Watkins could be called a pioneer. In 1973 she was part of a group of Glen Ridge High School female students who formed the first Ridgers’ girls track team.

She was a member of that team four years outdoors and three years indoors, lettering in all seasons. In 1975, she set a school record in the 440-yard dash with a time of 58.6 at the North Jersey B championship, after winning the long jump.  At the 1976 Colonial Hills Conference meet, she took first place in the long jump, 100 and 220-yard dashes.

As a GR senior she graduated with school records in the 100, 220, 440 dashes plus the long jump and high jump, which earned her an award as Glen Ridge High School female athlete of the year.  She matriculated to Montclair State, where she continued her track & field career.

Michael Ostella

Mike Ostella had three outstanding seasons on state-ranked Glen Ridge High baseball teams.

He was a quality player on the mound who pitched to a 6-2 with a 1.84 earned run average and as a shortstop he batted .473 during his sophomore season in 1992, earning him first team All-Area and Colonial Hill Conference honors, as the team MVP. He also was selected as third team All-Essex County and second team All-State Group I.

As a junior, he was 6-1 with a 1.83 ERA as a pitcher and batted .444 on a team which was 23-2 and won the Colonial Hills Conference and Group I state championships.  That earned Mike the Ridgers MVP Award, second team All Essex and first team all-conference and Group I State honors.

In his senior year, he batted .457 on a GR team which went 24-2 as conference champion, while losing in the state sectional and Greater Newark Tournament finals. That put Mike on the first team all-area, all-conference, All-Essex, and Group I State squads.     

Mike also was an outstanding GRHS soccer player, who served as team captain in 1993.  He matriculated to Williams College, where he continued his baseball career.

Ryan MacAvery

As a two-sport star player and team captain his senior year in both, Ryan MacAvery has a special spot on Glen Ridge High School history.

In basketball, Ryan became a member of an exclusive club, joining it in 1998 as a 1,000-point career scorer, finishing with 1,015, as he averaged 18 points and 15 rebounds per game. During the MacAvery varsity years, the Ridgers’ basketball teams were 49-19, winning the Colonial Hills Conference championship in 1997 and 1998, and he was named first team all-conference and conference player of the year, both seasons. As a junior, he was All State Group I, third team, and as a senior he was second team, All State Group I and third team All Essex County.

MacAvery was selected to play in the 1998 Hudson County boys’ basketball all-star game. He was a member of the Hamilton College Liberty League men’s basketball championship team which played in the 2000 NCAA Division III Tournament.

In football, MacAvery was a starting tight end and defensive end for the 1997 Glen Ridge squad, earning first team all-conference honors.

Anthony Miscia – The Danny Gleeson Award for Meritorious Service

At the time of this award presentation, Anthony Miscia, Jr. has been coaching young athletes for almost 50 years, and has been coaching boys and girls in Glen Ridge for 44 years in a variety of sports including baseball, softball and football. He either coached or coached with, 26 (almost 1/3) of the 90 GRHS Athletic Hall Of Fame inductees, and Miscia is directly connected to at least one inductee in 13 of each of the 14 classes of GRHS Athletic Hall Of Fame inductees.

Miscia’s coaching history began in 1971 with the Montclair Cobras youth football program, where he coached a number of future GRHS Athletic Hall of Fame inductees such as Sal D’Alessio, Tom Murphy, Michael Stanisci, and Billy Kennedy.

His Glen Ridge coaching calling began in 1974 when he started coaching youth baseball in Glen Ridge with the GRAA Reds with his good friend Roy Stanisci. In 1981, Miscia was recommended for a GRHS freshman football coaching position by Angelo Corbo to GRHS Athletic Director and legendary coach, Bill Horey. Horey asked Miscia one question: “Have you ever played football?” Anthony replied, “Yes. I played for Clary Anderson at Montclair High.” A lengthy conversation, much of which was not about football, ensued, Miscia was hired, and proceeded to coach on the GRHS football staff for 25 years under several different head coaches. In 1990 Miscia became the head GRHS softball coach and has been part of the coaching staff ever since.

During most of his Glen Ridge coaching tenure, “Coach Mish” has given countless hours of energy (including many hours taking care of the fields that his players played on), instruction, and guidance all as a volunteer, without pay. He has been a mentor and role model to numerous people over the years, instilling the importance of hard work, commitment, discipline, drive and determination to all he came in contact with.

Most importantly to Anthony Miscia, as a father and grandfather, he has instilled his ethics and values in his daughters and granddaughters, and he could not be more proud as he has witnesses them succeeding not only in athletics, but in all areas of life.  

Dan Gleeson’s dedication to Glen Ridge Athletics was as large as his personality and as strong as his character.  His memory will live forever in the hearts of his friends, family and teammates. All those who receive this award honor his legacy.