Olivia Baker
MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Columbia High School Athletic Hall of Fame has announced its 2026 induction class, which will be honored at their 19th annual induction ceremony on Thursday, May 7, at the Orange Lawn Tennis Club in South Orange.
The following are the honorees:
- George Montgomery – Class of 1962 – wrestling: Montgomery was a member of Columbia’s first wrestling team and went on to become a two-time district champion.
- Jeff Kelly – Class of 1985 – basketball: Kelly was a starter on the 1983-1984 team which were Iron Hills Champions and New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association North Jersey, Group 4 State Champions. He finished his career with 1,012 points.
- Russ Curley – Class of 1990 – cross-country: One of the top cross-country runners in school history, Curley was the 1989 state champion and a first-team All-State selection in 1989.
- Musa Shannon – Class of 1993 – soccer: Shannon is in the top 10 of all-time leading scorers in Columbia history with a career of 28 goals and 20 assists. He went on to compete internationally for 14 seasons on the Liberian national team.
- Olivia Baker – Class of 2014 – track and field: Baker is one of the most decorated female athletes to come out of Columbia. A two-time New Jersey Gatorade Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year, Olivia never lost a 400-meter race during her high school career. She is currently a member of Team USA. In 2013, she became the first to win four events at the New Jersey Meet of Champions, capturing state titles in the 100, 200, 400 and anchoring the 4×400 relay. She ran a spectacular 4×800 anchor split of 2:02.55 at the 2014 Penn Relays, leading the team to a state-record 8:45.37, which was the second-fastest ever in the nation. She continued her career at Stanford University.
- Eric Lax – Class of 2015 – baseball: Lax is a member of the 100-hit club, as he is second on the all-time list with 112 hits to his career. He also holds several school records in extra-base hits and RBIs, to name a few.
- Jason Lamont Jackson – Coach Award: Jackson served as the track and field and cross-country coach at Columbia from 1998 to 2006. During that time, Columbia was dominant in both sports, capturing numerous state and county titles. He was named Coach of the Year in 2004.
- Patty Masin – Pete Cross Award: Class of 1969 – Masin is a lifelong supporter of Columbia Athletics. Unable to compete during her years in high school – Title IX came three years after her graduation – Masin has taken every opportunity to support the athletic program in the paths open to her. Even to this day, she can be seen attending events and fundraisers.
- 2000-01 girls basketball team – Team Award: One of the greatest basketball teams in school history, under the guidance of head coach Johanna Wright, the team won county, state sectional and Group 4 state titles and brought a 26-game winning streak to the Tournament of Champions state championship game, where they lost to Sterling to finish with a 28-4 record.
Anyone interested in attending the banquet can email the CHS Athletic Hall of Fame committee at columbiahsathletichof@gmail.com to receive an invitation.
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