Middle Township High School athletics will honor three-sport athlete Bridget Ruskey’s accomplishments by retiring her jerseys
Bridget Ruskey playing lacrosse for Middle Township Public Schools during her high school career.
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, NJ – For the first time, Middle Township High School (MTHS) will recognize a multisport athlete’s accomplishments by retiring jersey numbers in three sports – lacrosse, soccer and basketball – during a Feb. 5 ceremony.
Attacker Bridget Ruskey, MTHS class of 2017, is universally regarded as one of the best high school girls lacrosse players in New Jersey history. She holds the state record with 485 career goals, plus 136 assists. Most memorable were the six goals Ruskey scored to lead Panthers girls lacrosse to its first-ever South Jersey championship in 2017.
Ruskey’s jersey retirement ceremony will take place at 6:45 p.m. in between the girls’ basketball game beginning at 5:15 p.m. and the boys’ basketball game at 7:15 p.m. vs Mainland Regional. Her three numbers – No. 21 in lacrosse, No. 12 in soccer and No. 5 in basketball – will be hung on a banner in the gymnasium.
“Not only is Bridget Ruskey eminently deserving of this honor, but retiring her jerseys from all three sports serves as a shining example of what can be accomplished by passion, commitment and dedication,” said Middle Township Public Schools Assistant Principal of Athletics Josh McCarty. “To all current and future Middle Township athletes, Bridget’s banner serves as a reminder of the adage – hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
Ruskey scored 1,081 career points as a guard for the Panthers girls’ basketball team. As a soccer midfielder, she led the team in scoring in her sophomore, junior and senior seasons, finishing with 41 career goals. In Ruskey’s senior year, her three teams had a combined record of 53-13-2.
“I just always played my hardest and wanted to be the best for my team and teammates,” said Ruskey. “I hope future athletes understand that you get out what you put in. You will forget a lot of the wins and losses, but you always will remember the experiences you had with your team throughout the years.”
Ruskey racked up many accolades, including being named the Philadelphia Inquirer 2017 Girls High School Athlete of the Year and two-time Press of Atlantic City Athlete of the Year. After graduation, Ruskey went on to have a stellar lacrosse career with the LaSalle University Explorers, where she scored 121 career goals.