Greg Frith
Pick a season, and Greg Frith could be found suiting up for the Cougars in one sport or another. The 1990 graduate was a 10-time letter winner who excelled in basketball, cross country and track and field. He graduated as the basketball program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,532 points and set the single-season scoring record in the process. A three-time All-County and All-Conference selection, Greg twice finished top five in scoring for South Jersey. Powered by Greg’s hardwood antics, the Cougars qualified for theSouth Jersey Group 1 playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time. In cross country, Greg established single-season and career records for dual-meet victories. He also posted course records at threerival schools. A three-time All-County and All-Conference All-Star selection, Greg was the Salem County champion in 1989. His exploits carried the Cougars to their first-ever Salem County team title and the Tri-County Conference championship. Greg was certainly no slouch for the track and field team, He captured the 1600-meter run during the 1989 Salem County meet. His time of 4:29 set a Schalick record for the 1600. In his final year, Greg proved he was a well-rounded person by receiving the South Jersey Scholar Athlete award.
Mary Brown
Most students know Mary Brown as a teacher at Schalick, or from her days as coach for the field hockey and girls basketball programs. But Mary became one of the greatest athletes the school has ever produced. She played a large role on several pioneering Schalick championships, including the 1978 Group 1 state champion softball team. As the starting shortstop, Mary helped propel Schalick to an undefeated record during that magical season. She combined speed and power with top-flight defense. Mary was a three-time first team member of the All-Salem County and All-Tri-County squads. She was voted the team’s MVP in 1979. During the summer, Mary could be found smoking line drives in various city leagues and joined fellow inductee Sharon Hawk on several tournament teams. Mary dazzled on the hardwood with 913 points and 340 rebounds during her career. Mary and her Cougar teammates went 21-2 during the 1978-79 season to tie for the Tri-County Conference crown, giving the program its first title. She was named team MVP all three seasons, and was named a first team all-star by several area newspapers.
Sharon Hawk
While most softball pitchers were windmill throwers, Sharon Hawk was taught the slingshot pitch by her dad. All Sharon did was mow down every windmill hurler in her path. In two seasons with the Cougar softball team, Sharon lost only one game. As a senior, she pitched every game for the Cougars as the team marched all the way to the state Group I title. It was the first state championship in the history of the school. The funny thing is, while Sharon pitched at the Pony Tail level, she didn’t take the mound again until high school. Sharon also played field hockey and basketball for the Cougars and was team captain for the field hockey squad. But it would be tough to top her exploits on the softball field. During the summers, she played softball for several city league teams. She also took part in a number of national tournaments in Tennessee, Arizona and Texas, placing as high as sixth in a 65-team field. Among her teammates was Cougar softball coach Gloria Byard. Gloria also coached Sharon for a season with the Salem County Community College softball team.
Aisha Morgan
The Schalick girls track and field team captured 97 straight dual meets in the 1990s, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the talents of Aisha Morgan. The 1999 graduate played field hockey, girls basketball and tennis and won 11 varsity letters. But her greatest contribution was with Coach Mark Boyle's spring track team. Aisha boasted strength and speed as she dominated the 100-meter and 200-meter events as well as the long jump and shot put. Along the way, she captured numerous individual Salem County and Tri-County championships. During her junior year, Aisha proved to be nothing short of amazing during the Meet of Champions (MOC). She placed second in the 200 and third in the 100. Her mark of 11.77 seconds in the 100 set a school record. As a junior, Aisha established a South Jersey record in the 200 meters at 24.1 seconds. One of the runners she beat was future Olympian Nadia Davy. Overall, Aisha finished first in an event an astounding 65 times. Any way you slice it, Aisha reached new heights in helping to put Schalick girls track and field on the map.
Paul Gause
If you split Paul Gause into three athletes, we would have three Hall of Famers instead of one. A once-in-a-lifetime athlete, Paul was considered the best athlete in the state in both football and basketball, and that doesn’t take into account his excellence in track and field. A case could be made that Paul is arguably the single greatest athlete the state of New Jersey has ever produced. Paul's senior year was the stuff of fantasies. He led the Cougar football team to an undefeated season with a jaw-dropping 39 touchdowns and 236 points as a running back, both South Jersey records. He added 12 interceptions on defense for good measure. His 1,848 rushing yards also set a new program best as the Cougars repeated as Group 1 champions. Paul reached even greater heights when he scored 1,017 points. He averaged 33.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.7 steals per game as the Cougars won the South Jersey and Group 1 state titles. With 3,144 points, Paul is the second leading scorer in South Jersey history. Paul was hardly a mere mortal for the boys track and field team. He was a 22-foot long jumper, a 6-foot, 4-inch high jumper and a 22-second 200-meter runner. Paul helped the Cougars finish first in the Group I sectional and fourth in the state. The postseason awards for Paul were many. He was chosen Male Athlete of the Year by The Daily Journal, the Philadelphia Inquirerand the Courier-Post. As an encore, he starred with the Seton Hall men’s basketball team for four seasons.
The 1978 Softball Team
In just the second season of its existence, the Schalick softball team proved that greatness doesn’t have to wait in a long line. The Cougars captured not only the 1978 South Jersey Group 1 crown, but the state title as well with a flawless 26-0 record. Schalick toppled Pennsville for the Tri-County Conference championship, and then toppled Wildwood to win the South Jersey Group 1 championship on its way to the state triumph. The Cougars didn’t rely on one or two stars to get the job done. In fact, there wasn’t a weak link in the chain. The infield was stout behind first baseman Jodi Jones, second baseman Lisa Smith, shortstop Mary Brown and third sacker Tammy Pauley. Center fielderAnnette Williams was flanked by left fielder Pam Timberman and right fielder Lisa McIlhenny. Donna Whitson was the catcher, and on the mound was none other than Sharon Hawk. Judy Bender, Chris Hunt and Geri Vezendy also played key roles in the march toward perfection. The Cougars were coached by Gloria Byard, herself a top-flight softball player and only a few years older than the players she guided. Gloria was a coach who truly understood the game, and knew how to get the most out of her players. With star power, team play and fantastic coaching, the Schalick softball team will forever be remembered for bringing state championship glory to the school in only its second year of existence.