Lynne Collazo is a high energy person. From her first day of Cross Country in 9th grade to her classroom work at Somerville Elementary School, Lynne brings it: smiles, laughs, sparkling eyes and outpouring energy!
Lynne had a remarkable career at Ridgewood High School, The University of Tennessee, and running post collegiately for Addias.
At Ridgewood she won 12 varsity letters, received All Country and All State recognition, and was part of the 1988 State Championship Track &Field Team which is the greatest Track & Field team in Ridgewood history. Lynne competed in the National Junior Championship in Tallahassee, Florida in her junior year. She then finished her senior year with the school record in the 400 Hurdles and as a member of several school record relay teams. Her relay team members are still close friends,and the memories of those teams are legend in Ridgewood Track and Field lore. In Cross Country she won the Bergen Meet of Champions her senior year and led the team to League and Bergen Championships. But most importantly she brought positive energy and enthusiasm to practice every day. She was a talented team leader even as a ninth grader. As senior captain in both Cross Country and Track, she not only led her teammates to championships, but also to friendship and fun.
At Tennessee she was an all-SECperformer in the middle-distance events and part of their NCAA championship 4x800m relay team. In Cross Country, her team won the SEC championship and placed 6th in the NCAADivision 1 Nationals.
After her collegiate career she was coached by George Watts, the Tennessee middle-distance coach and achieved top ten national status and made the finals in the 800 meters in the USATF National Championship. She then moved back to New Jersey and was sponsored by Adias and ran for Coach Tom Flemming’s New Jersey Training Group. Showing her great range as a competitor, she ran in several New York City marathons.
After her competitive career Lynne married Mark Witham, raised fourdaughters and became a favored teacher at Somerville Elementary school. She has also coached at her alma mater. She was an assistant coach for the Ridgewood High School girls track program for several years before starting her family. For the past few years, she has been the Freshman Cross Country coach and is currently coaching her daughter Hunter on the ninth grade team.
The hall of fame induction brings Lynne’s Ridgewood athletic career full circle from that wide eyed ninth grader in 1985 to coaching wide eyed freshman on the Ridgewood Cross Country team today.
Ridgewood Track & Field and Cross Country is proud to have Lynne as a member of the Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
