Mary Ellen Mileski
Mary Ellen Mileski, a 1983 graduate, is one of the top-flight cross-country and track athletes in the history of Ridgewood High School. At the end of her 8th grade year at George Washington Junior High School, Mary Ellen decided to run in the Ridgewood Memorial Day Run. This experience led her to try out for the high school cross-country team as a GW 9th grader. Back in the days of the three-year high school, ninth graders tended to focus their sports at the junior high level. But Mary Ellen enjoyed running and thought she might find some success in the sport.
This decision enabled Mary Ellen to be one of the few four-time All-Bergen County athletes (in any sport). As a freshman, she placed second in the Bergen County Cross-Country Championships and in the spring won the County Title in the mile, setting a new Ridgewood record in the process. Her freshman success foreshadowed an outstanding running career in cross-country and track and field at Ridgewood High School. Mary Ellen set school records in the 1,500-meter and one-mile runs. She joined with her sister, Patti, to lead Ridgewood to Triple Crown Team Titles in both cross-country and track and field. Mary Ellen was outstanding in the relays, running everything from the 4 x 440 to 4 x 1-mile and throwing in the javelin relay. With her sister, Patti, she set school records in six relays. The 4 x 800, sprint medley and distance medley were all county records. Their crowning achievement, however, was the 4 x 1-mile relay, as Ridgewood set a national record in that event that lasted for 17 years. Mary Ellen was the Group 4 State Champion in the 800 meters her senior year and placed in the top five in the National Prep Meet in Portland, Ore.
Mary Ellen attended Texas A& M for one year with full track scholarship. She then transferred to the University of Notre Dame where they only offered club track and field because there was no intercollegiate program for women at the time. She coached track and field and cross-country in the Chicago area after college for several years before raising her family.
