1996 Boys’ Soccer Team, of which he served as captain, won the conference, county, and state titles and was inducted into Pingry’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.
From left: Nick Ross ’97, Peter Ross P ’96, ’97, Nancy Abernathy, Kelly Ross, and Kelly’s husband Jake Ross ’96.
He led the 1995 Boys’ Soccer Team to a 20-0-1 record (including 15 shutouts), a second place ranking in New Jersey, a 10th place ranking in the country, and the conference, county, and state championships. Jake earned 1st Team All Conference, 1st Team All County, and 1st Team All State, mainly for his team-leading 31 goals— the second highest total in Pingry soccer history—and 15 assists. On the hockey team, Jake was a member of two State Prep B championship teams and earned All State recognition as a defenseman his senior year. Jake was named Most Valuable Player of the 1995 and 1996 Baseball Teams, and he earned 1st Team All State Prep both years. In 1995, he led the team in runs, hits, stolen bases, and ERA, and the 1996 team reached its record of 17-6 largely because of his team-leading 28 RBIs and .508 batting average.
NICHOLAS H. ROSS ’97 SOCCER STAR CONTRIBUTED TO NUMEROUS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Nicholas Ross won 10 varsity letters— three in soccer, four in ice hockey, and three in baseball. The undefeated
Nick also served as captain of the baseball team and co-captain of the hockey team, earning 1st Team All League in the Mennen League. He concluded his Pingry career by receiving the Centennial Cup, Timothy Cornwall ’64 Boys Soccer Sportsmanship Award, and Pingry School Varsity Ice Hockey Award. He continued to play soccer for one year at Lafayette College and three years at Rutgers University. In 1999, he earned Honorable Mention on the The Star-Ledger’s All-Decade Team, a compilation of the Top 10 soccer players of the 1990s. Among his other honors, Nick received Rutgers’ 2000 Alfred B. Sasser Award, presented to a senior who demonstrates leadership, initiative, team spirit, and loyalty.
CHRISTINA A. BARBA ’98 EXCELLED TO BECOME CAPTAIN OF THREE TEAMS
Whether she was playing field hockey, ice hockey, or lacrosse, Christina Barba treated each sport as her favorite, earning 12 varsity letters and numerous honors. She is considered the ultimate role model for demonstrating humility, respect, and kindness.
From left: Lillian Rose Walsh, Philip Walsh ’93, Susan (Barba) Walsh ’93, Christina Barba ’98, Christina’s mother Susan Barba, and Christina’s fiancé (now husband) Sean Mullen.
As a freshman, Christina was selected to represent New Jersey in the National Lacrosse Tournament. The following year, when Pingry introduced ice hockey, she served as the team’s captain for the first of three consecutive seasons. During junior year, she was named 1st Team All Conference by the North Jersey Field Hockey Coaches Association (NJFHCA), as well as 1st Team All County (The Star-Ledger). On the lacrosse team, Christina was the top scorer with 40 goals and 13 assists. Her leadership skills were prominent when she served as captain of all three teams in her senior year. Christina led the field hockey team in goals and became one of the top 20 leaders in scoring in New Jersey. Her Star-Ledger honors included 1st Team All Conference, 1st Team All County, and 1st Team All State Group I, as well as being named “Somerset County Field Hockey Player of the Year.” She was also named 1st Team All Area by the Courier News. In lacrosse, the Courier News named her 1st Team All Area. At graduation, Christina received the Andrea Montague Field Hockey Award, the Girls’ Lacrosse Sportsmanship Award, and The Class of 1902 Emblem Award. She played club field hockey and ice hockey at Princeton University and served as the assistant women’s varsity lacrosse coach at the National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C. in 2006.
55 winter 2011 - 2012
A recipient of the Timothy Cornwall ’64 Boys Soccer Sportsmanship Award, Class of 1935 Graham Churchill Baseball Award, and Centennial Cup, Jake played soccer and baseball at Lafayette College, where he received the Hall of Fame Award from the soccer program and was twice named 1st Team All Patriot League and All-Region.
He was a member of three county championship teams (1994, 1995, and 1996) and two state championship teams (1995 and 1996). In 1996, he earned 1st Team All State (The StarLedger) and 1st Team All County. The Courier News selected him as “Boys Soccer Player of the Year” to recognize that he led Pingry’s team, ranked No. 1 in New Jersey (The Star-Ledger) and No. 7 in the country, to its third consecutive county and second consecutive state championships, including an unbeaten streak of 40 games. In fact, Nick scored the game-winning goal in the second overtime of the county finals against Bridgewater.