Melissa Bochiaro (’97)
Melissa Bochiaro was an outstanding sprinter; she still holds Glen Rock High School’s records in the 100 meters and in the 200 meters with two of the best times in Bergen County history.
Melissa Bochiaro was a leading member of four of Glen Rock’s most successful track & field teams. As a freshman, she helped the 1994 Track & Field Team achieve the school’s first sweep of all four of its major championships. First, the Panthers repeated as Groups 1 & 2, Bergen County Relays Champion, with Melissa being a member of three teams that won golds at that meet in a dominating team victory. At the Group 2, Bergen County Championship, Melissa finished second in the long jump and fourth in the 100, as Glen Rock repeated as Group 2 Champion with a performance that is still the record number of points scored in that meet (175). At the subsequent, Group 2, Sectional Championship, Melissa finished third in the long jump and sixth in the 200, adding depth to numerous victories by her teammates that delivered a second consecutive Group 2, Sectional Championship with what is also still the record number of points scored in that meet (136). Finally, thanks to a full team effort, Glen Rock won the school’s first Group, State Championship in track & field by a score of 63-56. At that meet, Melissa finished third in the long jump.
As a sophomore, Melissa helped the Hall of Fame 1995 Track & Field Team have “one of the greatest seasons of any team in New Jersey history” (The Record). That team repeated the 1994 Team’s sweep of the four major championships with even greater domination. At the Groups 1 & 2, Bergen County Relays, Glen Rock won its third consecutive title, with a towering score of 114 points that is still the second highest total in that meet’s history. Melissa was on four of the winning relay teams at that meet. At the Group 1, Bergen County Championship, Glen Rock won its third consecutive championship — with a total of 241 points – more than all of the other teams combined and still the record for that meet. Melissa finished second in the 100, third in the 200 and second in the long jump. At the Group 1, Sectional Championship, Glen Rock delivered an almost equally dominant performance against an even larger group of competitors; Melissa again finished second in the 100, third in the 200 and second in the long jump. Finally, at the Group 1, State Championship, Glen Rock won its second consecutive Group State Championship with a massive 75 points – nearly double of its nearest competitor, Burlington Township with 39. Melissa finished fifth in the long lump at that meet.
At that year’s Bergen County Meet of Champions, Melissa finished second in the 100 meters.
After the State Tournament, Melissa joined fellow sophomore Hall of Fame Inductee Kate Hanley and seniors Michelle Stein and Michele Satine, and the four women delivered an outstanding sprint medley relay performance at the season ending Eastern States Invitational. Their time of 4:08.9 was then the fastest time in Bergen County history (by nearly two seconds faster than Ridgewood’s long standing record time) and is still the twelfth fastest time in Bergen County history. It is still the school record.
In Melissa’s junior year, she and Kate led the 1996 Track & Field Team to another successful year, beginning with a repeat championship at the Groups 1 & 2, Bergen County Relays. At the subsequent Group 2, Bergen County Championship, Melissa won the 200 and finished second in the 100, and Glen Rock finished first by a 2 point margin over Ramsey. Then, at the Group 2, Sectional Championship, Melissa won both the 100 and 200 and finished fourth in the long lump. Her victory in the 100 was with a time of 12 seconds flat, where she beat the defending Group 2 State Champion and became just the sixth runner in Bergen County history to run that fast. Unfortunately, because New Jersey still did not include the triple jump in its meets, Ramsey edged Glen Rock for the championship.
At the subsequent Bergen County Meet of Champions, Melissa finished second in the 100 and, at the Group 2, State Championship, she finished fifth in the 100 and sixth in the 200.
In Melissa’s senior year, she, Kate and sophomore Hall of Fame Inductee Tracy Della Torre – The Record called them the “super trio” – led Glen Rock to one of the school’s most dominant track & field seasons.
In April, the 1997 Girls Track & Field Team won the school’s fifth consecutive Groups 1 & 2, Bergen County Relays Championship (96-60) with first place finishes in five of the events (with Melissa leading the sprint medley and 4×100) and second place finishes in five other events. At the conclusion of the meet, Melissa received the Jacob Brown Running Performer Award, making her the first Glen Rock female athlete to receive that award. Since then, Hall of Fame Inductee Erin Henry received it in 2000 and 2001 and Hall of Fame Inductee Kim Mineo received it in 2003.
At the Group 1, Bergen County Championship, Melissa finished first in the 100 and 200, was a member of the winning 4×400 relay team and finished second to Kate in the long jump – and Glen Rock dominated the meet, winning 11 of the 15 events and scoring 213 points, a total that is still the second highest ever (to the 1995 Team’s 241 points).
At the Group 1, Sectional Championship, Melissa duplicated those results, winning the 100 and the 200, being a member of the winning 4×400 relay team, and finishing second in the long jump to Kate. Once again, Glen Rock dominated the meet, winning 9 of the 14 events and amassing a total of 204 points, a total that is still the record for most points at this Group 1, Sectional Championship.
At the following Bergen County Meet of Champions, Melissa won the 100 meters in her Personal Best auto time of 12.41 (but suffered a leg injury that impacted her in the next meet).
Finally, at the Group 1, State Championship, Melissa helped Glen Rock win its third Group State Championship, all of them achieved during her (and Kate’s) four year career. Despite suffering from her injury, Melissa competed in each of her three individual events (but was forced to drop out of the relay), and finished third in the 100, seventh in the 200 and seventh in the long jump, while Kate won both hurdles and finished third in the long jump and Tracy won the 800 and the 1,600 and finished third in the 3,200. Glen Rock won with a 72-53 margin over its nearest opponent.
Melissa still holds the school record in both the 100 meters and the 200 meters. Her 12.0 seconds time in the 100 meters at the Group 2, Sectionals in her junior year still ranks #20 as the fastest hand & auto time in Bergen County history. Her 12.41 seconds time in the 100 meters at the BMOC in her senior year still ranks #33 as the fastest auto time in County history. Her 25.2 seconds time in the 200 at the Bergen County Championship in her junior year still ranks #40 in County history. While she does not hold the school record in the long jump, her 17’ 7.5” jump in 1997 was the third longest is school history (behind Hall of Fame Inductee Megan Burke and Kate) and still ranks #59 in County history.
Melissa was also a three year starting forward on the school’s soccer team. In her junior year, she helped the 1995 Team win the Group 2, State Co-Championship, taking a pass from Kristin Ferry and scoring the team’s only goal in its 1-1 tie with Moorestown in the championship game. The team’s final record was 20-2-2. In her senior year, the 1996 Team won the Group 1, Sectional Championship by defeating Eastern Christian 3-0 after Melissa’s opening goal on a pass from Meghan Alvino set the tone for the remainder of the game. Glen Rock then defeated perennial champion Morris Catholic by a score of 1-0 on a goal from Kristin Ferry to win the Group 1, North Jersey Championship. It then won the Group 1, Co-Championship after a 1-1 tie with Pingry on a notably cold and windy day. That team’s final record was 22-1-1.
After graduating from Glen Rock High School, Melissa was a track & field standout at The College of William & Mary, including being a member of several school record relay teams, and went on to receive a MS in Sports Studies at Miami (Ohio) University.