Allison Gemma (’82)
Allison Gemma was one of the finest female athletes in the history of Glen Rock High School.
Allison Gemma was a three-sport superstar, earning twelve varsity letters on Glen Rock High School’s tennis, basketball and softball teams, being a Co-Captain in each of those sports, and being one of very few athletes that have been named to the First or Second Team, All-County in three sports.
Allison was a four year starter and an outstanding point guard for Glen Rock’s basketball team. She drove the team’s offense with her dribbling, shooting and passing. She also was a great defender who created countless steals that led to fast break scores.
As a junior, Allison was named to the First Team, All-B-PSL and received Honorable Mention, All-County and Honorable Mention, All-Suburban. As a senior, Allison averaged 20 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals a game and led the team to a 17-6 record and the semifinals of the Group 1, Sectional Championship (before losing to then-undefeated St. Anthony’s of Newark). During that season, she broke the then-school record for most points in a season (420) and most points in a game (31). She ended her career with a total of 934 points. She was named to the First Team, All-County, First Team, All-Suburban and First Team, All-B-PSL.
Allison was also a four year starter for the softball team, initially starting at shortstop and then later moving to centerfield. She was Co-Captain of the softball team as a junior and as a senior. As a junior, Allison was named to the First Team, All-B-PSL. As a senior, Allison helped lead the team to its first B-PSL, Carpenter Division Championship and then to its first Group 1, Sectional Championship (before narrowly losing to the ultimate State Champion Whippany Park in the Group 1, North Jersey Championship). One of the school’s most successful softball teams, its final record was 18-5. Allison finished the season with a .426 batting average, 4 home runs, 26 RBIs and 23 runs. She also had a fielding average of .938. She was named to the Second Team, All-County, to the First Team, All-Suburban and to the First Team, All-B-PSL. She was also named to the First Team, All-Area (by The Paterson News) and called “in all probability one of the top 5 female athletes in Bergen County.”
In tennis, Allison and her doubles partner Amy Rasmussen were extremely successful. They were named to the First Team, All-B-PSL as sophomores, juniors and seniors. As seniors, they also received Honorable Mention, All-County.
During Allison’s and Amy’s four years, Glen Rock’s tennis team won four successive B-PSL, Division 2 Co-Championships. In addition, in their junior year, the two partners helped lead the 1980 Tennis Team to a Group 1, Sectional Championship and then, in their senior year, they helped lead the 1981 Tennis Team to a repeat Group 1, Sectional Championship before losing to perennial (and undefeated) champions Chatham in the Group 1, State Final. The 1981 team’s final record was 20-2.
In June 1982, the administration and coaches of Glen Rock High School recognized Allison as the top female athlete in that year’s graduating class and gave her the esteemed Athlete of the Year Award.