Leah Jerome ‘03
Leah Jerome was a soccer superstar who helped lead Glen Rock High School to two Group 1, State Championships in 1999 and 2002. In 2010, she was selected by The Record to its All-Decade Soccer Team for her outstanding play and accomplishments, which included a school record 115 goals as well as 78 assists.
Leah Jerome was one of Glen Rock High School’s top all-time soccer players. Described as “tireless, aggressive, physical and quick,” she was a prolific scorer, whether playing as a midfielder or forward.
Glen Rock’s girls soccer teams won the Group 1 or 2, North Jersey Championship in 1995, in 1996, in 1997 and in 1998. In three of those four years (1995, 1996 and 1997), the subsequent state championship game ended in a tie and Glen Rock was crowned Group, Co-Champion. In 1999, as a freshman, Leah helped lead the girls soccer team to an outright state championship. The team won the Group 1, Sectional Championship with a 3-0 victory over North Arlington (with Leah, Hall of Fame inductee Kim Mineo and Lauren Haner each scoring goals) and then won the Group 1, North Jersey Championship with a 6-0 victory over North Warren (with Leah scoring four goals and Kim and Kristin Jerome each scoring a goal). In the Group 1, State Championship game, the Panthers defeated Rumson-Fair Haven by a score of 2-0. Kim scored the first goal on a header off a free kick by Kristin; Kim Bonoguaro scored the second goal off a cross from Leah. The team’s final record was 21-1-1 with its only loss in the All Group, Bergen County Tournament. Its defense (led by junior defender Jenna Mike-Mayer) only allowed three goals during the entire season. Leah led the team in scoring with 27 goals and 18 assists, followed by senior midfielder Jodie Gabel with 20 goals and 16 assists and Kim with 21 goals and 10 assists.
At the end of that season, Leah was named to the Third Team, All-County (by The Record).
In the following season, Leah helped lead the team to its sixth consecutive Group, Sectional Championship. The team defeated Hasbrouck Heights/Wood Ridge by a score of 3-0 to win the sectional championship but were then upset by New Providence in the Group 1, North Jersey Championship. Its final record was 18-3. Leah led the team in scoring with 24 goals and 22 assists. She was named to the Top 20, All-Group, Section 1 Team. She was also named to the Second Team, All-County.
In Leah’s junior year, Glen Rock was upset by Westwood (2-1) in the Group 1, Sectional Final despite outshooting its opponent 17-5. The team’s final record was 18-3-1. With Leah scoring 28 goals and 20 assists and Kim scoring 23 goals and having 18 assists, they cemented their standing as the best scoring duo in Bergen County and possibly in the state. At the end of the season, Leah was named to the Third Team, All-Group, All-State. She was also named to the First Team, All-North Jersey and to the First Team, All-County.
As seniors, Leah (34 goals and 16 assists) and Kim (33 goals and 21 assists) led the 2002 Soccer Team to a 23-2-1 record and the Group 1, State Co-Championship. The duo combined for both goals in the team’s 2-0 defeat of Hasbrouck Heights/Wood Ridge for the Group 1, Sectional Championship and scored all three goals in the team’s 3-1 defeat of Butler to win the Group 1, North Jersey Championship. In the Group 1, State Championship game against Pennsville, the Panthers dominated play with Leah’s several near goals being stopped by superb goalkeeping or the posts. The game ended in a 1-1 tie with the two teams sharing the championship trophy.
At the end of the season, Leah and Kim were selected North Jersey Co-Players of the Year and Glen Rock was ranked #1 among all of the schools in North Jersey (by The Record).They were also both selected to the First Team, All-State (by the Associated Press), the First Team, All-North Jersey and the First Team, All-County.
In 2010,The Record selected Leah to its All-County All-Decade Soccer Team.
In addition to her accomplishments on the soccer field, as a freshman, Leah was an important member of the 2000 Girls Track & Field Team that won the Group 1, State Championship. Throughout that season, she delivered critical points in the 400 meters and the 400 intermediate hurdles and as a member of Glen Rock’s relay teams. At the Group 1, Bergen County Relays, she contributed to Glen Rock’s team championship by being a member of four of the school’s nine victorious relay teams. She then helped Glen Rock win the B-PSL King Championship by finishing first in the 400 hurdles and second in the 400; win the Group 1, Bergen County Championship by finishing second in the 400 hurdles and fifth in the 400; and win the Group 1, Sectional Championship by finishing second in the 400 hurdles and second in the 400. At the Group 1, State Championship, Leah finished fourth in the 400 hurdles and sixth in the 400. She then ran the anchor leg for Glen Rock’s 4×400 relay team — in the final event of that meet — that finished fourth (when she lunged at the finish line) and thereby delivered the championship by one point 61-60.
In the following year, as a sophomore, Leah was a member of Glen Rock’s 4×800 meters winter track & field relay team (with Hall of Fame inductee Erin Henry, Kim and Danielle Patoir) that achieved a time of 9:41.3, that was then the fourth fastest time in Bergen County history. However, that spring, she switched to playing softball.
In Leah’s junior and senior years, she was a leading player on the school’s basketball and softball teams. As a member of the basketball team, she helped the 2002-2003 basketball team reach the Group 1, Sectional Semifinals. As a leader of the softball team, she was named to the First Team, All-B-PSL Carpenter and to the Third Team, All-County (by The Herald-News) as a senior.
In June 2003, the administration and coaches of Glen Rock High School recognized Leah as the top female athlete in that year’s graduating class and gave her the esteemed Athlete of the Year Award.
After graduating from Glen Rock, Leah was a four-year starting midfielder on Fordham University’s soccer team. Her college career was full of substantial achievements, including being Fordham Athlete of the Year as a senior; graduating as Fordham’s third all-time scorer; being Team Captain and Team MVP as a junior and a senior; being named to the First Team All Atlantic-10; and being named to the Third Team, Academic All-American (by ESPN Magazine). She was one of just three athletes to receive the 2007 Atlantic 10 Sporting Award, recognizing her for academic, athletic and community service achievement as well as exemplary sportsmanship.
After graduating from Fordham, Leah continued to play soccer with several semi-pro teams and began her current career as a high school soccer coach and history teacher.