Sophie Lederer (’13)
Sophie Lederer was one of the most exceptional three-sport athletes in the history of Glen Rock High School. She is the school’s only post-2000 female athlete who has received First Team honors in three disparate sports, soccer, basketball and softball. As a senior, she led the 2012 Soccer Team to a Group 2, State Championship and the 2012-13 Basketball Team to a Group 2, North 1 Sectional Championship.
Sophie Lederer was a four-year starter and the leading scorer for Glen Rock’s soccer teams in each of those four years. In her freshman year, she led the 2009 18-3 B-PSL, King Championship team in scoring with 19 goals and 14 assists. In the State Tournament, Glen Rock reached the Group 2, Sectional final before suffering a 1-0 loss in double overtime. At the end of the season, Sophie was named to the Second Team, All-Suburban and the First Team, All-B-PSL, King.
As a sophomore, Sophie led the 2010 19-2-1 NJIC, Colonial A Championship team in scoring with 28 goals and 17 assists. In the State Tournament, Glen Rock reached the Group 2, Sectional semifinals before losing to the ultimate State Champion. At the end of season, Sophie was named to the Third Team, All-County; the Second Team, All-Suburban; and the First Team, NJIC, Colonial A.
As a junior, Sophie and fellow junior Hannah Petrone led the 2011 21-2 NJIC, Colonial A Championship team. Sophie (20 goals and 12 assists) and Hannah (14 goals and 4 assists) led Glen Rock to its most wins since the 2002 season. During the season, the team reached the Bergen County tournament semifinals before losing to the ultimate Group 3, State Champion. In the State Tournament, they were top seeded in the Group 2, North 1 Sectional Tournament but were upset by league rival and ultimate Group 2, State Champion Ramsey in the Sectional final.
At the end of the season, Sophie was named to the Second Team, All-North Jersey; the Second Team, All-County; the Second Team, All-Suburban; and the First Team, NJIC, Colonial A.
As seniors, Sophie (29 goals; giving her a career total of 96 goals) and Hannah (26 goals) led the 2012 Soccer Team to one of the most outstanding seasons in the history of Glen Rock girls soccer. It was the undefeated NJIC, Colonial Champion. It also again reached the Bergen County tournament semifinals before losing to the ultimate Group 3, State Champion. It then swept through the Group 2, State Tournament, defeating Caldwell 4-0 to win the North Jersey Championship and then Bordentown 4-0 to be crowned Group 2, State Champion with a final record of 21-1.
After the championship game, Sophie was named The Record’s coveted Female Athlete of the Week for having scored 2 goals and having 2 assists in those last two games.
At the end of the season, Sophie and Hannah were named to the Second Team, All-State by the Newark Star-Ledger. Sarah, Hannah and senior Sarah Fiorino were also named to the First Team, Group 2, All-State. Hannah was named to the First Team, All-North Jersey and Sophie was named to the Second Team, All-North Jersey. Hannah and Sophie were named to the First Team, All-County and the First Team, B-PSL, Colonial.
In basketball, Sophie joined the varsity in her freshman year. In her sophomore year, she led the team in three-point scoring and was named to the Second Team, All-NJIC, Colonial A.
As a junior, Sophie and future Hall of Fame inductee senior Margi Rivara led the 2011-12 Team to a 23-6 final record and the NJIC, Colonial Championship. In the State Tournament, it reached the Group 2, North 1 semifinal where it lost in overtime to River Dell, 52-51. At the end of the season, Margi was named to the First Team, All-County; the First Team, All-Suburban; and the First Team, All-NJIC, Colonial. Sophie was named to the Third Team, All-County; the Second Team, All-Suburban; and the First Team, All-NJIC, Colonial.
In her senior year, Sophie was the scoring and assist leader of the 2012-13 Team that won the Group 2, North 1 Sectional Championship, making them the first team to accomplish that achievement since the 1988-89 team. The team won the NJIC, Colonial Championship with a 17-1 record. In the Sectional Championship game, it defeated Lenape Valley 48-28 with Sophie scoring 23 points on 2 for 2 three pointers and 17-18 free throws. Unfortunately, Glen Rock lost to ultimate State Champion Malcolm X Shabazz (Newark) in the subsequent North Jersey Championship game. Glen Rock ended the season with a 27-4 record.
At the end of the season, Sophie was named to the Second Team, All-North Jersey; the First Team, All-County; the First Team, All-Suburban; and the First Team, All-NJIC, Colonial. She graduated having scored a career total of 1,173 points, the then-school record.
Finally, in softball, Sophie was a four-year starting shortstop. In each of her first three years, she was named to the Second Team, All-League. In her sophomore year, she helped lead the team to the NJIC, Colonial Championship, the school’s first league championship since 1982. As a senior, she was one of the team’s leading batters and one of three GRHS athletes named to the First Team, All-NJIC, Colonial.
In her senior year, Sophie was a Co-Captain of the soccer, the basketball and the softball teams.
Sophie earned a total of 12 varsity letters during her athletic career at Glen Rock High School.
In June 2013, the administration and coaches of Glen Rock High School recognized Sophie as the top female athlete in that year’s graduating class and gave her the esteemed Female Athlete of the Year Award. At that year’s graduation, Sophie spoke as the Class Valedictorian.
In addition, the Bergen County YMCA subsequently honored Sophie as one of the very few Glen Rock athletes to be honored as an Outstanding Athlete of the Year.
After graduating from Glen Rock High School, Sophie continued her athletic career at Colgate, playing varsity soccer for four years. In her senior year, she was a co-captain of the team. She graduated with a BA in neuroscience and was named Female Student-Athlete of her Class. She received her medical degree from Emory University (while also playing for the semi-professional Atlanta Panthers for two seasons) and became a physician in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital.