February Athlete of the Month: Jessica Ricco
Name: Jessica Ricco
Sport: Winter Track
Grade: 12th
Events: Long Jumper, Relay
Pascack Valley track star Jessica Ricco puts a lot of weight on her shoulders when trying to overpass her mom in the long jump record for Bergen County.
“My mom and I are on a Bergen county all-time record sheet, and it means a lot to be on a list with my mom,” Ricco said.
Ricco has a very nice side to her, but when it comes to athletics you won’t find many more competitive.
From wanting to beat her mom’s record to trying to beat her moms’ rival’s record, Kim Baumbach, Ricco has several things to look up to. These two stars went back and forth against one another during their time, but Mrs. Ricco could never find the edge on Baumbach.
“The school record holder is 17.11,” Ricco said. “My mom and her (record holder) went to high school at the same time, and my mom could never beat her. My new goal is to beat the record that she couldn’t beat.”
The love of track seems to be a recurrent gene in the Ricco family as both her older brother, Jacob Ricco, and mom, Michaela Ricco, had strong high school careers.
With a family full of freak athletes, they are able to support each other through all of their respective journeys.
“My family is my biggest support system,” Ricco said. “Every little thing is a huge celebration.”
This is where coach Judilla comes into play as he shares a special connection with Ricco and he isn’t just a regular coach.
“I’d like to think we are very close, and it’s awesome working with her,” Judilla said. “Ricco leads by example, it’s more about what she demonstrates and how she behaves herself.”
Judilla truly believes she leads by example as well as focusing in on every
“There’s a drive to do well in all facets of her decisions,” Judilla said. “Whether that be getting rest or eating healthy.”
No matter the scenario Judilla is there to help whether regarding athletes’ accomplishments, academic accomplishments, or just someone to be there for you.
“After being on the team for four years, I always go to meet with [Judilla] during my Pascack Period,” Ricco said. “We talk about school, social stuff, and I know I can always go to him.”
In regard to Ricco’s worth ethic it hasn’t been as smooth a path as typical journeys.
“Injuries have been a prevalent thing in my sports career,” Ricco said. “This summer was tough because I had to have surgery for my ankle. Now I am at a place where I am pretty stable; I try not to overuse it in practice and prevent injuries.”
A majority of the time you can see Ricco walking around the school with some kind of boot on and it always seems to be on one leg.
“I had ankle surgery in August, so I wanted to make a comeback,” Ricco said.
After all this adversity, you will still be able to find Ricco at the national level as she beat her goal that was set on day 1.
“Beating the 17 mark jump, and knowing I’m going to nationals is a huge moment in my life,” Ricco said. “Getting so much recognition from my school and teammates is awesome.”