Cherry Hill High School West

Awards, recognition and rankings

In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 68th in New Jersey and 1,990th nationwide. The school was ranked 1534th nationwide, the 54th-highest in New Jersey, in Newsweek magazine's 2010 rankings of America's Best High Schools.

The school was the 161st-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology. The school had been ranked 146th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 57th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 96th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 126th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state. Schooldigger.com ranked the school 144th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 36 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (83.7%) and language arts literacy (94.4%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).

Sports

The Cherry Hill High School West Lions participate in the Liberty Division of the Olympic Conference, which consists of public and private high schools located in Burlington County and Camden County, and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). With 1,082 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2015-16 school year as South Jersey, Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,082 to 1,934 students in that grade range.

Cherry Hill High School West's Athletic Director is Assistant Principal Lou Papa. Athletic advisor, and current volunteer assistant coach Ira Kosloff was the Athletic Director prior to Papa. Before serving as the school's Athletic Director, Kosloff was a successful head coach in Boys' Soccer and Swimming. He has also coached baseball and basketball. In 2006, Kosloff was voted Athletic Director of the Year by the Olympic Conference.

The Lions have played their home games at the township stadium, Jonas C. Morris Stadium, which they have shared with Cherry Hill High School East. Annually, the Cougars face cross town rival Cherry Hill East on Thanksgiving morning, a rivalry described by The Philadelphia Inquirer as "one of the best in South Jersey", in which the winner of the contest receives the Al DiBart Memorial Trophy, also known as "The Boot." The Cherry Hill High School West Lions defeated the Cougars 8-0 in 2014 in the 46th game played in the series between the two teams, which Cherry Hill West leads 31-15.

Many Cherry Hill High School West students play for an independent club ice hockey team affiliated with the South Jersey High School Ice Hockey League; this team is not a school-sponsored athletic group. Every Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, the "Cherry Hill West" Ice Hockey Club plays the "Cherry Hill East" Ice Hockey Club for the Golden Skate Award.

The boys' baseball team won the South Jersey Group IV state sectional championship in 1967 and 1968. The team won the Group IV state championship in 1989 vs. West Milford High School, in 1990 vs. Hoboken Junior Senior High School and in 1992 vs. Elizabeth High School, and won the Group III title in 1991 vs. High Point Regional High School.

The girls' field hockey team won the South I state sectional championship in 1972 and 1973, and was state champion in 1973.

Cherry Hill High School West was the girls' state swimming champions in 2006, taking the title with a 102-68 victory in the tournament final meet over Westfield High School. The boys' swim team won the 2006 South Jersey Public A division title after an error made by the Cherry Hill East swim team in one of the events led the NJSIAA to overturn the initial result and hand the sectional title to Cherry Hill West.

Cherry Hill High School West was the 2007 boys' state swimming champions. The team won the South A state sectional title with a 90-80 win over crosstown rival Cherry Hill High School East. The boys' swim team moved on to win the 2007 Group A state championship with an 89-81 win versus Westfield High School. The girls' swim team won the 2007 South Jersey Public A division title over Cherry Hill East by a score of 98-72.

The boys' bowling team won the overall state championship in 1964. Cherry Hill West had one of the best bowling teams in South Jersey going 72-3-1 in the 2006-07 season, led by Coach Irv Wolf.

The 2007 boys' cross country team was conference champions for the first time in 33 years with a 6-0 record in dual-meets. Led by longtime coach Nick Mitidieri, the team also won the 2007 Disney Cross Country Classic and placed 2nd in the South Jersey Group IV Sectional meet.

Mock trial

Cherry Hill West's mock trial team won the state mock trial championship in 1986, becoming the winners of the competition to come from Camden County. Also, in 2016, the West mock trial team won the South Jersey championship.

Vocal program

The West choral program consists of audition choirs (Chansons, Concert Choir and West Singers), a beginner choir (Vocal Workshop) and three extracurricular choirs (Chamber Singers, Fermata and Men of Note). The Symphonic Choir had the honor of performing with the Haddonfield Symphony under the direction of maestro Alan Gilbert in 1994. The two groups performed Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms. The vocal group West Singers has been invited to sing at many ACDA National Conventions and often have the most amount of students get into All State, All Eastern and All National Chorus. They were invited to sing at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. West music program made a trip to Boston, Massachusetts on April 12–15, 2007 with all choirs receiving Superior ratings. Other recognitions include Best of High School a cappella 2006, 2007, and 2008 (Champions- Men of Note '06,'07,'08 Finals- Fermata '05) and many tracks on the Best of High School a cappella CDs. The most popular performance of the year was Broadway Night, a show dedicated to well-known musicals, television theme songs and famous commercials.

Famous graduates of the West Vocal Program include Aaron Lazar, who has gone on to star in the Broadway hit, Light in the Piazza and performed the role of Enjolras in the Broadway revival of Les Misérables.

With 23 choirs competing from 8 different high schools, the Cherry Hill West Choirs were the only choirs to receive superior ratings from the three judges.

Chamber Singers won the "Best Overall Choir" for all the 13 non-mixed choirs competing and West Singers won the "Best Overall Choir" for all the 10 Mixed Choirs competing.

Instrumental program

The West instrumental program is composed of Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Orchestra, and Jazz Band. They are all directed by Mr. Jim Mark.

In spring 2005 in Virginia Beach, the group captured 1st Place at a North American Music Festivals competition and received a Superior Rating.

In 2006, Jazz Band placed 2nd at a Music In The Parks festival at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom.

Cherry Hill West has also produced many musicals over the years including Mary Poppins (2015), In the Heights (2014), Grease (2013), The Wedding Singer (2012), Hairspray (2011), The Wizard of Oz (2010), Bye Bye Birdie (1983, 1997, 2009), Oliver! (2008), Cabaret (2007), Footloose (2006), Hello, Dolly! (1981,2005), West Side Story (1984,2004), The Music Man (2003), The Wiz (2002), Annie (2001), Guys and Dolls (2000), Fiddler on the Roof (1999), Anything Goes (1998), and Oklahoma! (1996)

Marching band

The school's marching band was Tournament of Bands Chapter One Champions in 1992 and was Group 2 and USSBA regional champions in 2002, Group 1 Open.

Administration

Core members of the school's administration include:

Notable alumni