BUCYRUS — The Crawford County Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet is 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 30 at the Trillium Event Center, 1630 E. Southern Ave., Bucyrus.
Tickets are available at the six Crawford County High School Athletic Director’s offices, the Crestline Advocate or by calling 419-571-6284.
The Class of 2018 includes the following:
Danielle Grochowalski Vilt, Wynford; Jennifer Kaple Shaver, Buckeye Central; Teresa Luidhardt Oberlander, Buckeye Central; Robert Frye, Crestline; Wilbur Scott “Jake” Striker, Sulpher Springs (Col. Crawford); 1975 Girls 440 yard relay state champs, Wynford.
Teresa Luidhardt Oberlander
Teresa Luidhardt Oberlander graduated from Buckeye Central in 1984. Teresa was a multi-sport athlete excelling in track and basketball. As a freshman in high school, Teresa came in 5th in the state in the 100-meter hurdles and 4th in the state in the 800-meter relay. She was part of the 1600-meter relay that set a team record of 4.12.6 minutes, which was broken in 2018, 38 years later.
During her sophomore year, Teresa came in second in the state in the 800-meter relay and set another school record, which still stands today. She also set school records in the 200-meter dash and the 100-meter dash. Teresa was also a member of the Buckeye Central Girls basketball team that were state runner-up.
As a junior, Teresa set another school record of 23 rebounds in basketball against Columbus Whitehall, a AAA team at that time. Track season once again included a trip to Columbus where Teresa came in second in the 100-meter hurdles and eighth on the 400-meter relay team, which included her sister Julie, Chris Suver and Gail Guttenberg. This team set another school record at 51.7 that stands today.
Teresa’s senior year brought more school records and a state championship.
Teresa won the 100-meter hurdles and was state champion at a time of 14.71 which is a school record. She participated in the long jump for the first year and came in second in the state, with a jump of 17-3 ½. She also set a school record in the 300-meter hurdles. As a team, Buckeye Central placed seventh at the state track meet, with Teresa as the only member who participated.
Altogether, Teresa competed in 11 state championship events during her high school career.
Teresa also graduated first in her class with a 4.0 GPA. She was inducted into the inaugural class of the Buckeye Central Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.
Following graduation, Teresa attended college at Marion College in Indiana (now Indiana Wesleyan University). While there, she was named MVP of the track team all four years of college. She was All-American NCAA starting her freshman year.
She received the Senior Scholar-Athlete Award and Senior Certificate of Merit for four years of field hockey, two years of basketball, and four years of track. Teresa placed in at least three events at the National Track meet every year of college; running on two National Champion Relay teams.
As a senior, she received the conference Wheeler Award for athletics/academics/service. Teresa majored in Chemistry and Math and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 3.9 GPA in 1988. After graduation, Teresa began her career as a lab technician at Ross Labs in Columbus. Teresa coached JV field hockey for six years at Columbus Bishop Hartley High School.
Teresa married her husband, Mike, and moved to the Chicago area to work at Abbott Laboratories. Teresa supports chemical research for new drug development and has been awarded for many project completions.
Her current interests include volunteer work at food and book banks, and the school backpack program. She supports the school band program and helps the near 300 members with their uniforms. Their son, Ryan, attends the University of Illinois in Computer Engineering.
Robert Frye
Robert Frye is a 1940 graduate of Crestline High School. Bob played football and basketball for the Bulldogs. The 1939 Crestline football team, then known as the Onondagas, were named the Class B state football champions by the Associated Press. Bob Frye was a member of the team, which also won four straight League of Six Nations championships.
During his senior year, Bob rushed for 1,021 yards for an average of 6.8 yards per carry. His overall net yardage was 1,166. He led all scoring with 109 points. Bob received league and state acclaim in 1939, and was the leading scorer in the State of Ohio. According to Frye, Coach Merle Hutson had a lot to do with the success of the 1939 football team. Frye said he credited Hutson with the coaching skills he used later on.
After graduating from Crestline, Bob attended The Ohio State University. He played football for the Buckeyes and was a member of Paul Brown’s 1942 National Championship team. The Crestline Advocate’s “A Look Back” article recalls that Bob suffered a season-ending injury when he broke his ankle and leg during the OSU vs Pittsburgh football game.
Other Crawford County Sports Hall of Fame inductees from the 1942 National Championship team include Cecil “Cy” Souders, of Bucyrus, and Bill Durtchi, of Galion. World War II ended what could have been a Buckeye dynasty, when all the players ended up going off to service.
In 1943, Bob was the only Crestline resident to be selected to play in the Chicago Tribune All-Star game. The team played against the National Championship team, Washington Redskins.
Robert served in the Pacific Theatre during World War II, and participated in multiple island invasions. Bob graduated from Southern California University. He coached in California and then returned to Mansfield, Ohio to coach football and basketball at Mansfield Sr. High.
Bob was the first coach at Mansfield St. Peter’s High School. His coaching career at St. Peter’s lasted from 1958-1971. His basketball record was 259-65. His 1968 basketball team won the state championship, and a number of his teams reached the Final Four.
The gym/auditorium at St. Peter’s is named for Robert Frye. Bob is enshrined in the Ohio High School Basketball Hall of Fame. Robert and wife Maxine had two children, Sue and Mick.
Jennifer Kaple Shaver
The headline for the Bucyrus Telegraph Forum states that “Jenny Kaple did it all for BC”
Jenny played forward for the Buckeye Central Girls basketball team. Her coach, Vainard Spiess, is quoted in the same article saying that Jenny was a great all-around athlete, who could do well in all aspects of the game. Jenny graduated from BC in 1987, having lettered 12 times in volleyball, basketball and softball.
She was the first female athlete at the school to be a four-year letterwinner in three different sports. She is a member of the first ever class to be inducted into the Buckeye Central Hall of Fame. Her teams won 197 games in her four years.
Her basketball teams won 88 percent of their games.
Jennifer was named All-Conference in three different sports both her junior and senior years. She was first-team All-District 6 for basketball twice, and once for volleyball. During her senior year, she was named District 6 Player of the Year.
Jennifer was second-team All-Ohio in volleyball, third-team All-Ohio in basketball as a junior, and first-team All-Ohio as a senior. She was named the Most Valuable Player for the Buckettes in 1986 and 1987. Jennifer was on three different squads that went to the state tournament, and was a member of the 1985 state champion basketball Buckettes.
Jennifer went on to Ashland University to become a teacher, graduating in 1991.
She has taught a combined 28 years, 14 in the Buckeye Central district and 14 at Ontario, where she currently teaches 6th grade. She and husband Randy, have two children, Olivia, a junior at OSU, and Griffin, a sophomore at Ontario High School.
Jennifer also has two English Bulldogs, Izzy and Dottie.
Wilbur Scott “Jake” Striker
Wilbur Scott “Jake” Striker attended Sulphur Springs High School. He was born in 1933 in New Washington. He graduated in 1951 from Sulfur Springs High School.
After briefly attending Heidelberg College, he started his career in 1952 and played through the1 962 season, with two years away for his military service (1956 and 1957). He was a left-handed pitcher for the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox in 1959, 1960.
This 6-foot-2, 200-pound athlete made a promising start to his career. In his debut on Sept. 25, 1959, at the age of 25, Striker tossed 6⅔ innings of solid baseball, allowing only two earned runs for a 2.70 earned run average and the 8-2 win.
He went 0 for 1, with a walk at the plate, in what would be the only game in which he would appear in 1959.
Jake was the only player from Heidelberg College to reach the major leagues.
Striker was traded on Dec. 6, 1959 with Dick Brown, Don Ferrarese and Minnie Miñoso to the White Sox for Johnny Romano, Bubba Phillips and Norm Cash. That basically sealed the fate for his fairly promising career. He only appeared in two games with the White Sox, both relief appearances. In 3+ innings of work, he posted a 4.91 ERA, striking out one and walking one.
His major league career ended on April 24, 1960. Overall, he went 1 and 0 with a 3.48 ERA in 3 games in his career. He walked five, struck out six and gave up one home run (to Casey Wise) in about 10 innings of work.
He wore three uniform numbers in his short two-year career. He wore 23 with the Indians, and 20 and 31 with the White Sox. At the age of 29, he gave up baseball. He said he was very grateful to be able to play major league ball, but he was disappointed at the turn of events.
In 1963 he started a 30-year career with the Timken Company in Bucyrus, Ohio. He enjoyed traveling with is family and playing golf with friends and fellow workers. Upon his retirement, he moved to Prescott, Arizona and in 2002 he moved to Dallas, Oregon.
Tragically cancer took the lives of Jake’s daughter, wife and Jake, who passed away March, 7, 2013. Jake’s son, Scott, lives in Dallas, Oregon.
Jake was one of 50 pitchers to have one career major league win and he was featured in a book by George Rose, “One Hit Wonders.”
Danielle Grochowalski Vilt
Danielle was a three-sport athlete at Wynford High School, graduating in 2003.
During her freshman year, Danielle played on the state appearing girls basketball team for Colonel Crawford. She lettered as a freshman in track and came in 5th in the 4×200 meter relay and 8th in the 300 meter hurdles at the state track meet.
Danielle moved to the Wynford district her sophomore year and played volleyball, basketball and track. In volleyball that year, Danielle received the Heart and Hustle Award, was second team NCC and District VI Division III Honorable Mention. Her basketball team was 20-4 during her sophomore year. She had the most assists in one season (98) and the most steals (75). She was named a District III, Division III Second Team member.
As a member of the track team, she was the NCC champ in the 200 and 400-meter dash, her team won the NCC and she was a state qualifier in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 400-meter dash, (she wasn’t able to compete due to illness).
Danielle’s junior year saw more athletic accomplishments. She was chosen First Team NCC in volleyball and track. She was Honorable Mention All Ohio in volleyball. Her basketball team was regional runner-ups, had the most wins in girls basketball history, and she had the most steals at 84 and most assists at 101.
During her junior year in track, Danielle was on the first team NCC for the 200-meter and 400-meter dash. She placed third in the state meet in the 400-meter dash and was chosen team MVP.
Danielle received numerous awards her senior year in volleyball, basketball and track. Her volleyball team won the NCC and she was named first team NCC, and District VI. She was chosen Player of the Year for the Division III All-Ohio All Star game.
Danielle’s basketball team amassed a record of 26-1. They were NCC champs, regional champs and made the Final Four and played in the Schottenstein Arena. During the season, she had the most steals for a game at Riverdale (13), the most steals in a season (157) and the most steals for a career (314). She received first team honors for the NCC, District VI Division III, and was an NCC/Firelands Conference All-Star.
During track season, Danielle was the NCC champ in the 200 and 400-meter dash. She won the state in the 400-meter dash, and placed fourth in 100-meter dash, and eighth in the 200-meter. dash. Danielle never lost a 400-meter race her senior year. She is the record holder at Wynford for the 200 and 400-meter dash. She was named Co-MVP.
After graduation, Danielle headed to the University of Findlay. She was All-American in indoor and outdoor track and was Findlay’s Women Athlete of the Year, 2006-2007. Danielle is the record holder of five University of Findlay track records. She was also a two-time GLIAC Academic All-American.
Danielle was inducted into the Wynford Hall of Fame. She lives in Texas and has three children, Addie, Lincoln and Maylee.
Wynford High School Girls 1975 440 Relay
In 1975, the Girls 440-yard relay team won the state championship for Wynford High School. The team consisted of Penny Miller (Cuffman), Linda Rule (Chandler), Kathy Hornak (Grochowalski), and Beck Wilburn (Nickelson).
The winning time was 51 seconds flat. The state record set by the relay team was 50.6, which they set during the preliminary race, the day before winning the championship.
The team was coached by Peggy Keller. Interestingly, 1975 was the first year for the Girls State Track meet. These young ladies were trailblazers for girls sports, especially track.
