After a 10-year period with no additions to its athletic hall of fame, Waite High School will be inducting 15 former Indians athletes and two distinguished coaches to the hall at a dinner ceremony Nov. 1 at the Bayside Boardwalk Banquet Hall in Oregon.
Highlighting the inductee class is current WNBA veteran basketball star Natasha Howard, a 2010 Waite graduate who led the Indians to the Division I state championship game as a senior, when she was also named Ohio's Ms. Basketball.
Howard then excelled for four seasons at Florida State University and has enjoyed a superb professional career after being the fifth overall player selected in the first round of the 2014 WNBA draft, chosen by the Indiana Fever.
The two-time WNBA all-star and 2019 defensive player of the year was a key part of WNBA championship teams in 2017 with the Minnesota Lynx and in 2018 and 2020 with the Seattle Storm. She currently is in her 10th season and playing for the Dallas Wings.
The other athletes to be inducted include the late Richard Wandtke (Class of 1944, football), Gary Burgess (1963, wrestling), Ken Donley (1973, football, wrestling), Jay Boose (1977, wrestling, cross country), Angela Washington (1979, basketball, track), Catherine Hernandez (1987, volleyball, basketball, track, cheerleading), Kennie Joe Washington (1990, basketball), Jason Beyer (1992, basketball), Danielle Wheeler (2000, softball, volleyball), Rick Cannings (2001, football, wrestling), Mathew Yenrick (2002, golf, baseball), Howard's All-Ohio teammate Shareese Ulis (2007, basketball), Thomas Duris (2009, golf, wrestling), and Dylan Clifton Lorton (2012, baseball).
The distinguished coaches entering the hall — which was established in 1972 and includes 180 honorees — will be Russ Bless, a Waite graduate who taught at the school and coached football, basketball, and track, and Fred Clement, who coached wrestling, cross country, and football.
The Nov. 1 festivities begin at the Bayside Boardwalk Banquet Hall on 2759 Seaman Road with a social hour at 5 p.m. Dinner is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and the inductions start at 7:30. Tickets for the event are $50 per person and can be reserved by contacting Waite Alumni Association chairman David Yenrick by phone at 419-697-1949, by email at david.yenrick@gmail.com, or by mail to P.O. Box 166927, Oregon, OH, 43616.
NAPOLEON HALL OF FAME
Napoleon High School will add seven inductees to its athletic hall of fame at a dinner ceremony on Sept. 9 at the Bert G. Taylor American Legion Post No. 300.
Joining the hall will be five former Wildcats athletes and two distinguished coaches.
The athletes entering are Ryan Harper (Class of 2009, football, swimming, track), Matt DeMichiei (Class of 2009, soccer), Erika (Vocke) Walker (2012, water polo, swimming, softball), Kelsey (Meyer) Cowell (2012, softball), and Makenzie (Garringer) Rzyski (2013, water polo, swimming).
The coaches to be inducted are Mike Burke, who coached tennis, football, and girls basketball (1975-2011), and Tim Carney, who coached soccer from 2001-08.
The seven honorees, who bring the school's HOF total to 131 inductees, will be introduced at halftime of Napoleon's Sept. 8 home football game against Anthony Wayne.
Further questions on details of the induction festivities can be directed to Napoleon Hall of Fame president Jeff Ressler by phone at 419-966-0933, or by email to nhs.hof@gmail.com.
First Published June 18, 2023, 10:22 p.m.
