Monday, June 10, 2002
Thiel
Ray Betts and Mike McMahon, both recent graduates of Austintown Fitch High, will play football this fall. Betts, a three-year starter at fullback, was named All-Steel Valley Conference the last two years. McMahon rebounded from injuries his sophomore and junior year to have a strong senior year at offensive tackle.
Westminster
Brad Johnson, a recent graduate of South Range High, will play football for the Titans. Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound halfback, outside linebacker and punter, rushed for 1,079 yards in 175 carries for a 6.3-yard average and 17 touchdowns his senior season. He also caught 11 passes for 149 yards for a 13.6-yard average and one TD. On defense, he had three fumble recoveries, one for a TD; three interceptions and one blocked punt. He also punted 10 times with a 33.3-yard average. Johnson was named All-Ohio special mention and to the All-NEO, All-Quad County and All-Inter-County League first teams. He also played baseball for South Range and was a member of the Key Club and served as a volunteer with Tod's Children's Hospital. The son of Julie and Andy Johnson is planning to major in physical therapy.
Rob Colaianni, a recent graduate of Cardinal Mooney High, will play football at Westminster. Colaianni (6-0, 191) was a safety, kick-return man and holder and made the All-Steel Valley Conference team. In tennis, he twice made the All-SVC team. The son of Diane and Dean Colaianni is planning to study business administration at Westminster.
Alex White, a recent graduate of Mineral Ridge High, will play football for the Titans. White (6-0, 260, offensive tackle) was selected to the All-Trumbull County first team and the All-Inter-County League second team, after gaining All-ICL honorable mention as a junior. White also competed in track and field and participated in weightlifting, and was a member of the Beta Club and the National Young Leaders Conference. He also made the 2001 Ohio University American history contest finals, and placed 12th in the 2002 YSU Physics Olympics. The son of Charles and Sandra White and Robert and Deborah Celli, White was on the honor roll for four years, and was a member of the National Honor Society. He plans to study biology at Westminster.
In women's golf, seven members of the first-ever Westminster team were awarded letters, including sophomores Rena Paroz (Brookfield), McKenzie Crowell (Crestview) and Jodi Grissett (Neshannock). The Titans placed third at the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championships. Other letter-winners were junior Suzanne Leyden, and freshmen Alyson Gasper and Katie Etzel.
Cincinnati
Brad Schutz (Canfield), a member of the baseball team, and his teammate, Chris Hamblen of Fort Thomas, Ky., are playing for the Youngstown Express team in the collegiate wooden bat League. Both players were named All-Conference USA for the 2002 season. Hamblen was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 13th round of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft on Tuesday, the 382nd pick overall. Schutz, a shortstop, led Cincinnati in six offensive categories, including batting (.362), hits (88), runs scored (59) and doubles (17). Hamblen led the team in home runs (15), while batting .340 with 71 hits, 14 doubles, 42 RBIs, 50 runs and .622 slugging percentage. He is one of 10 semifinalists for the Johnny Bench Award that is presented annually to the top collegiate catcher in the nation.
Wooster
Brianne Diorio (Cardinal Mooney), a sophomore second baseman-outfielder for the softball team, helped the Scots to their second 20-win season in a row. Diorio played in 32 games, starting 29 of them, and batted .253 (23-for-91) with 14 RBIs and six runs scored as Wooster posted a 20-16 record. The Scots were 10-4 in the North Coast Athletic Conference to tie for second place, then placed third in the NCAC Tournament. Diorio enjoyed a strong finish to the season by batting .464 (13-for-28) with six RBIs over the final 10 games.
Mount Union
Kristy Croysdale, a recent graduate of Austintown Fitch High, will play soccer for the Purple Raiders. Croysdale (5-2), a midfielder, made the All-district and All-Steel Valley Conference first teams. She also made the All-county second team. A four-year letter-winner, Croysdale was a three-time selection as Fitch's best midfielder. She also captured the Academic Award with a 4.0 grade-point average.
Two area high school senior student-athletes have decided to attend Mount Union and resume their athletic careers. Shawn Hyden from Austintown Fiuth will play tennis, while Jennings Francis from Howland High will compete in soccer. Hyden made the All-Steel Valley Conference tennis team this spring, while also being an SVC doubles champion. The year before as a junior, he won the Austintown Fitch Falcon Award. Hyden won three letters. Francis made the All-Metro Athletic Conference second team, and was a YDSSCA Division I All-District team.
Baldwin-Wallace
Tara Gruskiewicz (Pymatuning Valley), a junior on the women's track team, helped the Yellow Jackets capture their seventh consecutive Ohio Athletic Conference championship, and their 14th in the last 15 years. Gruskiewicz won the 800-meter run with a season-best time of 2 minutes, 15.33 seconds, and was a member of the 4x800 relay that was runner-up. She qualified for the NCAA Division III national meet in the 800, where she ran the event in 2:21.90. The daughter of Sharon and Steve Gruskiewicz, Tara also had a strong indoor track season by winning the OAC crown in the 500 (1:20.36). Her best outdoor performances this year were 200 (27.15), 800 (2:15.33), high jump (4-8), shot put (26-10.50) and javelin (88-4); while her top indoor efforts were 300 (45.69), 500 (1:20.15), 800 (2:24.59) and high jump (4-07.75).
Malone
John Jeren, a sophomore on the Malone College track team from Poland High, was a member of the 4x800-meter relay team that placed eighth (8 & gt;03.22) at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships in Olathe, Kan. Teammate Eric Hodgson, a junior from Salem High, ran in the marathon, but did not finish.
The Malone men placed 18th among 68 teams that scored points. The Malone women, meanwhile, placed 21st among 57 teams. Tiffany French, a sophomore from Bristol, placed 14th in the shot put (41 feet, 1/4 inches) for the Pioneers. Dawn Woolf, a senior from United, was a member of Malone's 4x100-meter relay team that vied but was disqualified in the prelim.
In women's golf, Kelly Watt, a senior for Malone from West Branch High, had a 404 score as the Pioneers placed last out of 23 teams at the eighth annual NAIA National Championships at Pine Lakes Golf Course in Palm Coast, Fla. Watt had rounds of 105, 101, 99 and 99. Her 404 tied Sarah Doll for third-best on the team, behind Jody Bowersmith (362) and Laura Collier (389).
-- Vindicator staff reports