Carroll County HOF

[chsrunner2007]

Let's make a list of Carroll's all time best athletes and narrow it down to a list that we believe deserves to be in the Running HOF. Who better to understand their achievements then those who understand how hard they are to achieve. Include Indoor, Outdoor and XC. Someone who was great in just one of these categories will not be good enough. They must have been a standout in at least two.

My nominees (more recent, i dont feel like doing research)

Steph thingerson (CHS) won over 10 county titles while in high school.

Bobby Mead (SCHS) Standout in XC, Indoor and Outdoor. Great times all around

Jesse O'Connell (WHS) 1:46, enough said

Mark Gilmore (WHS i think) I think he has county meet mile record

Brian Leiter (FSK) XC standout. 2 time 800 state champ running sub 2. Ran a 4:24 mile at states which is lower then county meet record.

Tim Wunderlich (NCHS) Great athlete, national aau decathalon champ

Chris Jones (CHS) Best county hurdler ever

Nick Hruch (LHS) active, everyone knows what he can do

[glow=red,2,300]These are just nominees, so everyone else add what you think. Eventually we will compile a final list and vote on who we think the best are.[/glow]

[CoachSpongeBob]

I have to say, I'm impressed. You knew SOME of the old-timers. Unfortunetly there isn't enough OLD TIMERS on here to make a list, and THANKFULLY, I am not an old-timer yet. What I mean, great idea, but u all are young, as am I, and I dont' know that we know enough of the history of Carroll County

(for those of you reading the script beforehand...this is where you prove me wrong and don't name someone within the last 10 years [glow=red,2,300]OR[/glow] from your own school)

[libvaultzero]

Jorden Wike, Multiple State titles (at least 3) in PV also one of the only people in Maryland to jump 14' in awhile

[CoachSpongeBob]

Jared - you did not follow my explicit instructions...and thus showing your age

[libvaultzero]

but its true I am now a freshman again, and i did follow half the instructions (not someone from my own school)

which reminds me even though shes from Liberty gotta go with Julie Cox was a standout in the High School and College level but thats the last person I can think of (only because you mentioned her at practice several times coach)

[hasercentury06]

Phil Diven wasn't too bad at XC. I don't know anything of his track accomplishments, but he was pretty impressive in XC.

[chsrunner2007]

You are probably right CoachSB, we do not know much past the last 10 years. So how about if we were to assemble a 15 person track team (male, seeing as most of us are males) that would have members athletic enough to cover each event and score very well. Lets also put together and XC team where at least 5 of its members where from the track team.

track team ideas:
Nick Hruch-he does everything
Tim Wunderlich-see Nick Hruch
Chris Jones-both hurdles, fast enough for relays, 20 ft LJ, 6-1 HJ
Jesse O'connell-All around beast
Bobby Mead-Very fast in XC and 2 mile, also can run the mile (9:35 3200)

Thats my team so far, from that i would put O'connell and Mead on the XC team for sure.

[libvaultzero]

brian leiter's gotta be in there for something,

4x800 ( Just tossing out names)

Brian Leiter
Jim Ridder
Nick Hruch
Jesse O'Connell

Again just tossing out some fast people I know ran for the county

[CoachSpongeBob]

I think the XC team will be heavy on Westminster grads. Jesse was a great track runner, and a very good xc runner, but I don't think he was ever the best on his team (correct me if I'm wrong) because of all the greats they had.

Jason Santuchi
Mike Recek (a couple XC state titles - I never saw him lose a county race)
Josh Davis
Greg Fisher

I didn't see Bobby Mead run as a senior, but the best runner from SC I ever saw was Steve McCleron (spelling).

What school did Todd Ashley go to, definitely should be on the list.

Obviously Mark Gilmore. And I don't know anything about him, but I think I have heard people say that Steve Kartalia may be the best runner Carroll County ever had (someone correct me if I am wrong). At 40, he is still beating the counties best runners in local road races.

Liberty's best would include Carl Henn, Joe Ledda and Justin Combs among others (my sophomore year might be included in this list, but my senior year was rittled with injuries, so I might not make Liberty's best), but Justin and Joe never beat Mike Recek, and I would fit Carl in the same category and Justin and Joe.

I can't believe I can't remember this guys name, but he went to Westminster, graduated before I got to high school, last name was Knight - WC Knight or something. He went by initials, and he was very fast.

Coach Shank's son was a very good 400/800 runner in high school.

Oh, and for the 4x800 team - Phil Divin has to be on there (he probably needs to be on the XC team too, in fact, he is the best SC runner they have had - the only state champion). Phil ran a sub 2 as the anchor of the 4x8 at counties to win it. Was one of the more impressive runs I had seen to that point. I think he was as fast as Brian Leiter (that is a compliment to both of them).

[CoachSpongeBob]

A few other names -

Chris Jones wasn't the fastest hurdler the county has had. The county records belong to Jared Craig (HH) and Dennis Morrison (300H) both of Westminster

Best High Jumper in Carroll County History is Bob Smith of Westminster. He has cleared 7'0" (jumped 6'9" at states indoors, which ties the 4A state record).

Brad Williams has to rank up there as one of the best triple jumpers the county has ever had. Brad competed most of the year with a 5 step approach, but still was jumping 44 to 45 feet all year, and only lost once - at states, by 1/4 of an inch. Just think if he had been just slightly healthy, but yet he still had some of the best marks the county has ever had (county record is 46 feet 7 inches)

Obviously anybody that has an individual county record probably should be included in the hall of fame -

Ted Edelman, Discus, SC
Jim Hyson, SP, FSK
Matt Knights, TJ, Westminster
Jeff Hollinsworth, LJ, Westminster
Craig Gilliam, PV, FSK
Bob Smith, HJ, Westminster
Dennis Morrison, 300H, Westminster
Jared Craig, HH, Westminster
Jason Santuchi, 3200, Westminster
Mark Gilmore, 1600, Westminster
Jesse O'Connell, 800, Westminster
Rich House, 400, Westminster
Steve Foreman, 200, FSK
Jason Tillman, 100, FSK

And Coaches Hall of Fame:

Coach Jim Shank, Westminster/Winters Mill

On the girls side, at least there will be two Liberty grads in the Hall of Fame. Best sprinter Hurdler in county history is Julie Cox. Best High Jumper is argueably Vicky Osinga (two state titles and a runner-up)

[chsrunner2007]

Coach, I know for a fact that Jones went at least 14.2 in the 110h's. In fact i though he may have gone faster. Remember, those are county meet records and not county records. Kinda like how Bobby Mead ran that 9:35 2 mile for the SC record, but doesn't have the county record because Jason Santuchi ran 9:38 at the county meet...

The 4x800 has got to be
Jesse O'Connell lead off-he can run a great time no matter what. He is that gifted.
Brian Leiter second-from what i remember he ran his own race until the lastt 100 when he sprinted home.
Phil Diven third- He had a longer kick and a lot of heart, so he would be good for the final drive to get it to the anchor with a lead
Nick Hruch- No better anchor. May not have the PR that O'Connell has, but Jesse can run that first leg. No one has a bigger heart than Nick and thats what you want in an anchor.

[CoachSpongeBob]

Most people post faster times outside of Counties. Santuchi ran faster then 9:38 too. Mike Recek may have been faster then 9:30s.

Remember, Jesse put up his best times as a senior, Nick still has one year left. It will come down to him getting in the right race, and him being healthy. If we could get Liberatore to run outdoor track that would make every race we compete at a race where he could post a good time, cause otherwise he might lose to Eric.

[CoachSpongeBob]

By the way, I like that relay team, its a great order too.

Liberatore might make that team before he graduates. 2:01 as a sophomore he is coming fast. He could catch Diven (1:59) and Leiter (1:58) before he graduates, but he's not there yet.

Someone from the county record 4x800 team probably deserves to be on there, but I don't know those guys enough. They ran 8:03 at counties, so someone probably has to be bumped for one of those guys too.

[chsrunner2007]

Yea, i didn't know them well enough either.
I acyually considered adding Eric, but he just has to run outdoor.

[xctrackcoach]

Here's my take on the HOF:
Men's 100 - Steve Forman FSK (multiple AA @ Frostburg), Rob Johnson (NC)
200 - Forman, Tony Chase (WHS), Scott Koleszar (Liberty)
400 - Rich House (WHS), Tink Hill (FSK)
800 - O'Connell (WHS) - Olympic Trials finalist, Hruch, Leiter, Mark Rabush (WHS) 1:55.1 @ states - All - American @ Auburn, Steve Chapin (WHS) 1:55.3 @ regionals (never broke 2:00 before his sr. yr.)
1600 - Anybody ever heard of Karsten Schulz (WHS)? : 4:09.4 in hs, qualified for NCAA's in 1500, 5K & xc, Mark Gilmore (still has county record from the 80's - NCAA qualifier in XC @ Navy)
3200 - Kartalia (WHS) 9:23.1 in hs, made JR Nat'l team as a frosh @ Wake Forest @ 5K, Olympic Trials finalist in 10K ('92) - PR = 28:32., Time wise Santucci (9:23.3 to win states as a sr.) but I'd also have to include Greg Davis (WHS) who anchored the 4 x 800 in 1:58 (team was 2nd in 8:02), finished 2nd in the 3200 (9:40 - PR going into states was 10:06), got 3rd in the 800 (1:59.1 - out of slow heat) and finished the day with a 49.3 relay carry. BY the way this was in '85 when it was still a ONE DAY state meet!!!!!
110 H - Jay Merker (WHS)/ Dennis Morrison (WHS), Wunderlich, Jones
300H - Morrison (WHS), Jones
4 x 100 - Forman, Johnson, Chase,Koleszar 4 x 400 - O'Connell, Hill, House, Koleszar 4 x 800 O'Connell, Rabush, Hruch, Chapin (WHS ran 7:53 in '86 - this group could go sub 7:45 easliy) Distance Med - O'Connell (1200), Koleszar (400), Rabush (800), Schulz (1600) - capable of winning Penn 4 x 200 - Chase, Forman, Koleszar, Johnson
TJ Ifeyani Ani (WHS), Williams (Lib) LJ - Jeff Hollingsworth (WHS), Chase HJ - Bob Smith (WHS) 7' (scholarship to MD), Hruch, Steve Buzash (WHS), D- Bill Carroll (WHS), Edelman (SC), Wunderlich SP - Jim Hyson (FSK) - still holds longest throw in county from 70's, Nick Agoris (SC) PV - Jeff LiBerge (WHS) 15' vaulter, Gilliam (FSK), Wike, Chris Small (WHS)