By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com

Seven Bulldog greats, along with one of the school’s all-time great football teams, were inducted into the Crestline Sports Hall of Fame Saturday night.

Robbie Beck, Joe O’Heron, Natalie Ronk, Rachel Sayre, Stacie Shumate, Tom Stewart, Don Winemiller, and the 1959 Bulldog football team were enshrined as the 2017 Crestline Sports Hall of Fame Class at the St. Joseph Convocation Center.

Inducting the 1959 Crestline football team was Joe DiPietro. Joe DiPietro, who was an honorable mention on that season’s team to the All-Mohican League, spoke about the team and some of the lessons he learned coming through the Crestline system.

“We were a great and talented team, and like I said every team that graduates from Crestline should feel the same way,” Joe DiPietro said. “When I went into coaching for 17 years I told them that they should feel the same way, and I would write a letter to all of the kids thanking them and thanking the fans, and everything. These were all things that I learned in Crestline and I took it with me.”

Entering the Crestline Hall of Fame as individuals were teammates Ronk, Sayre, and Shumate. The three spoke about what it meant to go into the Crestline Sports Hall of Fame together.

“I think it is an honor, especially to go in with each other. It is an honor in general to be able to go into the hall of fame,” Sayre said.

“It is a really cool privilege getting to hear all of these different stories of all of the people before us, and then getting to go in together is really special too because we have been really good friends,” Shumate explained

“I feel really honored,” Ronk added.

Shumate reflected on some of her favorite memories of the three playing as teammates.

“Probably going to state in 2009 is one of our best memories, just that journey of that whole season, and just beating Colonel Crawford in softball which we did numerous times, is one of our best memories as well,” Shumate said.

Tom Stewart introduced track to the Crestline school system in 1968. Stewert reflected on the Bulldog’s track infancy.

“In 1968 the first track team in Crestline was unsanctioned, and we played teams and kicked their butts. In 1969 we were sanctioned and we went to state,” Stewert recalled. “Merle Hutson told me that we were the first team to go to state from Crestline in any sport.”

During his induction Winemiller, who began coaching youth baseball after his sports-playing days were over, explained what he enjoyed about sports.

“I always loved the competition and team work,” Winemiller said. “Anytime there is something with competition on I am glued to it. My wife calls me a sportsaholic.”

Being inducted posthumously by John DiPietro was Robbie Beck. John DiPietro reflected on Beck’s playing style.

“Maybe the best I can say on his behalf was I was at a basketball game in Galion, and a guy came up to me and asked if I was from Crestline,” John DiPietro began. “Knowing the history that the two schools had I said yes, not knowing what would come next, and the guy said ‘Robbie Beck, I played against him and he hit me harder than anyone that I can remember.’”

“A few years later I was in Bucyrus and a different man comes up to me asking if I was from Crestline,” DiPietro continued. “I said yes, and like the guy in Galion he said ‘Robbie Beck, he really was a mauler. He was the toughest guy I ever played against.’”

During his induction speech O’Heron spoke about what it meant going into the hall.

“I think Crestline has had a great history of coaches. I look at the list of the Hall of Famers past and present and I think of the coaches,” O’Heron said.

“I really appreciate the honor of being inducted and accepted this year,” O’Heron finished.

The event began at 5 p.m. with a social hour, followed by dinner at 6 p.m. with Special Occasions Catering providing catering to the event.