By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
The stars were aligned at Trillium Event Center in Bucyrus Tuesday evening, not the ones seen in the evening sky, but the Crawford County Fall Sports All-County All-Stars.
The event was hosted by the presenting sponsor Spreng Capital Management along with WQEL, WBCO, and Crawford County Now. While providing opening comments to the county all-stars, Jim Spreng gave advice to the award recipients.
“There is a gentleman I know from Ada, Ohio, who owns an international company that employs 30,000 people. He used sports to get his education with a golf scholarship at Delta University in Mississippi,” Spreng said. “He was taking his last test for his last course, and he had studied hard for it. The professor set the piece of paper upside down. Seeing this the young man expected the test to have one or two questions on it. When the professor told the students to turn their paper over to begin the test, it had one question: name the person who cleans the rooms in the school.”
Spreng continued his story, telling the students that nobody gets to the top without the help of someone else.
“You didn’t get here without your other teammates, or coaches,” Spreng said. “I want to point out to be humble and thankful. Take the effort and thank those who helped you get here tonight.”
Spreng continued by delivering more advice to the students.
“Don’t let this be the culmination of life, there is so much ahead for all of you. This is just a stepping stone,” Spreng said.
Forty-one student-athletes and coaches were selected across football, volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls golf, and girls tennis with five players and one coach being represented in each category.
Colonel Crawford Cross Country runner Brad Bauer was one of four boys cross country runners from the school to receive an all-star bid. Bauer explained what receiving the all-star nomination meant to him.
“I am very grateful. This is actually my fourth time, so I have been here all four years for cross country. It is just an honor for me to able to come here, and it is great that they have this for everyone,” Bauer said.
Bauer finished second at the Crawford County meet with a time 16:27. He was third at the N10 meet and garnered all-league first team honors. Bauer finished 11th at the Regional meet this past weekend and will finish his high school career at the Division III state meet this coming Saturday.
Receiving an all-star nod in boys golf was Mason Light from Bucyrus. Light explained what it meant to be named an all-county all-star.
“It is a nice feeling, it is good to know that your hard work pays off. I’m not where I want to be, but I am getting there,” Light said.
Light earned honorable mention All-N10 honors this year. He fired a low 9-hole round of 42 and averaged 46.3 during the regular season. Light shot a 95 at the sectional tournament.
Jenna Karl and Addie Ackerman were part of a Buckeye Central Buckettes volleyball team that went 23-2 throughout the 2016 campaign.
Karl explained what she enjoyed most about the Buckettes run this season.
“All around, winning the N-10 and winning district finals,” Karl said.
Ackerman added what it meant to be selected as an all-star.
“It is really exciting,” Ackerman said.
Ackerman’s top contribution during the Buckettes’ championship season was that she made sure her teammates were successful. She led the N10 in setting with 771 on the season and an average of 10.28 per set. She was also among the league leaders in serving with 30 aces. The Buckettes’ setter was a first team All-N10 pick.
Karl didn’t just do a little bit of everything for the Buckettes, she did it extremely well. She was second in the N10 in kills with 377 for an average 5.03 per set. She was also among the league leaders in serving with 32 aces. But perhaps the most telling thing about her season was not only was she selected first team All-N10, she was selected by the league coaches as the N10 Player of the Year.
Galion Tennis Player Jalyn Oswald was one of three all-stars from the Lady Tigers squad. Oswald recalled her favorite moment of the tennis season.
“My favorite moment was probably when I won the MOAC tennis title for third singles, I was expecting it, but I was really excited,” Oswald said.
Oswald played number 3 singles for the Lady Tigers and won the MOAC 3rd singles title at the league tournament. She finished with a match record of 20-4, and advanced to the second round of the Division II sectional tournament.
Arriving late to the banquet were members of the Wynford football team as they practiced late in preparation for their upcoming home playoff game against Gibsonburg. Royals’ linebacker Cole Heinlen reminisced about his favorite moment of the football season.
“It probably started out with the first game of the year, just playing Liberty Benton and winning at home,” Heinlen said.
As a linebacker, Heinlen led the N10’s stingiest defensive unit with 101 tackles during the regular season and that placed him fourth on the list of the league’s top tacklers. Forty-seven of his stops were solo efforts. Heinlen also made nine stops behind the line of scrimmage and had a quarterback sack. He forced a league-high three fumbles and recovered two.
PHOTO GALLERY: 2016 Fall All-County All Stars
Fall 2016 Honorees:
Football All-County All-Stars
Cole Heinlen – Wynford
Zach Hoffman – Wynford
Harrison Ivy – Galion
Trevor Shawber – Colonel Crawford
Blake Treisch – Colonel Crawford
Coach of the Year: Gabe Helbert – Wynford
Volleyball All-County All-Stars
Addison Ackerman – Buckeye Central
Bailey Alspach – Wynford
Marisa Gwinner – Galion
Jenna Karl – Buckeye Central
Jenna Seigel – Colonel Crawford
Coach of the Year: Jaclyn Reinhart – Buckeye Central
Boys Cross Country All-County All-Stars
Brad Bauer – Colonel Crawford
Wade Hopkins – Colonel Crawford
Chad Johnson – Colonel Crawford
Carsen Pirnstill – Bucyrus
Nick Studer – Colonel Crawford
Coach of the Year: Judy Grove – Colonel Crawford
Girls Cross Country All-County All-Stars
Courtney Britt – Colonel Crawford
Sari Conner – Galion
Emily Kemper – Colonel Crawford
Anna Reffey – Colonel Crawford
Julia VanVoorhis – Bucyrus
Coach of the Year: Judy Grove – Colonel Crawford
Girls Tennis All-County All Stars
Kayley Gimbel – Galion
Alivia Lewis – Bucyrus
Loarel Mollenkopf – Bucyrus
Jalyn Oswald – Galion
Katherine Talbott – Galion
Coach of the Year: Terry Gribble – Galion
Boys Golf All-County All-Stars
Mitch Dyer – Galion
Nick Gremling – Colonel Crawford
Mason Light – Bucyrus
Jack McElligott – Galion
Brevin Owens – Galion
Coach of the Year: Bryce Lehman – Galion
GirlS Golf All-County All-Stars
Rachel Bell – Bucyrus
Annika Gerlach – Wynford
Hayley McCoy – Wynford
Shae Ness – Galion
Paige Shealy – Buckeye Central
Coach of the Year: Michael Hurles – Wynford