Hancock Sports Hall of Fame to welcome new inductees in April

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hancock Sports Hall of Fame returns in 2022 and will welcome its 36th class of inductees on Saturday, April 9 with a banquet and ceremony to be held at 6 p.m. the Owens College's Community Education & Wellness Center.Joining the Hancock Sports Hall of Fame will be Marc Arce, Katie Butler, Rick Maroney, Tom Meyer and Seth Newlove, along with the 1997 Cory-Rawson girls state track championship team. Dean Pees was also selected to be a part of this year's group, but has opted to be inducted in 2023 because of his obligation with the Atlanta Falcons.Voting by the Hancock Sports Hall of Fame committee for this year's class was done in November of 2019. Due to COVID concerns, however, the 2020 and 2021 induction ceremonies were postponed.With track and field being a spring sport, it seems a fitting connection with this year's inductees, specifically Arce, Meyer and Cory-Rawson's 1997 state championship team.In 30 years as the University of Findlay head coach, Arce developed UF's track and field teams into one of the nation's elite programs with 25 national champions and over 400 all-American performers.Under his tutelage, the 2014-15 men's indoor and outdoor seasons became UF's most successful, placing second during both NCAA Division II campaigns. In all, he had 13 Division II champions and 224 all-Americans.Arce also coached 241 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titlists, 23 MVPs and was a seven-time GLIAC coach of the year. From 1990-1997, his men's and women's teams produced 12 NAIA national titles, 213 all-America honors, 66 Mid-Ohio Conference and 65 District 22 crowns.Arce also served as UF's men's and women's cross country coach for 25 seasons, with his 2006 women's team qualifying for the Division II championships. Arce has most recently coached at Nauset Regional High School in Eastham, Ma. whose girls team won the 2020 Division IV state indoor championships. The Valley Stream, N.Y. native and Indiana University graduate logged a 107-32 dual-meet record during a nine-year high school coaching career.An avid runner himself, Arce has competed in the New York and Boston marathons.Before coaching the Cory-Rawson girls track team to a state championship in 1997, Meyer was a star athlete for the Hornets. As a junior, he was a starting defensive end for the undefeated, unscored upon C-R football team, and earned first team all-Ohio honors as a senior.He also qualified for the state track meet as a junior (mile relay) and as a senior (440-yard dash). As a college sophomore, he helped Dartmouth College win the Ivy League football championship.Meyer taught and coached at Vanlue and Van Buren before taking a teaching job at Cory-Rawson in 1979. In 1994, he became the head track coach.Before retiring in 2009, Meyer coached 38 state track qualifiers, including nine state champions. His 1998 team was state runners-up and the 1997 team won the OHSAA Division III track and field championship.After retiring from coaching and from his high school guidance position, Meyer became a track and field official. His officiating venues included the Ohio Special Olympics meet, high school league, district and regional meets, NAIA and NCAA league meets, three Big Ten indoor championships, five NAIA national championships and one National Masters championship.Highlighting Meyer's coaching career at Cory-Rawson was the Hornets state championship in the 1997 Division III girls meet. Sophomore Jana Dearth would win the 200-meter dash, place second in the 100 and anchor two winning relays — the 400 with Tiffany Thompson, Melissa Boehm and Megan McGinn and the 1,600 with Boehm, Heidi Westall and Ashley Bucher. The victory in the 1,600 relay, the final event, earned the Hornets (38) the points they needed to edge Bluffton and Ayersville (32) for the team title. Laura Anderson (shot put) also qualified for state that year. Assisting Meyer, who would guide Cory-Rawson to a state runner-up finish the following season, were Mary Ann Cramer, Jason Diller, Shelley Hillard, Chris Krintzline, Jack Marshall and Kris Sherer.Her induction into the Hancock Sports Hall of Fame continues a family legacy for Katie Butler, whose father Dean, brother Andy and sister Jana are also Hall of Fame members.Katie Butler not only earned 12 varsity letters (volleyball, basketball and track), but was all-Ohio in all three sports as well.In basketball, she is the all-time Liberty-Benton leading scorer with 1,868 points. First-team all-Ohio and a two-time Blanchard Valley Conference Player of the Year she also holds L-B career records for rebounds (955) and blocked shots (359).Her senior season, Butler was also BVC Player of the Year and second-team all-Ohio in volleyball. In track she placed fifth in the discus at the state meet.Following graduation in 2003, Butler spent two years playing basketball for the University of Dayton before transferring to Northern Kentucky University. In two seasons, she helped NKU to a 48-13 record and two trips to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.Before starring for the University of Toledo baseball team, Maroney was a multi-sport standout at Findlay High School.Maroney captained the 1979 Trojans football team and earned second-team all-Buckeye Conference honors. As a basketball player, he captained the 1979-80 team and was named to the all-Buckeye Conference third team and played in the District 8 All-Star game. He helped the Trojans to two Buckeye Conference titles and two district championships.In baseball, Maroney captained the 1980 team and fashioned a 1.22 ERA that season and a 1.50 career ERA. He helped the Trojans win two district championships, which included pitching back-to-back 1-0 victories. He was also the winning pitcher in the 1980 Ohio All-Star game and was named to Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association all-Ohio team.Maroney continued his baseball career at the University of Toledo where he was second-team all-MAC in 1984 and first-team all-MAC in 1982. Lettering all four years, he led the team in wins (1983), ERA (1982 & 1984) and strikeouts (1983). He is currently sixth at the university in career wins and innings pitched.Newlove graduated from Arlington High School in 1996 after earning 12 varsity letters, four each in football, basketball and track.Scoring 1,577 points, he is Arlington's all-time leading scorer and earned first-team all-Blanchard Valley Conference three times.He was a four-year starter at quarterback for the Red Devils and was named first-team all-BVC as a defensive back twice. In track, he was the BVC long jump champion in 1995.Newlove continued his basketball career at Defiance College where he was a four-year starter, scoring 1,241 points. He helped the Yellow Jackets post a 17-11 record and win the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association title in 1998-99.He returned to his alma mater to become the girls head basketball coach. In 11 years he amassed a 224-50 record, achieving the ultimate goal by capturing the 2012 OHSAA Division IV state championship with a 52-37 triumph over Berlin Hiland.His teams won BVC championships in 2011 and 2016, district titles in 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2019, and the Associated Press Division IV poll championship in 2016.The event is open to the public. Tickets are $35 per person and are available through April 1 from any committee member or by contacting Larry Alter at larryalter47@gmail.com or 419-722-1186.