Thursday, December 31, 2015

Fish Report's 2015 Year in Pics...

As we usher in the new year, I always like to take a sentimental look back on the year that was. There will be mostly good memories of 2015, but also a few heartaches as well. While some of the pictures below were taken with my Fish Report lens, most belong to other talented photographers from the area. A few of these moments were serious stuff and others, not so much. All of the pictures, however, appeared on the pages of Fish Report at some point during the last twelve months. I hope you enjoy.

JANUARY
Russia kicked off 2015 recognizing Lauren Heaton for a 2014 state track title in the 400 meter dash during her sophomore season

Ft. Loramie alum Clair Ruhenkamp wrote an award-winning essay on overcoming adversity at Grand Valley State and one judge stated, "her story gives you chills"

Three Ft. Loramie friends and Ohio State star Joey Bosa's mother traveled to Dallas to watch the Buckeyes win a National Championship

Future Ohio State Buckeye, A.J. Harris, and Duke Blue Devil, Luke Kennard, both appeared on Fish Report LIVE! to talk about their final appearances at Flyin' To The Hoop

Versailles ended Lima Central Catholic's 20-game winning streak with a 68-56 overtime win led by Michigan State recruit Kyle Ahrens' 31 points

Minster alum and Bowling Green senior Erica Fullenkamp had just finished up her volleyball scholarship with the Falcons when the basketball team asked her to help out after a rash of injuries had depleted their roster


FEBRUARY 
Brooke Albers was the 17th inductee in Ft. Loramie's All-American Wall of Fame after a record-setting golf career at the University of Findlay, which included being named a 4-time All-American Scholar Athlete

Five outstanding seniors won their final home game in the Clair C. Naveau Gymnasium and went on Russia's longest winning streak of the season, 7 games, before eventually falling in the regional tournament

Anna senior Chandler Cotterman, both an offensive and defensive football star, announced he was accepting a Division-I scholarship to the University of Toledo

Russia senior Kylie Wilson became the 7th girl in school history to join the 1000 Point Club and was followed just three weeks later by classmate Nolan Francis who became the 6th Raiders boy to do so 


MARCH
Two of Shelby County's best basketball players were Russia's Gavin Hoying and Ft. Loramie's Devin Braun who both thrilled their home crowds with rim rattling dunks

Fish Report LIVE! tracked down and interviewed Jackson Center hero Jeff Teeters who 30 years earlier won a state championship for the Tigers with his "Shot Heard 'Round Ohio"

After back-to-back 22 wins seasons and consecutive district titles, the Russia boys fell to the eventual state champions from Tri-Village for the second time in 2015 on the same floor, Kettering's Trent Arena

The Ft. Loramie girls won their second-ever state basketball championship 55-48 over Waterford behind a game high 25 points from junior Jessica Boerger and a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds from junior Holly Frey

Almost 3 hours later the Versailles girls won their second-ever Division-III state title 49-46 over Ottawa-Glandorf led by senior Lauren Bruns 16 points and freshman Kami McEldowney's 12 points

Jaimee Maier-Francis, the wife of Russia alum Josh Francis, appeared on WDTN Channel 2 to voice her thoughts on Angelina Jolie's op-ed piece written for the New York Times about cancer

Long time Houston girls basketball coach Greg Ward called it quits and announced his retirement


APRIL
Russia girls varsity softball saw the debut of 13-year old freshman pitcher Grace Saunders 

The Village of Russia began a major project and installed a new culvert between Main and North Streets

Gene Richard threw out a ceremonial first pitch in a game at Versailles High School that honored his grandson, Zac Richard, and saw Zac's jersey retired on the outfield fence

After recovering from Tommy John surgery, Ohio State pitcher and Minster alum Adam Niemeyer made his first collegiate start against #4-ranked Louisville and allowed only two hits before picking up the 2-0 upset victory

After 31 seasons and 437 victories, legendary Russia basketball coach Paul Bremigan announced he was stepping down from the Raiders program


MAY
It was a family affair for the Fullenkamp's at the Capital City Half Marathon in Columbus

The Rethman family from Ft. Loramie followed suit running the Flying Pig Marathon Relay in Cincinnati

A team of local 4th-graders from Russia, Ft. Loramie, Minster and New Bremen won the 15th Annual Cardinal Basketball Classic at Thomas Worthington High School in Columbus

Russia senior Nolan Francis threw a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts against archrival Ft. Loramie in the sectional finals at Sidney

The Anna boys track team won the SCAL Meet and followed it up with a victory at the district meet a week later

Russia senior Leah Francis dominated the area in 100 Hurdles and later went on to finish runner-up at the state meet by just one quarter of a second

Soap Box Derby driver Jake Goubeaux (left) and Austin Cordonnier of his pit crew placed 4th in the Gravity Race Challenge in Columbus

JUNE
Russia softball star Kennedy Metz signed to play college softball with the Wilmington Quakers

Versailles sophomore Jenna Frantz finished state runner-up in the Division-II pole vault after setting a personal record of 12'-04"

Ohio State's 6-time All-American Katie Borchers of Russia ran her last race for the Scarlet & Gray at the NCAA National Championships in Eugene, OR

Tony Fullenkamp blew up the internet with the snake he caught at Lake Loramie

Jeff Stammen of North Star threw out a ceremonial first pitch to his son, Major League Baseball player Craig Stammen, on Father's Day at the championship game of the Craig Stammen Classic little league tournament


JULY
Country Concert celebrated 35 years and these locals celebrated with them

Marion Local's little league team took home a tournament championship at Russia's annual Raider Classic baseball tournament

The historic Russia Inn closed and dozens of local men were forced to find morning coffee elsewhere after a kitchen fire in the middle of the night

The annual Lake Loramie Boat Parade was, as always, another good time

Akron Zip, Clayton Murphy, of Tri-Village took his first trip outside the United States and won gold in the 800-meter final at the Pan-American Games in Toronto, Canada

A group of Russia 4th & 5th-graders beat an all-star little league baseball team from Red Key, Indiana to win the Dylan Williams Memorial and a new Automated External Defibrillator for Russia Park


AUGUST
The girls golf team at Russia brought home the first hardware in school history when they finished runner-up at Arcanum's Lady Trojan Invitational

Buck Fiessinger of Ft. Loramie raked in another car show award for his 1956 Studebaker Power Hawk

Former Versailles and University of Dayton volleyball star Megan Campbell (left) joined the coaching staff at Wisconsin after coaching a year of high school volleyball at Marion Local

The area's biggest cross country star was Botkins senior Chloe Flora who won the Bob Schul Invitational at West Milton and later finished 4th at the State Meet


SEPTEMBER
It was another fun year at the Russia Homecoming festival, including the Diaper Derby contest

The Russia boys golf team shared the SCAL Championship with Anna after falling to the Rockets at the final league meet of the season

Golfing star Emily Knouff of Ft. Loramie, a junior, won a lot in 2015 and eventually returned to the state tournament as an individual for the second time in three years


OCTOBER
Fish Report and some running buddies enjoyed another Minster Oktoberfest 10k race

A young Russia volleyball team struggled to a 4-8 league record, but enjoyed a highlight when senior Cassie Pleiman (left) set a school record with 35 digs in a game against Fairlawn

The Versailles girls golf team advanced to the state tournament and finished 8th overall

The Monnin sisters from Russia were all smiles after running the St. Louis Half Marathon

Ft. Loramie football lost their starting quarterback early in the season, but Redskin senior Drew Wehrman stepped in as quarterback and led his team from 0-4 to six straight wins and a return to the playoffs

The Russia girls cross county team pulled off an amazing feat and won the regional championship for the third consecutive year

Football seemed to be the most popular costume on Halloween in the Village of Russia


NOVEMBER
Russia senior Molly Kearns signed with Wright State University to run cross country and track

Jackson Center volleyball redeemed a disappointing early exit from the 2014 tournament with a 2015 state championship and a final record of 26-1

Shortly after finding out his program could only field a varsity team this season, Russia girls basketball coach Tim Hatcher surprised a lot of folks in his opener against Division-I powerhouse Sidney and lost a nail-biter 61-56

Russia boys basketball began a new era with the debut of head coach Spencer Cordonnier (right)

Fairlawn junior basketball star Audrey Francis celebrated her 1000th career point as she continued to chase down her brother Andy and sister Amanda who are still ahead of her on the school's all-time list


DECEMBER
Herb and Charlene Homan had plenty of interest in the state football finals with five grandsons that suited up for three different MAC schools

There was a lot of pride in the Herron family and Russia when 2015 alum Alex Herron graduated from Marine boot camp

Covington senior Jessie Crowell scored her 1000th career point and celebrated with teammates

Ft. Loramie sponsored their second annual Holiday Helpers game with the help of the Russia community and purchased over 1000 toys for kids at Dayton's Children's Hospital

Kyle Schafer of Russia received an early Christmas gift when Ohio State All-American runner Katie Borchers, also of Russia, autographed his Buckeyes flag