If you're a Russia Raider fan, I hope you go tonight. I hope you go to Russia's Clair C. Naveau Gymnasium and witness the ceremony between the JV and Varsity basketball games. It will be the last chance Raider fans get, for a long while, to celebrate a magical day that happened last spring and brought a lot of pride to Russia School. Raider alums Luke Pohlman and Katie Borchers will be honored for two state titles each won at the State Track Meet last June. Luke won in the 1600 meter run and Katie in the 800 meter run. It was the first state titles of any kind that Russia brought home since their state baseball title in 1971. I wasn't born yet for that one. The students that will be on both ends of the home bleachers tonight weren't born yet either. It should mean a lot to those students seeing the first state champions of their lifetime. And I know it will mean a lot to all those adults in the middle bleachers that haven't seen a state champion in 40 years.
This west central Ohio area is blessed. We're blessed to have so many good local athletes that come from great families. Every year there are multiple schools just 5, 10, 20 miles from Russia that win state championships. In a way Russia is lucky, because I'm positive that if the Raiders did this every year tonight's ceremony wouldn't be quite as special. So, if you can't make tonight's celebration and if history repeats itself, there should be another one of these nights in the year 2052. I'll be 80 years old then. I know I'm going tonight. Well done Luke and Katie, and congratulations Raider fans.
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