Girls Track & Field: What I'm watching at Saturday's Anna Invitational...

Of course I'm hoping the weather doesn't cancel this meet. If so, it would be the first time since 2007. Speaking of 2007, the Minster girls won the Anna Invitational the following year in 2008 and every year since. That's nine straight and if that's not enough, they've captured 16 of the last 17 titles. So, it makes perfect sense they're the top team I'm watching tomorrow and here's why:

Emma Watcke - The last time I saw this sophomore run was last June when she won a 1600 meter state title as a freshman. Emma's time that day was a personal record 5:01.08. The Anna Invite record in the 1600 was set back in 2004 by another Minster runner, Sunni Olding, who clocked a 5:00.2. There's no telling what events coach Jessie Magoto might have Emma running on Saturday, but the 1600 would be fun to watch. Whatever she does, Emma will compete.

Madeline Magoto - With the graduation of Kennedey Glover from Anna (now Division II) and Grace York from Russia, Madeline Magoto is now Ohio's top 800 meter runner in Division III. The Minster junior's PR is 2:15.07 and she also holds the current Anna Invitational record of 2:22.66.  Madeline's biggest competition this season might just come from a teammate. Senior Cassie Francis has a 2:13.8 on her resume from freshman year when she won a regional title, and last year recorded a 2:16.84 finishing 9th at state.

Madeline Magoto and Cassie Francis are two 800 meter stars

Paige Thobe - The multi-talented senior epitomizes the definition of track and field. She can fly in the sprints and her best event is the long jump where she owns a PR of 17-6.75. The Anna Invitational record is 16-8, set by Mya Francis of Minster in 2015, and I expect to see that record shattered on Saturday.

The Best of the Rest:

Rachel & Hannah Shoemaker - The sisters from Anna are half of the foursome that won a team state championship for the Lady Rockets in Columbus last spring. Rachel is a senior and Hannah is a junior, and I expect a lot of confidence from them in this 2018 season. Rachel is the better sprinter and will challenge for wins in the 100 and 200 sprints tomorrow. Hannah can blaze in the 300 hurdles where her personal best is 45.91. That means the Anna Invite record of 47.20 set by Jenny Enel of Waynesfield Goshen in 2002 is in real jeopardy.

Hannah Shoemaker could turn some heads in the 300 hurdles

Paige Jones - Yea, the same Paige Jones that's going to Michigan for volleyball. 400 meter quickness runs in her family. The senior broke her sister Taylor's 400 record at New Bremen and Taylor previously broke her mom Staci's 400 record also at New Bremen. If Paige runs the 400 on Saturday she will likely be challenged by a number of Minster competitors, but with a 58.23 PR, Paige is one to watch all season long.

Emily Bohman - The Russia senior in on radars all over Ohio this year. She's the second best pole vaulter returning in Division III with a record of 11-6. That same height also happens to be the Anna Invitational record set back in 2012 by Kayla Wuebker of Minster. You won't find a harder worker than Emily. She pole vaults year round and is focused on making 2018 her best season ever.

Emily Bohman looks forward to new heights this spring

Grace Homan - Throwers never seem to get much respect. During the regular season they typically start an hour before the crowd shows up for running events and at the state meet you have to cross the street to watch them compete. Grace Homan deserves respect. The Botkins junior is my favorite to win both the discus and shot tomorrow, although her best event is the latter, where she's a two-time state qualifier. Do yourself a favor and show up an hour early tomorrow.

Participating teams at Saturday's Anna Invitational include: Anna, Botkins, Fairlawn, Houston, Lehman Catholic, Liberty Center, Miami Valley School, Minster, New Bremen, New Knoxville, and Russia.

For everything else you need to know, click here!

Masters Memories - Dave’s Midwestern Ohio Memories

A Series of Guest Blogs by an out-of-state Fish Report reader originally from this area about fond memories of growing up in Midwestern Ohio during the 50’s & 60’s

Masters Memories

The Masters golf tournament starts Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club. Having attended twice, and of course watching it on TV every year, the event is always the highlight of my (and many others) golfing season. The first time attending in person was in 2000; my wife and I were there on Thursday and Friday, staying at a home near the course that for the week of the event, was a quasi-bed and breakfast.

In other words, the home owners rented out rooms in their place to us as well as another couple traveling with us. During our stay, we were treated as if members of their family. The package included wonderful home-cooked meals, since all the local restaurants were booked solid. Pick-up and drop-off transportation to the course was provided and of course the package included tickets to the event. What a way to experience Augusta for the first time!

Augusta National was founded by amateur golfer Bobby Jones (L) and designed by Dr. Alister MacKenzie (R), both pictured above. The course opened in 1933 to worldwide acclaim that has grown with each passing year. The aerial photos below show the course now and when it opened in 1933.

Back to that 2000 Masters, we had the privilege of attending the opening ceremonies at the first tee early Thursday morning where the legendary golfers shown below, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson and Sam Snead, were the honorary starters.

In more recent years, the honorees at the ceremonial first tee have been Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, now one short after Arnie’s death in 2016.

My second trip to the Masters was with my brother in 2006, but this time we went on Sunday to see the final round. If I recall, we stayed at a hotel miles away to avoid the crowds. The best part was witnessing Phil Michelson make a putt on the 18th hole to win the Masters for the second time. The photo below captures the moment, and just to the left of Phil’s head highlighted with the red line is me with the sun glasses tipping my hat to the big winner. My brother was standing to my left so was unfortunately blocked by Phil’s head! We discovered this photo when we stopped for lunch at a restaurant the next day on our way back. The photograph headlined the sports page from the local newspaper, which my brother found taped above the urinal when he went to the restroom.

My brother and I have on our bucket list a third trip to the Masters someday, this time with our sons. We’d like to see a practice round on Wednesday and watch the par three contest. Our names have been in the ticket lottery for years and if we're ever drawn, off we'll go with our sons for one more trip down Magnolia Lane.

Loss of a Friend - Dave’s Midwestern Ohio Memories

A Series of Guest Blogs by an out-of-state Fish Report reader originally from this area about fond memories of growing up in Midwestern Ohio during the 50’s & 60’s

Loss of a Friend

Dr. Pete Quinter - RIP

After recently searching through my list of potential future blog topics, I noticed one entry about my memories of a friend from my youth, Paul (nicknamed Pete) Quinter. So, this week’s blog is about Pete. Shockingly, I discovered while doing on-line research for this blog that Pete had, unbeknownst to me, passed away last fall from brain cancer. This blog is dedicated to Pete and his family.

As kids, we grew up on nearby farms; however, because our respective farms were split by the Shelby-Auglaise County line as shown on the above map, Pete attended Minster elementary school while I attended Ft. Loramie. That factor did not make us any less friends while growing up.

Pete eventually became a skilled surgeon at St. Marys hospital. The last time I saw him a number of years ago, he had just performed successful aortal femoral bypass surgery on my mother that prolonged her life by at least 10 years, for which I’ll be eternally grateful.

Pete and I would ride our bikes to each others farms at least weekly and always have fun playing whatever sport was in season, pretending to be cowboys and Indians or just goofing off doing a whole lot of nothing! Our ambition in life was to become "river rats", living on a house boat and floating down the Ohio River just like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn did along the Mississippi.

One incident I recall involved an old BB gun that no longer worked, or so we thought. The gun would make a pop after it was cocked, but for some reason, it would not shoot BB’s. So, we used the beat-up gun for our cowboys and Indian exploits. However, on one occasion, a BB must have became dislodged and was fired while we were playing. The BB shattered the lens on Pete’s eyeglasses as depicted in the photo below.

Imagine if Pete has not been wearing his glasses. The BB no doubt would have damaged his eye and likely would have made it impossible for him to be the outstanding surgeon he eventually was to become. Dad paid Pete’s parents for a new lens, and then took away my $1.25 a week allowance for for several months to “pay back” the expense. We were lucky that time.

However, fate was to change a few years later in 1962 when Pete and two older brothers were pheasant hunting and an accident occurred regrettably killing the oldest brother Joe. What a sad day I and many others will never forget. When young Pete was exposed to that tragic accident and the heroic work by the doctors as they tried to save his brother’s life, it was at that point when he decided to become a surgeon. Read more about Pete in this wonderful tribute to his life. And below is the touching thank you message sent to mourners by the family after Pete’s death last fall. May he rest in peace and may wonderful memories of Pete sustain his family and friends forever.