SANDUSKY, Ohio – The 2023 class has been selected for inclusion in the St. Mary Central Catholic High School Athletic and Achievement Hall of Fame. This year’s group of inductees includes one team and five individuals.
The team that will go into the Hall of Fame is St. Mary Central Catholic’s 2003 baseball squad. Twenty years ago, the Panthers claimed sectional, district and regional championships, advancing to the Division IV state semifinals where they lost a close 4-2 decision to Minster. Under head coach Denny Link, SMCC won its second straight sectional and district titles in 2003 before capturing the school’s first and only regional crown and spot in the state final four. The Panthers posted a 21-10 overall record during the 2003 season while playing in the rugged Sandusky Bay Conference.
The late Robert J. (Bob) Daniel will also be heading into the SMCC Hall of Fame. A lifelong member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Daniel graduated from the high school in 1948. Throughout his life, he held many different leadership positions at the church, school and with the Diocese of Toledo. Daniel played significant roles in major fundraising campaigns from 1950-2000, was the church’s business manager for a decade and served as the elementary school bookkeeper for nine years. In 1993, he earned the Golden Bell Award, a top honor presented by the parish. Daniel passed away in June 2013 at the age of 82.
Longtime SMCC teacher Steve Kohler will also be joining the hall of fame. For more than 40 years, Kohler has taught history, government and other subjects in the high school. During his time in Sandusky, he has also been a successful coach and administrator at SMCC and became the school’s first recipient of an honorary diploma in May 2023. Kohler graduated from Gibsonburg High School in 1979 and Bowling Green State University in 1983.
Another distinguished educator, Joanne (Mastelone) Ruthsatz, has also been chosen for the hall of fame. A 1974 SMCC alumna, Dr. Ruthsatz recently retired as an assistant professor of psychology from The Ohio State University at Mansfield. Over the past 25 years, she has become one of the nation’s top researchers on child prodigies, discovering a genetic link between them and autism. Ruthsatz’s research has been published in several well-known scientific journals and publications, and she has been interviewed on the “60 Minutes” television program. In 2016, Ruthsatz finished a book titled, “The Prodigy’s Cousin: The Family Link Between Autism and Extraordinary Talent,” which was co-authored with her daughter, Kimberly (Ruthsatz) Stephens, a 1999 SMCC graduate. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green, Ruthsatz went on to obtain a master’s and a doctorate in psychology at Case Western Reserve University.
Former standout student-athlete Rodney Scott, from the SMCC class of 1991, is another 2023 hall-of-fame inductee. As a senior, Scott excelled on the football field and was a First Team All-Ohio defensive lineman for the Panthers when they made it to the 1990 Division V state championship game. During his football career, SMCC put together a 30-8 overall record during his final three seasons, including 11-3 in 1990 and 12-1 in 1989. Scott accumulated nearly 200 tackles, including 90 (17 for loss) his senior year. He was a three-time varsity letterman in football and also tallied four letters in wrestling. As a wrestler, he won three sectional crowns and was a two-time state qualifier.
The final member of the 2023 hall-of-fame class is Conor Whelan. Whelan was a Division III state champion wrestler for the Panthers at 140 pounds as a senior when he recorded a 32-4 overall record. A 1996 SMCC alumnus, Whelan placed fifth in the state as a junior and was a part of the school’s first state title-winning wrestling squad in 1994. He was also a solid football player on both sides of the ball for the blue and gold. Whelan presently serves as a teacher with Sandusky City Schools.
The 2023 hall of famers will be recognized in The Kinzel Center during halftime of the Panthers’ Jan. 13, 2024 varsity boys basketball game against Margaretta. On Jan. 14, the annual hall-of-fame banquet and induction ceremony will take place at Sandusky Yacht Club starting at 2 p.m. The public is invited to the yacht club with tickets costing $35 each. Tickets must be purchased prior to Jan. 7 by contacting Gary Erney (419-626-5389) or Jack Runner (419-656-4445), who are members of the SMCC Athletic and Achievement Hall of Fame Committee.