SANDUSKY, Ohio – The 2024 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 five individuals, one married couple and one team.
Aaron Ebert, a standout golfer for the Panthers, will be heading into the St. Mary Central Catholic Hall of Fame. Ebert graduated from high school in 2008 as valedictorian and recipient of the Lee Zierolf Award. He was a four-time state qualifier in golf, earning second team all-state honors while leading his team to a third-place finish in Division III in 2007. In his freshman and sophomore seasons of 2004 and 2005, the Panthers ended seventh and tied for eighth, respectively, in the state. Currently, Ebert is tied for the best nine-hole score (31) in school history and was on teams that set school records for the top 18-hole (295) and nine-hole (141) scores. He also received varsity letters in swimming and basketball before moving on to play four years of golf at NCAA Division II University of Montevallo, where he acquired a bachelor’s degree in business administration. A certified public accountant, Ebert also has master’s and doctoral degrees from Duke University.
Longtime supporters Dick and Judy Kinzel will also be joining the hall of fame. In 2014, the couple agreed to make a significant donation to Sandusky Central Catholic School for the renovation of its primary gymnasium, The Den, and other facility upgrades. The Kinzel Center is now used for not just sporting events, but also for graduations, school musicals and other activities. Both Dick and Judy have served on numerous school committees and been philanthropists for Catholic education for decades. Dick and Judy are the parents of SMCC graduates Stacy ’89 and Derek ’90.
Toby Notestine, who has served a variety of roles at SCCS over the years, has also been chosen for the hall of fame. A 1971 SMCC graduate, Notestine currently teaches physical education, is an assistant varsity football coach and handles field maintenance at his alma mater. During his time at SCCS, he has also been the head varsity football coach, athletic director and dean of students. Over his 50 years in education, he has also coached track and field, basketball and wrestling. Notestine is a United States Army veteran who served on active duty from 1971-74 and in the Ohio Military Reserve from 2002-21, retiring with the rank of Command Sergeant Major. He holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Bowling Green State University and is married to the former Roberta Nath, another member of the SMCC class of 1971.
Arianne Rodriguez, a 2008 SMCC alumna, is also joining the hall of fame this year. During her time in blue and gold, Rodriguez established herself as a superior distance runner who earned four varsity letters in both cross country and track, and also participated in swimming for two seasons. In cross country, she made four trips to the state meet and was a four-time First Team All-Sandusky Bay Conference selection. The Lady Panthers’ Most Valuable Runner on four occasions, Rodriguez also received the Coaches Award in track her senior year after she was a regional qualifier in the 1600-meter run. She went on to compete in cross country at Saint Mary’s College in Indiana, where she graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in biology.
Rodriguez later acquired a doctorate in biology from Northwestern University and currently works for a Chicago law firm as a scientific advisor. Still an avid runner, she has completed the Chicago Marathon three times and several half marathons.
Former SMCC three-sport standout Troy Roth is another 2024 hall-of-fame inductee. Roth graduated from high school in 1988 and garnered a total of eight varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball while playing on successful teams. As a senior in football, he was his squad’s Hitter of the Year while being recognized as a Second Team All-SBC honoree on both offense and defense. Roth recorded 14 interceptions over his final two seasons and was a second team all-conference pick on defense as a junior. On the basketball court his senior campaign, he was named First Team All-SBC, first team all-district and Honorable Mention All-Ohio while leading the conference in scoring with more than 20 points per game. Roth shot 50.7 percent from three-point range in 1987-88, which is the second-best single season percentage in school history, and finished his career with 233 assists, which ranks fifth on the Panthers’ all-time list. He was also a three-year letterman in baseball and an honorable mention all-conference player as a senior when SMCC went 14-0 in the SBC and 25-3 overall. Roth has worked in education for more than 30 years and presently serves as superintendent for the Bellevue City School District.
The final individual entering the hall of fame in the 2024 class is state champion Alex Slattery. A 2009 SMCC alumnus, Slattery received three varsity letters in track and field for the Panthers, capping off his career with a Division III state championship in the pole vault after finishing as the runner-up in that event as a junior. He was also a part of the school’s 4x100-meter relay team in 2009 that ended fourth in the state. Over his SMCC career, the versatile Slattery also competed in the 4x200 and 4x400 relays, and in 100-, 200- and 400-meter races. His pole vault of 15 feet and 4x100 time of 43.61 still stand as school records. He also lettered in tennis for the Panthers before moving on to participate in track and field at Kent State University, where he secured his bachelor’s degree in computer information systems. In June 2022, he founded Gadwen, an information technology professional services firm. Slattery oversees Gadwen’s day-to-day operations and strategic direction.
SMCC’s 1972 boys golf team will also be enshrined in the hall of fame. Back then, golf was played in the spring and teams consisted of four players with all of the scores being counted. Led by head coach Ray Miller, the Panthers won a playoff at the district event to advance to the 1972 class A state tournament at The Ohio State University Scarlet Course, where they finished fifth. Playing in the postseason without two starters from the previous year who were studying with their class in England, the foursome of seniors Chuck Riesterer and Dave Anders, junior Craig Fitz and freshman Jeff Erney carried SMCC to a sectional championship and runner-up district finish. Before their tournament run, the 1972 Panthers won 17 dual matches, then a school record.
The 2024 hall of famers will be recognized in The Kinzel Center during halftime of the Panthers’ Jan. 18, 2025 varsity boys basketball game against Old Fort. On Jan. 19, the annual hall-of-fame banquet and induction ceremony takes 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. 11 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. Tickets can also be purchased through Venmo at: @SMCCHOF.