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ATTENTION
NEW LEX ALUMNI! Hall
of Fame Nomination Form for Teams NLHS ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME NOMINATION CRITERIA Teams: A team must be a State Champion or Runner Up of either AP/UPI Poll or State Tournament. If the team does not qualify under the above guidelines please submit accurate and detailed information that you feel qualifies this team for consideration for the Hall of Fame. Athletes: Must have been a graduate of New Lexington High School for five years prior to being nominated. Nominees must meet five of the following criteria: Coaches: Must have been out of coaching position for more than five years and coached in New Lexington High School. Coaches must meet four of the following criteria Honorary Membership: An individual who has had outstanding service or outstanding contributions to the athletics and the development of young people. NEW LEXINGTON HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES Hall of Fame Committee Members: : Bill Nutt, Dan Adams, Jim Leckrone, Tony Martin, Penny Murray, Joe Neff, Bill Padgett, Paul Ryan, Al Smith, Phil Swinehart, Paul Wollenberg, Pat Wycinski 2009 > Jim Leckrone He began his career in education at Sheridan High School where he taught English and was an assistant coach in numerous sports until June of 1974. In the fall of ’74 he became AD and English teacher at Maysville High School. He remained in this position through the ’77-’78 school year. In the fall of ’78 Leckrone began his tenure at New Lexington High School. He taught English and served as AD until the fall of 1980. In August of that year he became Assistant Principal while continuing as AD. Jim remained in these positions until November 1986 when he was named high school principal. He served as principal until his retirement in July of 2004. Although the positions held could often be challenging, Jim feels that the good times far outweigh those challenges. Some of the most memorable events include: Serving as MVL President on three occasions, being on the floor at St. John’s Arena for the girls state basketball finals, helping students develop the skills necessary to meet the new State expectations, the ceremony marking the official opening of the new facility, attending numerous State football playoff games, being part of the development of the Top Ten Banquet to honor academic achievement, establishing a relationship with Hocking College which still benefits students at NLHS, having a graduate involved in NASA, having a graduate serving our military as a physician, and yet another graduate serving as a high ranking official at the Pentagon. Leckrone is also very proud of the numerous graduates who have returned to our area to become part of the various school systems. Although the above list includes many highlights, it is impossible to recognize all those who are deserving. Jim would like to thank parents, teachers, support staff, administrators, board members, and most of all, students with whom he worked during these many years at NLHS. The support of all these people made his years in New Lexington a very rewarding experience. Finally, Jim would like to thank his proposer, Mr. Dan Adams, and his family members for the sacrifices they made during his thirty-five years in the educational field. > Tim Shumaker From 1976-1980 his playing career continued at Muskingum College under the tutelage of Dr. Jim Burson. During this time, he earned three varsity letters and was co-captain of the team in 1980. Coach: Tim’s coaching and teaching career began in 1980 at Lancaster High School where he served as the assistant coach to Arden Reid until 1986. Two of those teams made Regional Final appearances. From 1986-1988 he was the head basketball coach at Lancaster High School. During the 1988-1989 season, Tim was the assistant to Jim Hammond at Tiffin University where the team won the first ever NAIA District Championship and participated in the NAIA national tournament in Kansas City. From 1989-1993 he assisted Sam Dixon and Mike Sheridan at Denison University. He became the head basketball coach at Fisher Catholic High School in 1996 and occupied the position until 2002. During this time, his teams won 110 games and lost 30. They also won six consecutive Mid-State League championships as well as a district championship in 2002 (the first since 1972) and were twice district runner-ups. Tim was named the A.P. Ohio Coach of the year in 1997. He was also honored as District 11 O.H.S.B.C.A. Coach of the Year four times. In 2000, he was named the Sportsmanship Coach of the Year by the Lancaster Officials Association and in 2002 coached the South squad in the annual Ohio North-South basketball game. While at Fisher Catholic High School, he had the opportunity to coach two players that received district Player of the Year awards and five players that earned All-Ohio honors, as well as many other special players. His tenure at Tri-Valley High School began in 2002 and concluded in 2008. His teams won 105 games and lost 26. They also won four consecutive Muskingum Valley League Championships along with a district championship in 2007 and were once district runner-ups. He was named A.P. Ohio Coach of the Year in 2003. In 2003 and 2005, Tim was honored as the A.P. Eastern District, Division II Coach of the Year. The District 12 O.H.S.B.C.A. named him Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2007. During his time at Tri-Valley High School, he had the opportunity to coach two players that received district Player of the Year awards and four players that earned All-Ohio honors along with many other special players. Official: Tim has been an O.H.S.A.A. umpire since 1985. He has umpired ten O.H.S.A.A. State Finals games during his career as well as umpiring the Babe Ruth World Series from 2004-2007. He has also served as Lancaster Umpires Association President since 1992 and has assigned umpires for various American Legion Baseball events the past twelve summers. In 2007, the Central District Baseball Coaches honored him as Umpire of the Year. Family: Tim was born and raised in New Lexington. He is the son of William and the late Wanda (Jones) Shumaker. He currently resides in Lancaster with his wife Cathy (Finck) Shumaker and father William Shumaker. They have two daughters, Maggie (3rd grade teacher – Upper Scioto Valley Schools) and Elizabeth (OSU student). He is in his thirtieth year in education and is a math teacher at Tri-Valley Middle School. > Becky Baker My earliest experiences with sports began when I was just a few years old. I remember the countless games of kickball, wiffleball, supposed-to-be “touch” football, and “no blood, no foul” basketball, that we played as a family on long summer days. I also remember attending basketball, baseball, and football games, track meets, and volleyball matches to watch my older siblings play. It was these moments that triggered my interest in and desire to play sports. Now that time has passed and I look back at my high school career, I remember the teams I belonged to, the teammates I played with, and the coaches I had. They instilled within me the motivation and desire to be the best I could possibly be and taught me to never be satisfied. Among these great coaches were Tom Maxwell, Tim O’Hare, Jerry Bankes, and Margie Hammond. A special thanks goes out to all of them for making me a better player and athlete, but more importantly, for making me a better person. And so, I leave you with this: never stop learning; never be satisfied; never believe that the goals you so desire are too far out of reach. Take pride in yourself and your accomplishments, but do not allow them to define whom you are. Instead, be known for the little things: selflessness, humility, and compassion, which make the biggest impact on those you encounter. Those are the things for which I would like to be remembered. Athletics is just a small part of who I am. I take much greater pride in being a wife to Judd, a mother to Grace (5) and Lane (4), and a teacher in the New Lexington City School District. Player: In high school, Rebecca Finck-Baker ran cross-country and track and played basketball and earned a total of ten varsity letters. While she had some success in all three sports, she achieved more honors in the latter two. In track, she had a total of eight first place finishes in the MVL League track meets, including one as a sophomore, four as a junior, and three as a senior. She made it to the State Track Meet twice, once as a junior where she anchored the 4 x 200 meter relay, and again her senior year when she qualified in the 400-meter dash after earning the title Regional Champion in the same event. Currently, her name is in the books for holding three records at New Lexington High School: the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, and the 4 x 200 meter relay. She was a two-time Academic All-Ohioan and was named the Zanesville Times Recorder “Spring Sports Athlete of the Year” in 1997. In basketball, Finck earned All-Muskingum Valley League honors three times with a “Unanimous Decision” her senior year, All-Southeastern District honors her junior and senior years, as well as Honorable Mention All-Ohio her senior year. As a senior she was nominated to the Pepsi-Cola Classic and Muskingum Valley League all star teams and was named a Zanesville Times Recorder “Prime Time Player”. The team was Sectional Champs and District Runners-Up both her junior and senior years. Even though the end of high school brought the end of her playing career, it hasn’t meant the end of the life that is associated with athletics. After graduating from The Ohio State University in 2001 with her Bachelors and again in 2002 with her Masters in English education, Finck-Baker returned to NLHS to teach. Along with teaching, she has had the great opportunity to impart some “other” knowledge to her students through coaching. She has coached varsity cross-country, girls’ junior high basketball, JV girls’ basketball, and has been an assistant coach for varsity boys’ track. She continues to set goals for herself, which most recently included running in the 2009 Columbus-Nationwide Marathon and working on a second Masters Degree in Educational Administration and Leadership. Rebecca Finck-Baker would like to thank Panthers Football Coach Bill Nutt for the nomination and to congratulate the other 2009 NLHS Hall of Fame Inductees, especially her brother, Dan Finck. > Daniel Finck As I currently reside in Lancaster, Junction City will always be my second home. The grateful son of Dan and Carolyn Finck, I was privileged to be part of one of the greatest teams ever assembled. My first “coaches” taught my brothers and sisters and me the most important things in life. The important things being faith, determination, unselfishness, and personal pride, which made it easy to be a good “teammate”. Annette, Darrell, Melissa, Rebecca, Adam, Patricia, and Pamela, I wish to thank you also. My siblings have always been a wonderful, loving part of my life, and forever will be. I also wish to thank all of the teachers and coaches that have been a part of my life. It is their unrelenting care and compassion that allows us to reach goals we may have thought impossible. I would like to thank, coaches and teachers Ned Underwood, Larry Saffell, and particularly Coach Rob Carpenter, who guided and pushed me to be the best that I could possibly be. Coach Carpenter helped me achieve my goal of going to The Ohio State University to play football. While sports are not the only avenue in life that can take an individual where he or she may want to go, it is one that offers many different opportunities and one that I hold near and dear to my heart. A sport opens one’s eyes to the community and just how much they mean to an individual. Without the support of the community and fans, there would be no hall-of-fame players; there would just be a game, a game with no meaning. That is how much fans and community really mean to the game. The luckiest of us are able to be part of a team that allows us to shine at times as individuals. Without the selflessness of teammates, my becoming an All-Ohioan in football and track would not have been possible, only a dream. Teammates push us to become better, push us harder, and help us up when we get knocked down. There are bonds created among teammates that cannot and will not, ever be broken. When a person fails at something there are some that may view it as the end of the road, but so many opportunities arise from those failures. While I have failed many times at sports, learning from these shortcomings has awarded me some of the most wonderful things I have in my life. As I continue my journey in life, I now have my own “team” to coach. That team would be my sons Casey and Sammy, of whom I am their biggest fan. My job is made easier with help from my co-head coach in Deborah, my wife and dedicated educator. We know that their participation in sports and guidance from teachers and coaches will help mold and shape them into honorable young men who will be successful in all that they do. > Kevin Cannon Kevin Cannon is now a professional surveyor and owner of Cannon Land Surveying. He is married to Judy (Leckrone) Cannon and they have two sons, Drew, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008, and Clint, who is currently playing the quarterback position at NLHS. They both proudly don the orange and black. Kevin is the son of Max and Pat Cannon. 2008 > 1970 Golf Team > 1985 Girls Basketball > Paul Albanese My passion and love for the sports of baseball and basketball began with Coach Linton Lewis Sr. This was with a 6th grade basketball team, which Coach Lewis dubbed “Seven Sons.” Another team, which I remember from my earlier playing days, was the Little League Indians, coached by Charley Owens and Benny Buck. From these early experiences my love of sports continued to develop playing three sports throughout junior high and culminating in my high school career where I concentrated on basketball and baseball. The highlight of my sports experiences in high school was our high school basketball team of my senior year. This team posted a record of 17-5 and won the sectional championship and was district runners-up. The success of our senior year started with Coach Dick Bowman. Coach Bowman established a new attitude and a vision for success. He was not only a good coach but also a tremendous motivator. Also, I must factor into our success, the play of senior teammates Mike Griggs, Bill Riley, Phil Wollenberg, and the rest of that Panther team. My participation in high school sports provided an opportunity for me at the college level. I played basketball and baseball at Fairmont State College in Fairmont West Virginia. I transferred from Fairmont State to Rio Grande University following my freshman year. I was able to letter in basketball and baseball during each of the three years at Rio Grande. I led Rio Grande in assists during my sophomore, junior and senior years. In 1975, I was a member of the League Tournament Championship Team. In baseball at Rio Grande, I received the teams leading hitter award in 1975 and clutch hitter award in 1976. Following my college career in sports, I made a natural transition from player to coach. My coaching career began as a junior high basketball coach at St. Rose and then in the New Lexington system as a junior high coach and at the junior varsity level. I was given the opportunity to coach the varsity baseball team in 1982. The highlights of my baseball-coaching career at New Lex were two MVL Championships in 1985 & 1987. We were able to win two sectional championships, and were district runners on two occasions. I was awarded “MVL Coach of the Year” in baseball in 1985 & 1987. My tenure as New Lexington head baseball coach was for a ten-year duration with an overall record of 138 wins and 95 losses. In July of 1988, I became the head coach in basketball at New Lexington High School. My varsity basketball-coaching career at New Lexington totaled eight years while compiling a record of 80-95. Our 1989-90, varsity team won a sectional championship and was a district semi-finalist. Our 1997-98-basketball team achieved an overall record of 16-10, won the sectional and district tournament titles, and losing in the regional championship to Dover High School. Following my basketball coaching experiences at New Lexington, I became a coach at Rosecrans High School in Zanesville, Ohio. I had the position of top varsity assistant during my nine seasons at Rosecrans. My highlight as varsity assistant at Rosecrans was our team’s State Runners-up title in 1997. My coaching career provided me with an understanding and appreciation for the work of others. No individual coach can be successful without the support of his players and a trustworthy staff. I am grateful and appreciate the guidance and leadership of those who coached me. I also appreciate the work and dedication of my players and the coaches who were members of my staff. A special thanks to my wife Beth for her support and understanding throughout my coaching career and to Dennis Welch for all his hard work and dedication. Following my sports playing career, and coaching career, which was for a 25 year period, I am now proud to watch my daughter, Brittany and my son, Daulton share in the same passion and love for sports. My hope is that they will continue to develop their passion and appreciation for sports, and obtain the benefits that can be provided by their participation. > Drew Cannon While having success in all sports, Drew is most known for his accomplishments on the gridiron. He was a captain of the 2001 and 2002 MVL Championship football teams, making the playoffs both years as well. In 2001, Drew set several MVL rushing records, recording 2,275 yards on the ground as well as scoring 36 touchdowns and scoring 259 points. He also recorded 427 yards rushing and 44 points against Morgan, both of which still rank as top 20 single game totals in OHSAA history. Following the season he was named MVL Back of the Year and MVL Player of the Year. He was named a First-Team All-Ohio and First-Team All-Southeastern Ohio running back. He was named Prime-Time Offensive Player of the Year and Fall Athlete of the Year by the Times Recorder. He was nominated as a finalist for Ohio’s Mr. Football. In 2002, Drew repeated as MVL Back of the Year and MVL Player of the Year, the only person to do so in MVL history, after rushing for over 1,800 yards and scoring 28 touchdowns. He was again named Prime-Time Offensive Player of the Year and Fall Athlete of the Year. He was named a First-Team All-Ohio running back and was named Southeastern Ohio Offensive Player of the Year. He was again nominated for Ohio’s Mr. Football. Following his senior year he was selected to play in the Muskingum Valley/Licking County all-star game and the Ohio North/South game at Crew Stadium, where he was a member of the winning South team. Drew finished his career as the MVL’s all-time leading rusher with over 5,000 yards rushing and most prolific scorer with over 70 touchdowns. After attending the University of Dayton for two years, where he was a member of the baseball team, he transferred to West Liberty State College to resume his football career. In his three years with the Hilltopper football team he was named an All-WVIAC outside linebacker three times. During his senior year of 2007, he was named a team captain and selected first-team All-WVIAC after finishing near the top of the conference in interceptions, tackles for loss, and sacks. He ended his career at West Liberty with seven interceptions, 43 tackles for loss and 17 sacks. He graduated from West Liberty in 2008 with a B.A. degree in Marketing and Management. He is currently in his first year as a law student at West Virginia University, College of Law. He is the son of Kevin and Judy Cannon and is the older brother of current New Lexington quarterback Clint Cannon. > James Lee Jimmy began his football career at New Lex during the 1963 season under the legendary coach Jim Rockwell. Due to Jimmy’s passing ability, the season consisted of half running and half passing. Jimmy completed 98 out of 187 passes for 1455 yards. He passed for 20 touchdowns and made 9 extra points. In the ’63 season, the team scored 318 points and held the opposition to only 36 points. The last game of the season was lost – due in part to injuries and sickness among the key players. Jimmy was the Top Offensive Choice in 1963 for both All MVL and All SEO 1st team. In the 1964 season of Jimmy’s senior year, Jimmy passed for 53 out of 91 attempts for 1028 yards. The team gained 2565 yards in 8 games for a 320.6 average – allowing only 861 yards for a 107.6 mark. New Lex was the MVL Champion in 1964 with an 8 – 0 record. Jimmy turned in one of the finest passing performances in the area’s football history that year against Crooksville – he connected on 14 of 19 passes for 409 yards, four touchdowns, a pair of conversions, and carried the ball five times for 22 yards. His touchdown passes covered 31, 38, 41 and 51 yards. Jimmy was again Top Offensive Choice in ’64 for both All MVL and All SEO 1st team. He also received Honorable Mention All Ohio. Jimmy will tell you that one good player does not make a great team – a great team consists of many good players, and there were many good players on the ’63 and ’64 teams. After graduation in 1965, Jimmy went to Eastern KY University to play football and to pursue his dream of coaching young people. He was also in the ROTC program knowing as soon as he graduated, he would be drafted and headed for Vietnam – but fate stepped in. In his junior year at college, Jimmy was a passenger in a tragic car crash. He sustained major head trauma. After months of unconsciousness, he had to learn to walk and talk all over again. The injury impaired his cognitive and motor skills – affecting short-term memory, retention, speech, coordination and balance. This second life changing altercation would test and still tests the spirit of this man. Jimmy’s faith, character, resiliency, and determination are a testament to the cheerful and caring person he is today. Through the past years, Jimmy has been active in church, Jaycees, Elks, and Little League. Almost everyone in New Lex knows Jimmy for his smiles and jovial ways, and until recently, for his daily walks all over town. In the early 90’s, Jimmy befriended an elderly man who lived one street over from him. Jimmy stopped by everyday to visit with him. On one of his visits, he found the man had fallen the previous evening, broken his hip, and couldn’t get up. He said what kept him going was that he knew Jimmy would stop by the next morning to get help for him. Jimmy said he didn’t do anything special – he was just being a friend. If Jimmy’s attitude could be summed up it would say: “Life isn’t about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain” Jimmy is the son of the late James and Eula Lee of New Lexington; the brother of Bill (Alois) Moore of Hazard, KY and Sharon (Gene) Dibari of Somerset; and special cousin and friend to Diane Conley of Winter Haven, FL and Edna Reed of New Lexington. 2007 > Mike
Halaiko Mike started his career in Education as an English/Industrial Arts Teacher and Assistant Wrestling Coach at Cleveland St. Joseph High School in 1973. In the fall of 1974, Mike began teaching at New Lexington High School as an English/ Industrial Arts Teacher. Mike earned a Master’s Degree in Technology and Secondary Administration from The Ohio State University in August of 1979. From 1974-1976 Mike was a New Lexington Jr. High Football Coach. In late fall of 1979, Mike started the New Lexington Wrestling Program and was Head Wrestling Coach for 13 years. In that time period, Mike had five consecutive undefeated MVL Wrestling Championships from 1988-1992. He also initiated the creation of a Reserve Wrestling Program and a Jr. High Wrestling Program in 1988. Two Sectional Wrestling Titles were won in 1991 and 1992. Coach Halaiko took state qualifiers to the state tournament nine out of thirteen years and trained 26 MVL Champions. Mike was Cross Country Coach from 1983-1985; Prom Advisor from 1977-1986; and Yearbook Advisor from 1983-1985. In the fall of 1993, after 21 years in the classroom, Mike was appointed Middle School Assistant Principal/District Technology Director, and became full time District Technology Director in the fall of 1995. Mike is currently District Technology Director and has been employed by New Lexington City Schools for over 33 years. Mike’s wife, Janie, has been Principal of Junction City Elementary for the past eight years, and was a second grade teacher for 12 years at JCE as well as NLMS Media Specialist for three years. Mike and Janie are the proud parents of two outstanding New Lexington High School Graduates: Michael John, a 1992 top ten graduate of NLHS, who is an Attorney in Baltimore, Maryland, and Khrista Elise, Salutatorian of NLHS Class of 2005, who is currently a Junior at Marietta College. > Jim Kozlowski Jim enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in Germany. During this time he attended Boston University Overseas Campus and earned a Masters of Science in Business Administration. After being discharged in 1977 and returning to Ohio, he began working in the insurance industry. He moved to New Jersey in 1978 and continued in the insurance industry for 25 years. Jim served on the High Point Regional School Board of Education for 11 years and was President for 2 years. He was a member of the Wallkill Valley Rotary for 10 years, serving as President for 2 years and received the Paul Harris Fellow award. He is a past member of the Independent Insurance Agents of New Jersey, served as President of the Independent Insurance Agents of Morris and Sussex Counties and also served on the Board of Directors of the Independent Insurance Agents of New Jersey. Jim and his wife Karen, a teacher of French and Spanish, have been married for 27 years. They have two children. Their son, Ben, is a senior at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland and their daughter, Alexandra, is a missionary in training for Teen Missions International in Merritt Island, Florida. Jim is currently employed by TAB Microfilming and Archiving in Andover, New Jersey. > Tammy Ryan Thomas Tammy resides in Thornville, Ohio with her husband Shawn and their three children, Baylee, Delanie and Noah. She currently works in Labor & Delivery at Riverside Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. > Jim Miller 2006 > Jim Rockwell II > Paul Gallagher > Shelly Jorgenson > Margaret Hammond > 1976 Football Team – AP & UPI Class AA State Champs For all information and bios on the October 6, 2006 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, click here! CHARTER MEMBERS – 2005 Ms. Ann Mooney Mr. Linton D. Lewis, Sr.
Mr. John Neff
Mr. Jim Rockwell, Sr.
1970 State Championship Football Team
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