AutoRacing
Barney Oldfield (Wauseon, moved to Toledo at age 11) (First to drive a mile a minute)
Northwestern Ohio
Ray Harroun (born Spartansburg, PA, resided in Findlay for a period of time) (Indy 500 champion, 1911)
Bowling
Kevin Taber (8 PBA titles)
Boxing
Ples Gilmore (1950 Golden Glove champion)
Jesse Brown (1950 Golden Glove champion)
Herb Mickels (1953 Golden Glove champion)
Vince Doniero (1956 Golden Glove champion)
Jim Pettaway (1956 US amateur champion)
Gil Yanez (1958-59 Golden Glove champion)
Dave Holman (1958 Golden Glove champion)
Fred Griffin (1959 US amateur champion)
Wilbert “Skeeter” McClure (1960 Olympic gold medalist and professional middleweight)
Roy McMillian (1961, 1964 Golden Glove champion)
Edward Ellis (1962 Golden Glove champion)
Leotis Martin (3-time Golden Glove champion, 2-time US amateur champion) (31-5 as professional, lost to Jimmy Ellis in heavyweight title tournament, defeated Sonny Liston, inflicted injuries in fight with Sonny Banks that led to Banks’ death)
Verbie Garland (1972 Golden Glove champion)
Louis Self (1972 US Olympic team, 1971-72 Golden Glove champion)
Abayomi Miller (1993 US amateur champion)
Kevin Butts (Professional)
Devin Vargas (Start) (Golden Boy 2000 National Golden Gloves, Bronze Medal 2003 Pan Am Games)
Cycling
Dave Grylls (1984 Olympics, Silver Medal 4000m team pursuit, US champion 1978, 1979, 1982)
Field Hockey
Paula Wagoner (Ottawa Hills) (Providence, All-American 1996, 1997, Big East Offensive Player of the Year) (Assistant Coach, Boston College)
Golf
Frank Stranahan (British Amateur champion, 6 PGA Tour titles, runner-up British Open, Masters)
Barbara McIntire (Rollins College) (US Women’s Amateur Champion 1959, 1964, Runner-up US Open 1956, Cover Sports Illustrated 8/22/1960)
Arthur Hills (Michigan State) (Golf course designer)
John Cook (born Toledo, reared California) (Ohio State) (11 PGA tour titles)
John Connelly (U Toledo, Academic All-American 1990) (former professional golfer, U Toledo golf coach 2002-2003)
Heather Zielinski (Notre Dame Academy) (Purdue, All-Big Ten 2003)
Northwestern Ohio
Peg Kirk Bell (Findlay) (LPGA Hall of Fame)
Cheryl Stacy (Findlay) (Ohio State, 1984-85 Big Ten champ, 5th 1984 NCAA, OSU Hall of Fame)
Doug Martin (Van Buren) (Oklahoma State, All-American) (PGA tour, 2d 1995 Buick Classic)
Gymnastics
Mark Gilliam (Start) (Kent St., 5th place NCAA, All-American, 1983)
Beth Wymer (Sylvania) (Michigan, NCAA champ uneven bars 1993, 1994, 1995, All-American 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995)
Horse Racing
Cresceus (world record setting trotter, 1894-1915)
Mary Steedman Bacon (one of first women jockeys, cover of Newsweek 6/3/74)
Chuck Sylvester (harness racing trainer, 4-time Hambletonian winner, United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame)
Ice Hockey
Cecil Dillon (NHL) (New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings 1930-40, 3-time NHL All-star)
Bryan Smolinski (Genoa) (Michigan State) (Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators et al., 1992-2010)
Ice Skating
Scott Hamilton (born Toledo, reared Bowling Green) (Olympic gold medalist 1984, 4-time world champion 1981-84) (SI cover 2/6/1984)
Martial Arts
Steve Anderson (Scott) (Michigan) (1980 U.S. Open Karate Champion) (also played football at Michigan)
Mark Kerr (Mixed Martial Arts, subject of HBO documentary)
Rowing
Scott Steketee (Maumee Valley) (Harvard) (1968 U. S. Olympic team 6th place, gold medal 1967 Pan Am Games)
Sailing
Steve Bodner (St. Francis) (Detroit Mercy) (2003 US Sailing Team)
Snowboarding
Gretchen Bleiler (born Toledo, moved to Aspen, CO at age 10) (2d place, halfpipe, 2002 World Championships)
Soccer
Peter Dzubay (Sylvania Northview) (Michigan, All-Big Ten 2003)
Northwestern Ohio
A.J. Siebeneck (Findlay) (Duke, Final Four 1992)
Swimming
Chet Jastremski (Indiana) (1964 Olympic bronze medalist, 1968 Olympian, All-American, Big Ten champ 1962, 1963, Jan. 29, 1962 Sports Illustrated cover, held 4 world records) (Head Coach, Indiana University women’s team 1986-91)
John Bruce (DeVilbiss) (BGSU) (Head Coach, Ohio State, 1968-75, eight straight top 20 finishes in NCAA meet)
Sharon Wichman (lived in Toledo before moving to Fort Wayne in her youth) (1968 Olympic gold (200m breaststroke) and bronze (100m breaststroke) medalist)
Jim Baehren (Ohio State, Big Ten champ 100m freestyle, 1970, All-American 1969, 1970)
Pete Malone (St. Francis) (Coach, Kansas City Blazers, Pan Am and US national teams)
Jeff Pease (Stanford) (Coach North Coast Acquatic Club San Diego, US national team)
Greg Zann (Michigan) (All-American, late 1960s, early 1970s)
Ann Emmenecker (Ohio State, Big Ten champion 1973, 1974, 1975, All-America 1975, OSU Hall of Fame)
Holly Vargo-Brown (Ohio State, Synchronized Swimming All-American, National Championship team) (Assistant Coach, OSU Synchronized Swimming)
Tony Kurth (St. Francis) (Michigan, All-America 2002)
Northwestern Ohio
Jim Kennedy (Findlay) (Tennessee, NCAA champion 1-meter diving 1976)
Team Handball
John Keller, Jr. (1996 Olympics)
Table Tennis
Sean O’Neil (1992 Olympics, 5-time national champion)
Tennis
Erick Iskersky (St. John’s) (Trinity, 1979 NCAA doubles champion, 1979 NCAA singles runner-up) (Professional 1980-84, winner 1982 Metz Open)
Ryan Gabel (BGSU, Academic All-American 1998)
Northwestern Ohio
Bud Collins (born Lima, Berea (OH) HS) (Baldwin-Wallace) (1961 U.S. Indoor Mixed Doubles Champion)
Chuck Merzbacher (Findlay) (Minnesota 3-time All-Big Ten) (Men’s tennis coach Northern Illinois 1989-91, women’s tennis coach Kansas 1993-96, 4 Big 8 championships, Kansas HOF, women’s tennis coach Ohio State 1997-present)
Track & Field
Melvin Walker (Libbey) (Ohio State) (1936 NCAA high jump champ, world record holder 1937)
Sylvester Stewart (Waite) (Miami) (runner-up NCAA 880-yard run1945, 3rd NCAA cross-country 1945)
Brenda Morehead (Scott) (Tennessee State) (1976, 1980 U.S. Olympic team, world record 4x100, gold medals 1975 and 1979 Pan-AM games)
Justin Daler (St. John’s) (Tennessee, 1993 All-American pole vault)
Pam Simpson (born Toledo, Long Beach Poly (CA) HS) (USC) (1997 Pac-10 long jump champ, 6th NCAA, 3rd place 2003 USA Indoor Championships)
Joe Allen (Rogers) (Florida State) (5th place long jump NCAA indoors, ACC champ long jump and triple jump, 2001, 9th place long jump NCAA outdoors, 2000)
Kristen Dodd (Rogers) (Notre Dame, 2002 NCAA 5th place 4x400 relay)
Northwestern Ohio
Clarence Childs (Fremont) (Kenyon, Yale) (bronze medal 1912 Olympics hammer throw, coach Indiana University 1915-16)
Gaylord “Pete” Stinchcomb (Fostoria) (Ohio State, NCAA long jump champion 1921) also football
Robert King (Lima) (Stanford) (gold medal 1928 Olympic high jump)
Seth Waits (Grand Rapids, Otsego HS) (Michigan, 3d place NCAA distance medley relay 2003)
Briana Shook (Tiffin Seneca East) (Toledo) (1st place, 2003 USA Outdoor Championships, 3000m steeplechase, Academic All-American)
Kurt Michaelis (Holgate) (Youngstown State, 2003 NCAA 9th place indoor mile)
Volleyball
Northwestern Ohio
Erin Moore - Tiffin Columbian (Michigan, All-Big Ten 2002, 2003, 3rd team All-American 2003)
Water Skiing
Banana George Blair (Water Ski Hall of Fame)
Wrestling
Dick Torio (U of Toledo) (Three-time All-American, National Wrestling Hall of Fame as official)
Joe Scalzo (originally from NJ, lived in Toledo) (Penn State, 2d NCAA 1939) (Coach U of Toledo, Coach US Olympic team 1956) (National Wrestling Hall of Fame as an official)
Harry Lanzi (originally from NJ, stayed in Toledo after college) (U of Toledo) (1952 NCAA champ, 1951 AAU Champ)
Merrell Solowin (Rogers) (U of Toledo) (2-time All-American, 4th place NCAA 1963, 3rd place NCAA 1964, heavyweight, 3d place AAU 1963)
Dave Reinbolt (Central Catholic) (Ohio State, 1966 NCAA champ 167 lbs., OSU Hall of Fame)
Greg Wojciechowski (Whitmer) (U of Toledo, NCAA champ heavyweight 1971, runner-up 1970, 1972) (AAU champ 1970, 1971, 1974, 1975, U.S. Olympic team 1980)
Phil McCartney (Central Catholic) (U of Toledo, 6th place NCAA 1967 152 lbs.)
Dave Keller (Central Catholic) (U of Toledo, 4h place NCAA 1968 115 lbs.)
Myron Shapiro (3rd NCAA 118 lbs. 1975)
Airron Richardson (Michigan, 5th place NCAA 1996 heavyweight, 1998, heavyweight)
