Perkins Hall of Fame inducts new class

The Perkins Hall of Fame Class of 2022 was inducted last Sunday at Mesenburg Hall in Huron. Five of the inductees were for athletics. Also, four staff members and two distinguished alumni were honored. A look at the inductees: Distinguished High School Athletes Mike Bixler Michael Bixler missed significant time as a sophomore and junior due to two major knee surgeries, but the 1999 PHS graduate made an impact as a senior. Bixler played football, basketball and baseball and was a member of Perkins' SBC championship basketball team his senior season. He also was a first-team All-Ohio selection and SBC Outstanding Performer in baseball in 1999. He helped the Pirates win an SBC and district championship as a senior. Bixler graduated with the highest grade point average in the Class of 1999. He walked on to the baseball team at Ohio State, where he majored in mechanical engineering. Shannon Chill Barnum Shannon Chill (1989 graduate) was a three-sport athlete and won 10 varsity letters at Perkins. She was a recipient of The Pirate Award. Chill earned all-conference honors in basketball and volleyball and was honorable mention All-Ohio in 1988-89. She set a number of school records in volleyball and basketball, was a team captain and earned the Coach's Award and the MVP Award. She still holds two basketball rebounding records and scored more than 1,000 career points. Chill was an SBC champion all four years in track. She was a two-time state runner-up in the 300 hurdles in 1988 and 1989 and finished fourth in 1987. Chill ran on a track scholarship at Miami University and graduated in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in sociology and a minor in criminology. Dennis Neate Dennis Neate graduated from Perkins in 1989 and was a member of the National Honor Society, recipient of the Pirate Award, Leader and Rotary Scholarship at graduation. He participated in football, basketball and track, and earned 10 varsity letters. As a senior, he was captain of the football and basketball teams. In football, Neate was a first-team All-SBC pick in 1987 and 1988 and was a first-team All-Ohio Division II selection as a guard his senior year. In basketball, he was all conference and all district in 1988 and earned the MVP award for the 1988-89 season. Neate played football at Baldwin Wallace University, and graduated in 1993 with a double major in business administration and speech communication. He started three years and was a team captain in 1992. He finished his career as BW's seventh all-time leading tackler Mark Speer Mark Speer was a member of the 1984 state champion track & field team at Perkins and was a key player on the Pirates' undefeated 1983-84 SBC champion basketball team that finished 20-2 and was ranked No. 6 in the state. Speer graduated in 1984 as the Pirates' all-time leading scorer and was second in rebounding. He was District 6 Class AA Player of the Year as a senior and was a third-team All-Ohio selection. In track & field, he set Perkins school records in the high jump and 110-meter high hurdles. In the high jump, he was the 1983 state runner-up and finished third a year later. He finished fourth at the 1984 state meet in the high hurdles and helped Perkins win its first team state title. Speer attended Kenyon College, where he graduated with distinction in 1988. He competed in basketball and track & field, earning 12 varsity letters. He finished his basketball career with 852 points and 408 rebounds and was a nine-time NCAA All-American in track. Kyle Steinhauser Kyle Steinhauser excelled in academics and athletics. The 2009 graduate was a three-year letterman in football and team captain his senior year. He was a member of National Honor Society and received the Guidance Department award. Steinhauser won four varsity letters in track and was a two-time team captain. He threw a personal best of 167 feet, 7 inches in the discus to finish as the state runner-up as a sophomore. He was state runner-up as a junior and set a school record with his throw of 180-5. As a senior, Steinhauser fought through a knee injury sustained in football and was the state runner-up in the discus for a third straight season with a throw of 186-2. He was a scholar-athlete at Ashland University and was a national champion and was a two-time All-American. Cross Country Teams: 1987, 1988, 1989 The 1987, 1988 and 1989 Perkins cross country teams won three consecutive Division II state championships. The accomplishments of the team along with the individual finishes of Larry Sparks and Matt Smith helped cement those teams' legacies. The 1987 team was led by Perkins legend Larry Sparks. Close on his heels were captains Scott Smith and Shane Powell, along with Jeff Riffle and Scott Powell. Chris DelSignore and Chris Roth rounded out the varsity squad. The team scored a state record 47 points, which is still the second-lowest score in Division II history. The 1988 team persevered through injuries to Sparks, Riffle and Powell. Smith, Mark Bennett and Mark Chapman developed into consistent varsity runners. The 1989 team was led by Smith, who was the state runner-up. Bennett, Chapman, Ryan Fisher, Chris Roth, Tom Spicer and Bryan Porter also were valuable members of the squad. Distinguished Alumni Jeff and John Lizzi Jeff and John Lizzi graduated from Perkins High School in 1983, Jeff pursued his dream and joined the Professional Bowlers Tour, where he would go on to win 15regional titles (his first at age 18) and captured the prestigious Brunswick Memorial World Open. During his 25-year professional career, Jeff was able to compete and win events overseas, made numerous TV appearances and was a two-time member of the U.S. Bowling Team that competed for the Japan Cup. He has 108 300 games in his career and is a member of the Sandusky and Ohio State Bowling Council Halls of Fame. John attended Bowling Green State University and Kansas State University before started his flour milling career working for Pillsbury, ConAgra and Harvest States Milling Companies. Following his 20-year flour milling career, John and Jeff purchased Star Lanes, the family business they grew up in. Distinguished Staff Steve Finn Steve Finn was a standout student-athlete at Lima Central Catholic High School. He graduated from Heidelberg College in 1975 and was a member of the wrestling team. In 1975, Steve began his 40-year teaching and coaching career at Tiffin Columbian High School and St. Mary's High School in Phoenix, Arizona. He returned to Ohio in 1980, and served the next 35 years as an educator, administrator, and coach at Perkins. Steve became Perkins' head wrestling coach in 1988. During 13 seasons (1988-2001) his teams went 140-45-4. He was responsible for establishing the Sandusky Bay Conference Middle School and JV Wrestling Tournaments, as well as the Perkins Biddy Wrestling Tournament. Steve also was instrumental in developing the U.S.-China Cultural Exchange Program at Perkins. He has visited China as an honored educational ambassador on three occasions. John Kustec John Kustec earned bachelor and master's degrees from Bowling Green State University and began his teaching career at St. Mary's Central Catholic High School in 1979. John joined the music staff at Perkins in 1984 as the assistant director. He assumed the duties of the head band director a year later. From 1984 to 2014, the Pirate Band enjoyed much success in both the marching band and concert band settings. The marching band qualified for state every year and was one of only three bands in Ohio to qualify that many years in a row. John currently directs the North Coast Concert Band, a community band of 85 adult performers. He is the manager of Forte Music in Sandusky and is in charge of Cedar Point's Music in the Parks Festival. Frank Laudonia Frank Laudonia graduated from John Carroll University in 1970. He received his master's degree from BGSU in 1978. He began his teaching career at Perkins High School in 1972 and retired in 2007. Laudonia started as a self-contained special education teacher and eventually became head of the special education department. He also was involved in the Perkins Education Association, and had been the union's president, a building representative and chief negotiator. Frank also was a successful coach. In 1976, he became the head golf coach and held the position for 31 years. His teams won 14 SBC titles in his 31 years of coaching. Among the outstanding golfers he coached was Justin Bertsch, who went on to star at University of Toledo and has played in three PGA Championships. Chuck Teagarden Chuck Teagarden went to Kent State University on a wrestling scholarship. He graduated in 1978 with a bachelor's degree and received a master's degree from Ashland University in 1991. Teagarden, who died in 2017, was Perkins' head wrestling coach from 1980-1988. Perkins won SBC championships in 1987 and 1988. He coached three state placers and 11 state qualifiers. His overall record was 73-33-3.