Huron inducts new athletic hall of fame class

HURON — The first set of twins, a pioneer in women's sports and back-to-back undefeated boys basketball teams were part of the 30th annual Huron High School Athletic Hall of Fame induction class. The Class of 2022 was made up of twins Kelly and Matthew Lehrer, Kelly Bartemes, Art McIntyre, Gail Moore and the members of the 1971-72 and 1972-73 boys basketball teams. Treyvon Matthews was also a member of the Class of 2022, but was unable to attend and will be recognized at another ceremony. Nate Faust was also officially recognized, while Taryn Graham, another 2021 selection, was also unable to attend. "My experience with Huron athletics started in the same sport with my brother. I was the only girl participating in Punt, Pass & Kick," said Kelly Lehrer, who earned first-team All-Ohio recognition in volleyball during her senior season. The 2009 graduate was a three-year starter at setter on teams that won three district titles and one regional crown. She attended Capital University and works as a nurse specializing in cardiac care in Columbus. Matthew Lehrer was a three-year starter at wide receiver and safety for the Tigers in football and still holds the career record for touchdowns and is second in career receptions and receiving yardage. He was honorable mention All-Ohio as a senior and a National Football Foundation Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete. He earned eight varsity letters in all. In track he ran the anchor leg of the Huron 4x400 relay that was sixth in the state as a junior and runner-up his senior year. "I'm so grateful for the support that I had in my four-year high school career," said Lehrer, who earned a bachelor's degree from Ohio State University and his Ph.D from the University of Texas. He is now an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "I am really proud to wear the Crimson and Gray." Moore, a 1974 grad, collected nine varsity letters at a time when girls sports barely existed, including one in boys tennis as a senior. She was a member of the first SBC championship volleyball team as a junior and finished on a team that tied for the title as a senior. She also was the top scorer on the girls basketball team for three straight years and was the No. 1 singles player on the girls tennis team until switching to the boys team as a senior. Moore lettered four years in softball and one in basketball while attending Miami University and retired after 22 years as the elementary school counselor at Indian Riffle Elementary in Dayton. She continued to play softball and now is excelling in golf. "My athletic life has been such an important part of my life, and competing in athletics started here in Huron," Moore said "I can't thank Huron enough." Bartemes, a 1999 graduate, earned eight varsity letters in football (2), basketball (2) and baseball (4). He earned first-team All-SBC honors in football on both offense and defense as a senior, when he also claimed third-team All-Ohio recognition. He played football for a year at Baldwin-Wallace University and now works for One Hospitality in Columbus. "My coaches (at Huron) really shaped me into the man that I am today," Bartemes said. "To this day, my best friends are the guys I played sports with at Huron High School." McIntyre, 1969 graduate, earned seven varsity letters. He was leading scorer and rebounder in both his junior and senior years in basketball, captured all-league recognition as a receiver in his only season of football and was a member of a record-setting 880 relay. He attended Hillsdale College, Ohio State and Kent State, and currently resides near Akron where he and his wife have been recognized nationally for their work providing shots and athletic footwear for children in Akron. "I am so honored and humbled to be included into the Hall of Fame at Huron," he said. "The friendships I made while playing sports at Huron remain my strongest friendships. My days in Huron were some of the best days of my life." Faust, a 1998 graduate, earned three letters in golf and four in tennis, where he teamed with Hall-of-Famer Seth DeRose to advance to the state tennis tournaments in doubles as a junior and senior. He is third on the all-time Huron tennis wins list. He went to Princeton University and has been involved in e-commerce startups over the past two decades, including a new venture known as olive.com that works with brands and retailers to deliver orders in reusable packaging. "I've been telling friends and colleagues in New Jersey where I live that I was going back for my high school hall of fame induction, which has been met with shrugs," said Faust. "Then I pull out a picture of Huron Memorial Stadium and tell them it's filled every Friday night during football. High school sports is just not the same as it is here." The 1971-72 basketball team finished 20-1, averaging more than 77 points per game while allowing less than 59 points a contest. "We all wanted to win ballgames for Jess," said Dave Asher of the late Jess Hagy, who guided both squads and was inducted into the Huron Hall in 1998. "I don't remotely remember him losing his temper. Jess was a class act. He was such a wonderful man and a great guy to play for." The 1972-73 team went 22-1, setting the school record for wins in a season that was equaled last year. The squad fell to undefeated Genoa in the regional tournament. "One of the reasons this team was so special was the bond and closeness of the team," said Lou Wargo. "We were very close friends, not only on the court but off the court as well." Asher is a 2004 induct into the Huron Hall, while Wargo was a member of the second Hall of Fame induction class in 1994.