SMCC's 2003 baseball team headlines hall of fame class

SANDUSKY — The St. Mary Central Catholic High School Athletic and Achievement Hall of Fame Class of 2023 includes one team and five individuals. The team that will go into the hall of fame is SMCC's 2003 baseball squad. Twenty years ago, the Panthers claimed sectional, district and regional championships, advancing to the Division IV state semifinals where they lost 4-2 to Minster. Under head coach Denny Link, SMCC won its second straight sectional and district titles in 2003 before capturing the school's first and only regional crown and a spot in the state final four. The Panthers posted a 21-10 record during the 2003 season while playing in the Sandusky Bay Conference. The 2023 hall of famers will be recognized in the Kinzel Center during halftime of the Panthers' Jan. 13 boys basketball game against Margaretta. On Jan. 14, the annual hall-of-fame banquet and induction ceremony will take place at Sandusky Yacht Club starting at 2 p.m. The public is invited with tickets costing $35 each. Tickets must be purchased prior to Jan. 7 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. Other inductees include: Rodney Scott -- The 1991 SMCC graduate excelled on the football field and was a First Team All-Ohio defensive lineman for the Panthers in 1990 when they made it to the Division V state championship game. During his football career, SMCC put together a 30-8 record, including 11-3 in 1990 and 12-1 in 1989. Scott accumulated nearly 200 tackles, including 90 (17 for loss) his senior year. He was a three-time varsity letterman in football and also tallied four letters in wrestling. As a wrestler, he won three sectional crowns and was a two-time state qualifier. Conor Whelan -- Whelan was a Division III state champion wrestler for the Panthers at 140 pounds as a senior when he recorded a 32-4 overall record. A 1996 graduate, Whelan placed fifth in the state as a junior and was a part of the school's first state title-winning wrestling squad in 1994. He was also a solid football player on both sides of the ball for the blue and gold. Whelan presently serves as a teacher with Sandusky City Schools. Joanne (Mastelone) Ruthsatz -- A 1974 SMCC alumna, Dr. Ruthsatz recently retired as an assistant professor of psychology from Ohio State University at Mansfield. Over the past 25 years, she has become one of the nation's top researchers on child prodigies, discovering a genetic link between them and autism. Ruthsatz's research has been published in several well-known scientific journals and publications, and she has been interviewed on 60 Minutes. After receiving her bachelor's degree from Bowling Green, Ruthsatz went on to obtain a master's and a doctorate in psychology at Case Western Reserve University. Robert J. (Bob) Daniel -- A lifelong member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, Daniel graduated from the high school in 1948. He held many different leadership positions at the church, school and with the Diocese of Toledo. Daniel was the church's business manager for a decade and served as the elementary school bookkeeper for nine years. In 1993, he earned the Golden Bell Award, a top honor presented by the parish. Daniel passed away in June 2013 at the age of 82. Steve Kohler -- For more than 40 years, Kohler has taught history, government and other subjects at the high school. During his time in Sandusky, he has also been a successful coach and administrator at SMCC and became the school's first recipient of an honorary diploma in May 2023. Kohler graduated from Gibsonburg High School in 1979 and Bowling Green State University in 1983.