Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2011 Announced
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame will grow by 11 members this year, as six men and five women will be inducted the weekend of Sept. 9 and 10 the Men's Varsity O Alumni Association and the Women's Varsity O Alumnae Society announced Wednesday. The class will be officially inducted Sept. 9 during a ceremonial dinner and introduced to the public at halftime of the Ohio State home football game against Toledo Sept. 10.
The 2011 class includes: Didi Albrecht (rowing), Raj Bhavsar (men's gymnastics), Mitch Clark (wrestling), Katy Craig (women's track and field), Mike Doss (football), Jessica Marshall (pistol), Orlando Pace (football), Leo Raskowski (football), Stacy Roth (softball), Bobby Watkins (football) and Kristen White (women's golf).
Women were first inducted into the hall in 1993, with 91 women enshrined through 2010. Marshall will be the first member of the pistol team to be inducted into the hall of fame. Craig and White give women?s track and field and women?s golf eight inductees each, while Albrecht and Roth both raise the rowing and softball numbers to five.
The hall of fame was created in 1977 and has inducted 255 men through fall of 2010. The addition of Doss, Pace, Raskowski and Watkins moves the all-time number of former football players in the hall to 103. Bhavsar will be the sixth gymnast, while Clark will be the ninth wrestler enshrined.
Reservations are now being accepted for the Hall of Fame Dinners Sept. 9, with the men and women holding separate ceremonies in The Archie M. Griffin Ballroom at the Ohio Union. Both the men?s and women?s events begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m., with dinner and the ceremony starting at 6:30 p.m.
The cost to attend the women's event is $50 per individual, with tables of eight available for $400. Reservations and payment are required in advance, with the deadline Aug. 26. A printable reservation form is available online at
www.osuwomensvo.com. At the dinner Andy Geiger will be presented with the Barbie Tootle Buckeye Spirit Award and Tara VanDerveer will be honored with the Phyllis Bailey Career Achievement Award.
Individual reservations for the men's event are $75, with tables of eight available for $600. Visit
www.osumensvo.com for online reservations, a printable reservation form and payment options. Payment cannot be accepted at the door and the reservation deadline is Aug. 26.
For questions about the dinners contact the Varsity O office 614-688-3707 or email
[email protected].
...
Leo Raskowski
Football 1926-28
Leo Raskowski, a two-time All-American and two-time All-Big Ten selection, was team captain of the 1928 Buckeyes that went 5-2-1 overall, including a 19-7 win over Michigan at Ohio Stadium. Overall, Raskowski, a tackle for the Buckeyes, helped lead the Scarlet and Gray to 16 victories in three seasons, highlighted by a 7-1 mark in 1926. Raskowski, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, was the first team captain to be elected at the close of the season after a rule passed by the athletic board at the beginning of the 1928-29 academic year.
Following his time at Ohio State, Raskowski went on to play three seasons in the NFL on four teams, including the Staten Island Stapletons, Brooklyn Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Eagles. Following his NFL career, Raskowski moved to Vancouver as a recreation director in 1943. He passed away in 1952 at the young age of 46 after battling a long illness.
Jeff Logan, a past president of Men's Varsity O and a Pioneer Committee member, on Raskowski
"We as Pioneer committee members are charged with the responsibility of recognizing certain deserving and appropriate candidates with election to the Hall of Fame. Leo Raskowski was a two-time All-American and a two-time All-Big Ten honoree while at Ohio State. He was also team captain for the Buckeyes. Two-time All-Americans are deserving of recognition and we are proud to support his legacy with this honor."
Cont'd ...
