Nominations are in for Coshocton’s Sports Legend
COSHOCTON – The Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum and Coshocton’s Downtowner Plaza invite all county residents to vote for the Coshocton Sports Legend.
Nominations for the honor were collected over several weeks and then reduced to five names for the ballot. A seven-year residence in Coshocton County was the only requirement for nominees. Chosen candidates are Troy Berry (baseball player and coach for the University of Findlay), Bob Brenly (national baseball player, coach and sports announcer), Caroline Mast Daugherty (college basketball player and River View High School coach), Kari Daugherty Pickens (college basketball player) and Brian Olinger (college, US team and professional cross country runner). Ballot boxes are located at the following Downtowner retailers: Baker’s IGA, Healthy’s Nutrition, Shelby Theatres, Sears, Shoe Sensation and Your Pizza.
The competition ends Sunday, Sept. 15. The winner will be recognized in the museum’s special exhibit, Unforgettable Sports Legends. Great players don’t just happen to make it big. Success is the result of hard work, commitment, ambition, perseverance and support. Parents and schools, too, are usually the catalyst that turns talent into accomplishment. Let your voice be heard by voting for the Coshocton Sports Legend.
For those who are unfamiliar with these five athlete’s accomplishments, brief summaries of their accomplishments follow.
Troy Berry graduated from River View High School (1988) where he lettered in football and baseball. He earned his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Findlay (UF) and played as an outfielder for the Oilers from 1989-92. In 118 career games, he amassed a .326 batting average to go with 72 runs batted in. He ranks in the top 10 in UF history for hits in a career, runs batted in and runs scored. After working as assistant baseball coach for 11 seasons, he became head coach in 2004. Berry retired from coaching in 2013 as the Oilers all-time leader in wins with 211. He coached the Oilers to the GLIAC Championship twice during his tenure with the program, reaching the finals in 2005 and again in 2008. Although Berry was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 12 years ago, it wasn’t until spring 2013 that he had to withdraw from his coaching career.
Bob (Robert Earl) Brenly (1954 – ) is an American baseball sportscaster and a former baseball player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. Brenly was born and raised in Coshocton County, attended Ohio University in Athens and was a member of the Bobcat baseball team. By the time Brenly graduated in 1976, he had earned All-America honors matching Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt’s school-record of 10 home runs in a single season. After college he held a long career in the minors before being called up to the majors. He played the majority of his career as a catcher with the San Francisco Giants (1981-1988). After retiring as a player, he worked as a broadcaster with the Chicago Cubs, then as a coach with the Giants, then as a broadcaster for Fox. He was hired to manage the Arizona Diamondbacks for the 2001 season and won the franchise’s only championship his first year. In 2004, he was fired by the Diamondbacks and again became a broadcaster with the Cubs until 2012. He now serves as a color commentator for Diamondbacks broadcasts.
Caroline Mast Daugherty (1964 – ) Caroline Daugherty played basketball at Ohio University (1982-86) and is a member of OU’s Hall of Fame. She played for River View High School earning Most Valuable Player in the Ohio Class AA tournament when River View won the 1982 championship. At OU she was a two-time All-American and three-time Mid-American Conference Player of the Year. She averaged 21.9 points during her career and is Ohio’s all-time leader in field goals made (898), free throws made (635) and rebounds (1,223). She set OU and MAC records by scoring 2,449 points and grabbing 1,223 rebounds. Caroline led the Bobcats to the MAC title in 1986 and was Most Valuable Player in the tournament. She was voted MAC Player of the Decade for the 1980s and a first team Academic All-America. Daugherty returned to her alma mater in 2003 where she coached the Lady Bears for six years. During that time the Lady Bears amassed a record of 132 wins and 16 losses while capturing four Sectional Titles, four District Titles, three Regional Titles and two State Championships.
Kari Daugherty Pickens played basketball for River View contributing to back-to-back state championship titles in 2005-06 and 2006-07. She was the State Tournament MVP in 05-06 and the Tournament Co-MVP in 06-07. In 2009, Daugherty was named an All-Ohio Co-Player of the Year. A two-sport athlete in high school, Daugherty also played volleyball and earned ECOL Player of the Year her senior season. She was also named to the All-Ohio First Team in 2008. Kari played basketball at Dayton University where during her freshman season she was named to the All-Atlantic 10 Rookie Team. She transferred to Ashland University where she led her team to the national title game. She was named an All-American, and elected as the WBCA Player of the Year, as well as leading the nation in rebounding and double-doubles. In 2013, Daugherty led the Eagles to the national title game, emerging victorious with a 71-56 victory against Dowling. She earned All-American honors, NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player honors for a second consecutive time and led the nation with a record setting 25th double-double with 26 points (11-19 shooting) and 12 rebounds. Kari was also named the 2012 and 2013 Division II Athlete of the Year.
Brian Olinger (1983 – ) attended Ridgewood High School where he was a state champion in the Division III cross country 5K with a PR of 15:30 and a state champion in the 3200 in track with a PR of 9:26. He has a 1600 PR of 4:21. He joined The Ohio State cross country team his freshman year. The highlights of his college career include being the 2004 Big Ten 5K Champion. He currently holds records at The Ohio State University. He made it to the Olympic Trials final in 2008 but missed making the Olympic team by two places. In 2011 his sixth place finish at the United State Cross Country Trials earned him a spot on the U.S. team to the world cross country championships in Spain where he finished 76th. Currently Brian is a professional runner, sponsored by Reebok, specializing in the 3000 meter steeplechase with a personal record of 8:19.56. He currently holds a PR in the mile of 4:00 and a 5K PR of 13:31.
The Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum is open daily from noon to 5 p.m. May through Oct. For information, contact JHM at 622-8710, e-mail jhmuseum@jhmuseum.org or visit www.jhmuseum.org.
Category: Adult, High School, People & Places, Sports
