Trotwood-Madison to induct first athletic hall of fame class
The inaugural Trotwood-Madison High School athletic hall of fame class is a star-filled lineup. Six former Rams standouts will be inducted during a dinner and ceremony at the Mandalay Banquet and Event Center at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29.
The first half-dozen of what promises to be an outstanding HOF are a who’s-who of all-time area high school standouts. In alphabetical order:
■ LaVonna Martin Floreal (Class of 1984): Silver medalist in the 100 hurdles in the 1988 Summer Olympics at Seoul, South Korea. Fourteen-time track and field All-American at the University of Tennessee.
Scored all of Trotwood’s points to win consecutive Class AAA girls state track team titles in 1983-84. As a Rams junior, she swept the 100 meters, 200 and 100 hurdles. As a senior she repeated in the 100 hurdles and 200, added a win in the 300 hurdles and was second in the 100.
She’s the daughter of Northwest Track Club founder and former University of Dayton women’s track and field coach Lefty Martin.
■ Vincent Gay (Class of 1999): Three-time wrestling state qualifier and won the state 170-pound title as a senior, the Ram’s only wrestling state champ in program history. Also a decorated football player. Wrestled at Edinboro and Temple. The principal at Golder College Prep in Chicago.
■ Zach Logan (Class of 2004): Another unbeaten blur on the track. Won state 400 titles as a sophomore and senior, edging Cleveland Glenville sensation Ted Ginn Jr. in a 400 showdown as seniors (46.64). All-Ohio as a defensive back and played football at Purdue. Currently the defensive coordinator at Malone.
■ Lamar Preyor (Class of 1975): Yet another track flash, swept the 100- and 220-yard dashes as a junior in the 1974 Class AAA state track meet. As a Rams senior placed second in the 100, and fourth in the 220 as Trotwood tied for runner-up.
Became a five-time track All-American at Tennessee and two-time U.S. Olympic Team Trials qualifier.
■ Chris Wright (Class of 2007): Among the most beloved basketball players at Dayton for his high-flying ability and crowd-pleasing court demeanor. Currently with the Oklahoma City Thunder organization. Led Trotwood to a Division I state runner-up as a junior in 2006.
■ Tom Wright (Class of 1966): Won the Class AA 220 (21.80) in the state track meet in 1962. Became a three-time track and field All-American at Bowling Green and was BGSU’s head track coach from 1980-90.
Tickets to the dinner/ceremony are $40 and are available at the high school main office.
Notes
■ Troy’s Memorial Stadium is undergoing a major renovation. Among the area’s most storied venues, the field has been re-sodded with real grass and a new eightlane running track has been installed. It’s the first playing surface upgrade since 1994. The track also was installed 25 years ago.
According to Troy athletic director Dave Palmer, the field was hit with a “gray leaf fungal infection” last fall.
“Honestly, it probably lasted a lot longer than most athletic fields,” Palmer said in a release. “But it’s like anything else, after 25 years, there’s only so much you can do.”
All field funding was donated by the Thom and Pat Robinson Fund. In addition, Troy’s tennis courts along Ferguson Drive also were resurfaced.
■ Chaminade Julienne High School graduate Molly Bruggeman (class of 2010) is looking for a repeat in the World Rowing Championships.
Bruggeman was on the U.S. Team that won the women’s four last year at Plovdiv, Bulgaria. This year’s championships will be held from Aug. 25 through Sept. 1 at Linz, Austria.
Bruggeman also was a rowing standout at Notre Dame (Class of 2014) and is a former Dayton Boat Club rower.
■ The Fenwick High School tennis program recently held a ceremony to dedicate a new addition to its 66-acre campus. The Dupps Company of Germantown donated more than $350,000 for five next tennis courts.
According to a release, the Dupps family has “been part of the Fenwick family for several generations and have been major partners and supporters of Bishop Fenwick for years.”