Telatnik to be inducted a second time

John Telatnik is one of the most renowned athletes to ever come through Lorain County.

On May 4 at Deluca’s Place in the Park, Telatnik will be inducted into the Lorain Sports Hall of Fame. Telatnik is most known for what he accomplished in 1947.

During that season, he placed first in the high jump at the state track and field meet in Columbus with a 5-11.

He was the only Lorain male athlete to win a state track and field title until Lorain’s Zion Cross won the 100-meter dash last year.

Before that in the same season, he set a Lorain High school record with a jump of 6-0 ¼ at the Mansfield Relays and went undefeated in his senior season.

“It’s quite an honor,” Telatnik said about his induction. “It’ll be my second time inducted because I got inducted with my baseball team and now this. Two times is quite honorable. My son is going to represent me and his family will be there along with my daughter.”

Telatnik first got involved with athletics when he was 12 years old in the Lorain Recreation Department summer programs. At Irving Junior High, his gym teacher convinced him to compete in

the high jump. That carried over into Lorain High School.

“I think I’m most proud of setting the record of 6-0 ¼,” Telatnik said.

From 1945-47, he competed in baseball at Lorain High in sandlot Class C and D levels throwing several no-hit games and once had an 18-strikeout performance.

After graduating in 1948, Telatnik went to Western Michigan University to play Division I baseball and played on the freshman team. He was a right-handed pitcher and won titles at several levels. He contributed to numerous Class A teams in 1947, 1950 and 1952, including Yale Clothes and National Tube.

In 1957, he was the starting pitcher for the National Tube team that won the National Amateur Baseball

Federation Championship in Flint, Mich. He opted to not compete in track and field at the collegiate level.

“I wanted to play baseball and only made the freshman team,” he said. “So it was all local baseball after that.”

His brother, Bob, is already in the Hall of Fame as a basketball coach.

“My parents were very supportive of my brother and I,” he added.

Telatnik then served in the military during the Korean War. He didn’t fight and needed to carve out a niche while he was there.

“It was moreso a vacation when I went to the military,” he said while laughing. “I had been told when I was in college because the vets were coming back to learn how to type. And so I did that and became a company clerk over there in Korea. I didn’t see any action

at all.”

He then went to Kent State where he earned teaching certification credit hours and became a teacher at Clearview High from 1960-70, where he also was a coach and athletic director.

From 1970-80, he was a teacher at Lorain Irving Junior High.

Telatnik, 87, said when he looks back at his career, there isn’t one particular memory that stands out above all.

“It was all enjoyable,” he said. “I just enjoyed it.”

The Lorain Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet will be May 4 at DeLuca’s Place in the Park. Ticket information can be obtained by contacting Ron Feldkamp (440-2443449) or Tom Bauer (440282-4624, tbauer@bright. net).