While Grove City High School is fertile grounds for talented student athletes, coaches and athletic administrators, those who leave a lasting legacy on the school join an exclusive club when they’re inducted into the Grove City High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Only the most deserving of students, coaches and athletic directors are admitted.
On July 29, three former GCHS athletes were inducted into the Hall of Fame during the Homecoming Celebration held in Grove City’s Town Center.
The 2022 induction class includes the Hall of Fame’s oldest member, 91-year-old Carl Patzer, and its youngest member, 30-year-old Mike Mayers, to date. Lori (Thomas) Fullen rounds out the athletes. In addition to the inductees, this year also honors former basketball coach, cross country coach and guidance counselor John Allen, who passed away at age 91 in February.
Know someone worthy of the Hall of Fame? The nomination form and eligibility criteria can be found online at www.gchsgreyhounds.com. Submit nominations by Dec. 31.
Mail completed forms to Grove City High School, Attn: Scott Todd, Athletic Director, 4665 Hoover Rd., Grove City, OH 43123. Please include your and your nominee’s contact information.
The Hall of Fame’s committee recognizes individuals who have demonstrated excellence in their sport or made significant contributions to the athletic department at the high school, says chairman Steve Carr.
Nominations for inductees come from the panel’s 12 members but also from community input. Submissions often come from family members, classmates or friends of former athletes, and individuals associated with the high school’s athletic department.
The panel reviews each submission and the reasoning for their nomination before determining who they should ultimately induct into the exclusive Hall of Fame.
Three former administrators – former coach and athletic supervisor Ron Hutcheson, former principal Tom Rutan, and former coach and athletic director Jack Lehr – founded the Hall of Fame in 2015 with the goal of commemorating significant contributions to the school’s athletic programs. Since then, the Hall of Fame has added to its ranks 43 former athletes, four former coaches, two former athletic directors, one former contributor and two former teams.
The inductees are honored with permanent displays at GCHS. Carr hopes that seeing those
accomplishments inspire current and future students to work hard to set and achieve their own athletic goals.
“We’re hoping that present day students can look at the records of these athletes and former coaches and the kind of people they were and they can serve as role models,” he says.
For many, Carr says, the Hall of Fame offers a nostalgic celebration of the school’s history.
Carl Patzer, class of 1948
Patzer played on the football, basketball and baseball teams. He was named first-team All-Franklin County League in football and basketball. As a senior he captained the basketball team to become Franklin County League co-champions. Patzer was a leading scorer on his high school basketball team averaging 16 points per game. His team won 60 games over three seasons.
“It’s a great honor,” Patzer says. “I thought that they would forget us old timers that played sports back in the 1940s, so it’s a real honor to know that we’re still recognized.”
Outside of athletics, Patzer was a member of the National Honor Society and served as a student government class officer all four years of his high school career. After high school, Patzer received his degree in Business Administration in 1952 and went on to serve as a navigational officer for the U.S. Air Force for four years. He has served as president for a number of community organizations including the Ohio Agri-Business Association, Grove City Kiwanis Club and St. John’s Lutheran Council. His father, Anton Patzer, served two terms as mayor of Grove City.
Lori (Thomas) Fullen, class of 1981
Fullen played on the varsity volleyball and softball teams all four years of high school and on the varsity basketball team for two years. She won a Kiwanis Scholar-Athlete Award and served as team captain and MVP for both volleyball and softball as a senior.
In college, Fullen was a walk-on softball player at The Ohio State University and led the team in RBIs. She later received a Scholar-Athlete award from OSU. After college, Fullen returned to Grove City as an educator and coach. She was named Teacher of the Year twice at GCHS and once at Central Crossing High School. She was also named Coach of the Year at GCHS.
“She was a terrific athlete at the high school and went on to become a great teacher and coach at the high school,” says Carr, who knows Fullen personally through her time as a teacher and coach. “Very deserving.”
Mike Mayers, class of 2010
Mayers played football, basketball and baseball. During his high school career, Mayers received seven varsity letters, one in football, three in basketball and three in baseball. As a junior quarterback for the football team, Mayers threw 1,336 yards. Unfortunately, his football career was cut short when a school levy failed and fall sports were canceled his senior year.
In baseball, Mayers won All-Ohio honors as a junior pitcher with a 10-1 record and a 1.57 ERA.
He was awarded All-Central district and All-OCC (Ohio Capital Conference) honors as a junior and senior. As a senior basketball player, Mayers was a leading scorer, averaging 15.2 points per game, and named All-OCC.
At the University of Mississippi, Mayers was named an All-SEC Academic Selection for three years. After three years, Mayers began his professional baseball career with the St. Louis Cardinals – he would continue online classes to earn a degree in 2020. He pitched for the Cardinals in 2016-2019 before being claimed by the Los Angeles Angels. He was named American League Reliever of the month in September 2020.
Remembering John Allen
John Allen passed away in February at age 91. He was heavily involved with GCHS, having worked as a school guidance counselor, head basketball coach and head cross country coach. He also served on the Hall of Fame committee since its beginnings in 2015.
“Nobody cared about the Athletic Hall of Fame’s mission to honor Greyhound greats more than John,” Carr says.
Maisie Fitzmaurice is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
