Timeline From The Past: School And Sports

From the Files of the Kosciusko County Historical Society

Editor’s note: This is a retrospective article that runs a few times a month on InkFreeNews.

Information for this retrospective series is courtesy of the Kosciusko County Historical Society.

May 1984 —Warsaw Community High School’s boys track team clinched its third straight round-robin Northern Lakes Conference title in a big way Tuesday.

The Tigers piled up 113 points to more than double the combined scores of host Rochester (27 points) and Bremen (19 points), as Warsaw won all but one event.

Taking two events for the Tigers were Matt Rhodes in the 800 and 1600 meters, Jon Maurer in the 100 and 200 meters and Karl Ottersberg in the discus and shot put.

One first place each was recorded by Kevin Farrington in the 400, Tracy Furnivall in the 300 low hurdles, Sean Rhodes in the 3200, Mike Shaw in the high jump, Rich Seitz in the pole vault and Terry Wood in the long jump.

Both Tiger relay teams in the 400 and 1600 also came in first.

May 1984 — Next Tuesday’s Whitko School Board election will be the first since last August’s decision to close the Sidney and Larwill elementary schools and send all those students to Pierceton and South Whitley.

And though the transition of all the corporation youngsters to Pierceton and South Whitley has appeared to be a smooth one, the voters in the Larwill and Sidney communities — and what their present feelings are — may determine the next school board makeup. Citizens of those two communities bitterly protested the closings and the increase of the Cumulative Building Fund rate from 15 cents to $1 for the next five years to enable the board to obtain a $1.5 million school fund loan at an eight percent interest.

May 1980 — In a culmination of a very successful basketball season, Franklin College’s Gordy Clemens has been chosen,  along with 18 other NAIA players, to participate in the American-Australian Summer Basketball program.

The only NAIA player from the state selected for the program, Clemens, a Warsaw native, calls the honor “the biggest thrill in basketball for me. I’m very excited and looking forward to meeting people from different cultures and countries.”

May 1972 — A special program was held recently at the regular PTA meeting at Washington School, South Union Street, honoring one of the teachers who is retiring after this school year.

Mrs. Helen (Gilliam) Schade, of 308 N. Washington St., retired after teaching the fourth grade for 48 years. Forty of those years were spent in the same room at Center Ward, which is now the Junior High building.

May 1967 — Warsaw High School drew further statewide acclaim today with the naming of Jan Essenburg and Rocky Clemens to the first Indiana All-Star football team.

Essenburg and Clemens were among top players named to the North squad, which will meet top grid stars from the south in the first Indiana Shrine All-Star high school football game at Victory Field, Indianapolis, on Aug. 12.

— Compiled by InkFreeNews reporter Lasca Randels

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