Record Crowd Honors Rox 1963 Wabash Valley Basketball Champions
Over 200 former athletes, coaches, administrators, cheerleaders, along with current RHS coaches, administrators, staff, and supporters joined together July 24 at the 7th Annual Rox Summer Athletic Alumni Reunion/Golf Outing at the Parke County Golf Course. The day was filled with renewing acquaintances and conversations reliving many high school memories.
This year’s special presentation was honoring the 1963 Rox Wabash Valley Basketball Champions. The team’s record that year was 25-2 overall and they also captured the Sectional championship. Those attending were former players, Bill Cronk, John Dowd, Larry Martin, Bob Alden, Darwin “Butch” Overpeck, John Alden, Harry Lang, Mike Hall, team manager, Ron Monts and Varsity Coach, Larry Liddle. Debbie Martin Schrader and Darla Martin Rech accepted posthumously for their Sister Donna Martin(Mrs. Leighton) Britton, a Varsity Cheerleader for the team. In addition, Kieran McMullen and Robert Clevenger, the first recipients of the Rox student/athlete $500 scholarships, were recognized. Kieran plans to attend Purdue University and Robert will attend Anderson University. The Rox Athletic Alumni Planning Committee honored Larry and Helen Gambaiani for their 45 years of service to the Rox school district and athletic program.
Special recognition was given to this years Corporate Sponsors-HBS Systems, Dallas, TX-Max Higgs “68” who also sponsored the $100 Hole Shots; State Farm Insurance, Indianapolis, IN-Bill Hill “66”; Denny Lee, Connersville, IN- “60”; Parke County Community Foundation; TWS Enterprises-Carmel, IN-Tim Smith “83”; Myers Engineering, Inc., Terre Haute, IN-Dave Myers “71” and Scott Pet Products of Rockville-Mike Bassett, CEO, a lifetime donor to the new scholarship endowment program established by the Planning Committee with the Parke County Community Foundation.
The largest group of golfers to ever attend the event included 27 teams and some 120 golfers.
Winners in the various contests and skill awards from the golf scrambles included:
Morning Session
1st Place Team-Mark Bridge, Ryan Bridge, Aaron Bridge, Joe Newton
2nd Place Team-Tim Clary, Bob Kyle, Ryan Luce,
Longest Drives-Men-John Hartman—65+-Russell Greene
$100 Hole Shot-Hole 9-Dale Teague Team
$100 Hole Shot-Hole 12-Tim Smith Team
Poker Golf-Scott Monts
Afternoon Session
1st Place Team-Larry Merica, Tony Gambaiani, David Merica, Eric Crowder, Dusty Jovanovich
2nd Place Team-Al Waldridge, Ramon Lientz, Brian Jeffers, Delbert Lewis
Longest Drive-Men-Matt Merica—Women-Jessica Harper—65+Joe Tolin
$100 Hole Shot-Hole 9-Steve Nelson
$100 Hole Shot-Hole 12-Ramon Lientz
Poker Golf-Tammy McMullen-Unger
Alumnus Steve ‘68’ and Vicky ‘71’Jefferies and Kristy Dooley of Country Home Catering provided the lunch, alumnus Joe Collings ‘69’ and Ferguson Lumber Company provided the tent for the outing, Sharon Malone, Adams Township Trustee, provided the township PA system, Owen Harper, General Manager of Rockville IGA provided many supplies, RCS custodial staff, Steve Cooper, Titus Huxford, Mark Hunt, and Rick Akers for setup, and Derrick Bridge, Steve Jones, and Tom and Mary Zimmerman were outstanding hosts for the Parke County Golf Course. Alumni contributing items for the golf “goody bag” included Tammy’s Twist & Sizzle-Sean Lucas-‘87’ and JR Pharmacy-Mary Anne Golden-Vencel-‘73’.
The Planning Committee sincerely thanks all volunteers who worked during the outing, all corporate and hole sponsors, door prize/silent auction donors, and all the local businesses who supported the event that has raised over $30,000 for Rox Athletics and fully funding the Rox Athletic Alumni’s obligation on the matching Endowed Scholarship fund with the Parke County Community Foundation. The 8th Annual reunion/golf outing is planned for the Summer of 2010.
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