John Gudgel

John Gudgel is the boys track coach at Yellow Springs High School as well as the Principal. John began his career as a competitor. As a senior at Yellow Springs High School, he was the State Champion in the 440 yd. dash and led YSHS to the State Track Championship. While attending the University of Toledo, John was a four-year letter winner, a member of the Conference All Academic Team, the Conference Champion in the 440, and Team Captain.
At the State level, during his twenty-four year tenure as a coach Mr. Gudgel has guided four 1600 M. Relay Champions, three 400 M. Relay Champions, three 400 M. Champions, three 200 M. Champions, one 100 M. Champion, one long jump Champion, and numerous other state placers. His teams were State Champions on six different occasions. Coach Gudgel’s many outstanding individuals include Andrew Pierce and Tony Victoria.
John is tireless in his efforts to make his runners recognize the need for supporting their teammates, interacting in a positive way with their opponents, and taking responsibility for their lives in the classroom and beyond school. The Metro Buckeye Conference asks each school to award a scholarship each year named in honor of a person who has been an integral part of their athletic history. Yellow Springs HS rightfully calls theirs, “The John Gudgel Scholarship.”

Stan Stammen

Stan Stammen has coached track for 15 years and cross country for 32 years at Woodridge High School. His girls cross country team won the State Championship in 1995 and they were runners-up in 1996 and 1993. His girls’ teams won 5 league titles, 6 District titles, and two Regional titles. Stan compiled a team record with the girls of 69 – 10. His boys’ teams won 12 league titles, one District and one Regional title. His overall record with the boys was 238 – 91. The boys placed in the top ten at State on three occasions. During one streak, Stan’s teams captured nine Surburban League Championships in a ten-year span. Coach Stammen has also mentored a number of outstanding individuals. These include Bob Henes CC State Champion two times, Scott Mercer CC State Champion, Brandi Sabino CC State Champion, Katie Sabino 2 time CC State Champion, and Angie Kubick 3200 M. State Champion. Overall in cross country. Stan had a total of 88 athletes qualify to the State meet with 31 receiving All-Ohio honors and nine teams qualifying to the State Meet. Stan also has many invitational victories including Boardman Spartan, Lancaster, Tiffin, Sim Earich, and North Canton.
Stan’s family has been a tremendous part of his success. His wife Janet, who passed away in 2002, missed only 2 meets in all Stan’s years of coaching cross country, track, and wrestling. He is also very proud of his daughter Shea. She ran track and cross country for Woodridge. She now resides in Powell and is following in her father’s coaching footsteps in track and gymnastics at Worthington Kilbourne.

Tony Lee

Tony Lee was an outstanding sprinter. He attended Dayton Jefferson High School where he was coached by Vinson “Buff” Taylor. He was the State Champion in the 100 M. three times. In the 200, Mr. Lee won three times and he was a member of the 400 M. relay which took first place at the State on four occasions. Besides his outstanding performances at the State, Tony won his events in the Mid West Meet of Champions. He further ran a blazing 10.39 in the 100 M. at the Junior Nationals to qualify for the World Jr. Championships. He also had victories at the Dayton Relays, the Mansfield Relays, and the Roosevelt Relays.
Mr. Lee attended the University of Tennessee. His performances included 10.23 in the 100 M, 6.28 in the 55M, 20.09 outdoors in the 200 M., and 46.01 in the 400 M. Mr. Lee also qualified for the NCAA Championships all 4 years. . His victories at Tennessee included the Dogwood Relays, the Cleveland K of C, and the Penn Relays. Tony was voted the Vols MVP for 1989. He further set the freshman indoor and varsity school records in the 200 meter dash.

Peggy Odita Hodel

Peggy Hodel attended Upper Arlington High School where she was coached by Dale Hartney and Marv Croston, and Irvin Mitchell. She competed in the 300 m. hurdles and the long jump but her specialty was the high jump where she cleared 6’1” outdoors. Peggy also cleared 6’ indoors and is the current state record holder in that event. Her efforts in the high jump earned her 3 State Champion titles. In the long jump, Ms. Hodel leaped 19’7”, which won her the State Championship in 1986. Peggy also had victories at Upper Arlington Inv., Dayton Relays, and Lakota Relays. In 1986, she ranked first nationally in the high jump.
Ms. Hodel attended from Stanford University where she won the Santa Barbara Relays as well as the Stanford Relays. She competed in the heptathlon where she was a PAC-10 champion as well as a finalist in the NCAA championships. Peggy has also been ranked as one of the top 10 in the USA for heptathletes.

Tony Carna

Tony Carna attended Caldwell High School where he specialized in distance running. He was coached by Dugan Hill and Ron Martin. While in high school, Tony was credited with outstanding times which included 4:18 in 1,600 M, 8:38 in the 3,000 M 9:18 in the 3,200 M and 15:12 in the 5,000 M. His accomplishments include being one of only four men to date to win three individual state cross country titles, two track state champions, and the TAC 15-16 age group national champion at 5,000 M. Tony was also named a Harrier Magazine Cross Country All-American and was a nine time All-Ohioan. He also led Caldwell High School to the 1985 and 1986 State Cross Country team titles, which was the beginning of eight consecutive state cross county titles for the Redskins.
Tony then attended the University of Michigan where he was an eight-time letter winner, and earned All Big Ten and All-American honors. Tony led Michigan to a sixth place finish at the 1991 NCAA Cross Country Champions finishing 21st, the 13th American overall.

Jack Holliday

Jack Holliday has coached at Beavercreek High School for over thirty-five years. During that time, Mr. Holliday has had a combined total of thirty-two league titles. He’s also had one hundred three 1st place team finishes and fifty-eight 2nd place team finishes at invitationals. He is credited with twenty-six District titles, six Regional titles, and one State Champion girls team which completed the season undefeated and ranked 7th in the nation. He has taken twenty-three teams to State, sixteen of which have placed in the top ten. Jack has had nineteen All-Ohio runners and seven have qualified for the Mid East Meet.
Coach Holliday had led many outstanding individuals which include Carol Eckerly, Tara and Kara Storage, Matt Pennucci, and Nik Schwekert.
Mr. Holliday’s long and distinguished coaching career has provided a cohesive program that has benefited a significant number of students. His examples of consistency and dedication are reflected in his teams’ performance as evidenced by his record of success.

Dugan Hill

Dugan Hill, an outstanding coach for twenty-seven years, hails from Caldwell High School. Under his leadership, Caldwell’s cross country teams have won six state cross country championships. Young athletes on Dugan’s teams demonstrate his commitment, integrity, and enthusiasm. Recognition for Coach Hill’s excellence in coaching was shown by his election to the OAT-CCC Hall of Fame in 1996.
It is Dugan Hill’s contributions off the track and our desire to recognition those efforts that bring him the Ed Barker Award. Dugan has served this organization in many capacities—district rep, vice president, president, past president, Mid East team manager, cross country clinic chairman, and official at many meets including the Mid West Meet and the Indoor Classic. Most recently he assisted in organizing and running the Indoor State Championships. He has served on the OHSAA advisory committee for track and on numerous committees for the OAT&CCC. Dugan is always willing to help with whatever needs to be done—large or small. What makes all of this more amazing is that Mr. Hill serves as his school’s athletic director and president of the teachers’ organization.
Dugan is respected by administrators, officials, athletes and coaches. He is passionate in his endeavors to promote and advance the sports of cross country and track. Dugan Hill is truly deserving of the Ed Barker Award.