OATCCC Hall Of Fame
Denise Gorski

Denise Gorski began her 36 year coaching tenure at Boardman High School serving as the Assistant Girls Track & Field Coach from 1978-1981 before taking charge of the program in 1982 until her retirement from coaching at the conclusion of the 2014 season. In addition, Denise showed diversity and her commitment to the youth of Boardman by serving as the Assistant, then Head Girls Basketball Coach for 3 years and the Head Girls Golf Coach for five seasons. Under her guidance the Lady Spartans Track & Field program captured 16 Mahoning County Championships, 12 Steel Valley Conference Championships, 9 District Championships and 9 District Runner-Up finishes, a 5th place (1988) and 7th place (2002) team finish at the Girls State Track & Field Championships. Individually her athletes qualified to the state championships in 53 events earning All-Ohio honors in 26 of those events. She developed two athletes that captured a total of four individual State Championships for Boardman High School. Laurie Gomez Henes captured three state titles winning the 1600 meter run in 1987 & 1988 followed by a dominating 3200 meter run win in 1988. Laurie then went on to win the 1600 meter run for Team Ohio at the Midwest Meet of Champions in 1988. In 2001 Amber Bland captured a fourth state title in the high jump. Denise had one State Runner-Up individual with Adriane Blewitt in the Discus in 1998. 17 other individuals in multiple events and four 4x800 meter relay teams had top 8 State finishes. Denise served as the OATCCC District 1 Representative from 1993-2002 and the OATCCC Secretary from 2002-2005. Her recognitions and honors include the 1988 National Women’s High School “Coach of the Year” for the Northern Region of the United States given by the U.S. Women’s Track & Field Coach Association, 1998 Fred Dafler Sportsmanship Award presented by the Greater Youngstown Track Officials, selected by the OATCCC to serve as a coach on the Ohio Senior All-Star Team for the Midwest Meet of Champions in 1996 & 1997 then selected to be the Ohio Women’s Head Coach in 1998, 4 time District 1 Women’s Track & Field Coach of the Year, 4 time Mahoning County “Coach of the Year”, selected as the 2001 Fred Dafler State “Coach of the Year” for Women’s Track & Field, 2001 Vindicator All-Star “Coach of the Year” Award, 2009 OATCCC Hall of Fame Ed Barker Award Recipient, a 2015 Athena Award nominee for her leadership and contributions to the Mahoning Valley, 2019 Boardman High School Hall of Fame Inductee and in 2022 inducted into the Mahoning Valley Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame. The accomplishments and contributions to Track & Field by Denise are many and her recognitions & honors well deserved. The OATCCC is honored to name Denise Gorski as a 2023 OATCCC Hall of Fame Inductee. Congratulations Denise.