BOTKINS — The Botkins Board of Education recognized certain extracurriculars and their members for recent achievements at a meeting on Dec. 13.
The following students were recognized:
• J.J. Meyer is the first athlete in Botkins school history to go to state competition for two sports in the same season (golf and cross country) and set a new school golf record for nine holes with a 32. He was awarded Second Team in the Southwest District Ohio Golf Coach’s Association Tournament Team Honor; First Team SCAL All-League Golf Honor; and Academic All-Ohio. He qualified for state and finished with a 77-86=163, making him the 24th best D3 golfer in Ohio and the 10th best senior in Ohio;
• Ross Dietz set a new school golf record for 18 holes with a 68. He was awarded First Team All-Southwest District Ohio Golf Coach’s Association Tournament Team; SCAL Player of the Year; and Sectional Champion -3 (69);
• Janel Platfoot set five new school records in volleyball: sets in a career, all-time career assists, aces in a season, service points in a season, and service points in a career. She was part of the District 9 Senior All-Star Match; Second Team All-District; and SCAL Second Team;
• Alaina Mann was awarded First Team All-District and First Team All-Region. She qualified for regionals and placed third and qualified for state and finished 28th. She is a two-time All-Ohioan;
• Brittany Arnold is the third fastest runner in school history. She qualified for regionals and finished fourth and finished 13th at state. She is a four-time state qualifier and has also received SCAL Runner of the Year; First Team All-District; First Team All-Region; and All-Ohioan four times;
• Grace Gutman is the 15th fastest runner in school history. She was awarded Second Team All-District;
• Parker Schnippel was awarded First Team All-District and Academic All-Ohio and has been a state qualifier four times;
• Carson Brown is the seventh fastest runner in school history, was awarded First Team All-District; Second Team All-Region; All-Ohioan and Academic All-Ohio, and finished 29th at state;
• Camdyn Paul set three new school records in soccer: most career goals with 109 total goals; 42 career assists; and 37 goals scored in a single season. She was awarded First Team WOSL four years consecutive; WOSL Offensive Player of the Year two years consecutive; First Team MVSSCA All-Sectional Honor; MVSSCA All-District Honor; and Second Team OSSCA All-State Honor;
• Rylyn Paul was awarded WOSL First team three years consecutive; WOSL Offensive Player of the Year; First Team MVSSCA-West; Second Team MVSSCA All-District; and Second Team OSSCA All-State Honors.
The following extracurriculars were recognized:
• The golf team — consisting of members J.J. Meyer, Ross Dietz, Carson Hueker, Elijah Schuller, Quinn Koenig, and Noah Topp — placed runner-up SCAL 10-2 and qualified for sectionals where they placed third with a 331. They also qualified for districts where they placed sixth with a 345;
• The general livestock team, part of FFA, placed eighth in the American Royal Livestock Judging Contest, third overall in cattle, eighth overall in sheep/goats, and eighth overall in oral reasons. Logan Aufderhaar placed 34th and Tyler Egbert placed 35th;
• High School Girls Cross Country made SCAL runner-up; Division III district champions; and regional qualifier – fourth place;
• High School Boys Cross Country made Division III district runner-up; regional qualifier – fourth place; state qualifier; SCAL back to back champions; and fourth top 10 finish in the last five years in SCAL;
• High School Volleyball were sectional champions with the first tournament win since 2008 and the first sectional championship since 2007;
• High School Boys Soccer have been WOSL champions eight times; sectional champions; and Elida Shoot Out Classic champions.
Additionally, Coach Padraig Murphy was awarded WOSL Coach of the Year and Coach Kevin Lynch was awarded WOSL Coach of the Year for the fifth time.
The board also approved the following:
• A then-and-now purchase order;
• $920 from an anonymous donor and $1,000 from Meyer’s Tavern to be used for the Boys’ Basketball fund; $919 from Meyer’s Tavern to be used for the golf fund; $286 from Meyer’s Tavern to be used for the volleyball fund; and $2,200 from the Botkins Athletic Boosters to be used for the cheer fund;
• Southwest EPC for natural gas fuel purchases;
• The resignation of Alex McCullough as maintenance/custodian as of Dec. 1;
• Hiring Raquel Brown as destination imagination coach; Sarah Bergman and Susan Leugers as athletic ticket takers; and Michael Benanzer, Gabrielle Davis, Lane Mefford, and Mark Wahl as substitute teachers;
• Recognize indoor track for the 2023-2024 season;
• Hiring Xavier Boerger, Collin Doseck, Gage Felts, J.J. Meyer, Colton Pleiman, Chaise Rigney, Gavin Schmerge, Parker Schnippel, and Keegan Showers as student athletic workers;
• Adopting a resolution of commendation for Mark Goubeaux for serving 15 years on the Botkins Board of Directors.
The next board meeting will be held on Jan. 10, 2024. The reorganizational meeting will start at 6:45 p.m. and the regular January meeting will start at 7 p.m.
