ALUMNEWS

HALL OF FAME

KATY BEACH ’05

KEVIN GERACI ’59

TOM McCRONE ’96

BART MERKEL ’10

BEKKA SIMKO MORGAN ’10

Eight Individuals Selected to Lancer Hall of Fame

After being delayed a year due to the pandemic, on Saturday, September 4, at halftime of the Lancer football game against Hawken, the eight newest members of the Lancer Athletics Hall of Fame were inducted. Each made a significant impact on and off the field for their respective program(s) while at Gilmour. Congratulations to the 2020 inductees!

PAUL PRIMEAU

JARRED SMITH ’06

BILLY URBAN ’09

Pictured L to R above: Tom McCrone '96, Billy Urban '09, Katy Beach '05, Jarred Smith '06 and Kevin Geraci '59. Not pictured: Bart Merkel '10, Bekka Simko Morgan '10 and Paul Primeau.

LANCER ATHLETICS

Katy Beach '05 and her father, Steve Beach

KATY BEACH ’05

Regarded as one of the best female hockey players to put on a Gilmour uniform • tallied 134 goals and 101 assists • served as a team captain for multiple seasons • member of the girls prep hockey team during its earliest years and helped gain notoriety for the fledgling program Also played a significant role on track and field team • won a state championship as a member of the 4x100 relay team, which helped propel

Gilmour to its first track and field team state championship in 2005 • three-year qualifier to the state track and field championships • her 4x100 relay finished among the top four at each of the three state meets

Played four years of Division I hockey at Providence College • posted 52 points while appearing in 136 games for the Friars • currently a registered nurse at Riverside

Methodist Hospital in central Ohio

58

KEVIN GERACI ’59

Three-sport athlete at Gilmour - football, basketball and track • competed on both sides of the ball as a football player • playing as an offensive and defensive end, was a co-captain for head coach

Vern Weber’s first team at Gilmour • named a Knights of Columbus Football

All-Star • regarded as a highly capable receiver • competed in 440-yard dash, mile relay and high jump Earned the Gilmour Trophy Attended The College of Holy Cross and then The Ohio State University College of Medicine Served as Gilmour’s football team physician during his professional career Named the Gilmour Academy Alumni Man of the Year in 1985

Gus Brown '24, Jack Geraci, Katherine Brown '23, Kate Geraci Brown '88, Beth '90, Graham, Angie, Kevin '59 and Kevin '85 Geraci

TOM McCRONE ’96

Four-year letter winner for football (fullback and linebacker) • captain of 1995 football team, which qualified for state playoffs for first time in school history • named All-Ohio, Cleveland Plain Dealer

All-Star after senior season • three-year All-Northeast Lakes District honoree and three-time News-Herald

All-Star • Lancer Award winner

Three-year letter winner for baseball (catcher) • All-Conference and Plain Dealer All-Star as a senior • two-time News-Herald honoree • Lancer Award winner

Earned both the Charles A. Mooney Trophy and the Gilmour Trophy Played fullback for four years at John Carroll University Currently operates his family’s construction business

Jimmy '21, Kevin, Deborah, Kelly, Tom '96, Molly '25 and Tommy '23 McCrone

BART MERKEL ’10

(unable to attend ceremony) Described by some as the best male distance runner to come through Gilmour • three-time qualifier to OHSAA cross country state championship • was among Top 10 in every race his senior season • won the Edgewater District title in a time of 15:56.10, a school record that still stands • finished among the Top 20 at state championship • named News-Herald Boys Cross Country

Athlete of the Year • News-Herald All-Star for track and field • as a senior, Merkel won district and regional titles in 3200 meters • placed fifth at the state championship with school record time of 9:23.29 (record still stands) Competed collegiately at Brevard College

BEKKA (SIMKO) MORGAN ’10

(unable to attend ceremony) Second-most decorated female track and field athlete in Ohio high school history • competed in 16 events at state track and field championships during GA career (maximum amount possible) • won 10 state titles (combining individual and relays), and had five runner-up finishes • helped lead Gilmour to two team state championships and two team state runner-up finishes • 10 state titles came in five different events- 400 meters (2), 800 meters, 4x200 relay, 4x400 relay (3) and 4x800 relay (3) • two state runner-up showings in the 1600 meters • finished fourth in 200 meters at state meet • placed fourth in 800 meters at Outdoor

Nationals in school-record 2:09.06 • earned High School All-American honors • holds school records in six events - three individual (400, 800 and 1600) and three relay (4x200, 4x400 and 4x800) • broke three state records during career and continues to jointly hold Division III state record in 4x200 meter relay (set in 2009) Four-time district champion and four-time state championship qualifier in cross country • top runner on Gilmour’s 2006 state championship team (first cross country team title for the Lancers) • helped Gilmour to a team runner-up finish in 2007

Four-year varsity starter on the basketball team Competed collegiately at both Penn State University and University of Arkansas • broke multiple school records at Penn State • won Southeastern Conference (SEC) title in distance medley relay at Arkansas, helping Razorbacks win team championship NCAA All-American at both schools Competed in 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in 800 meters Currently the head coach for cross country and track and field teams at Lincoln Christian High School in Nebraska.