EAST NOBLE HIGH SCHOOL - HALL OF FAME
In 2008, East Noble High School inducted its first ever Hall of Fame class to honor athletes and coaches who had made a lasting impact in their athletic careers while at East Noble. We are proud and honored to have many Knight football players make their way into the Hall of Fame!
GARY THRAPP - 1965-1968 - INDUCTED 2008
In 1968, Gary Thrapp graduated from East Noble High School leaving behind some indelible marks in its football and track history. In football, Gary played a skilled position in the backfield and his senior year proved to be phenomenal year for him. He was the Conference Rushing Champion, the Conference Scoring Champion, a member of the Conference 1st Team and was named as halfback to the Second Team All-State. Gary was second in scoring in 1967-68 in the State of Indiana.
Gary’s saw success in track and field his junior year by placing 5th in the pole vault at the State High School Track Meet in 1967. In 1968, he returned and took home 1st place with a vault of 15’ ½ ”. With that vault he had the distinction of being the first Indiana high school athlete to break the 15 foot mark in the pole vault. He was inducted into the Indiana High School Track and Field Hall of Fame for his efforts. He was also the first East Noble athlete ever to hold a state title. In 1968 senior Gary Thrapp was also named to Scholastic Magazine’s All American High School Track and Field Team. In June of ’68, Gary took first place in the pole vault at the Golden West National High School Track and Field meet in Sacramento, California.
Thinking back to his high school years, Gary says “clearly my most memorable moment was clearing the pole vaulting cross-bar at 15’ ½”. I had won the competition at around 14’4”. The meet was over and a large portion of the stadium crowd had squeezed down to the vaulting pit end of Tech stadium. It was on my 3rd attempt at being the first high school boy in Indiana to attempt and clear 15’ with a vault of 15’ ½”. My motivation was to represent my wonderful parents, my incredible track coach Dave Bowers, and my beloved Kendallville.”
Gary continued his track career while attending Indiana University on a Track & Field scholarship.
Gary has owned and operated G. Thrapp Jewelers since 1984 in Indianapolis, IN where he now lives with his wife Barbi. Gary has one son G. Ryan Thrapp who assists him in the family business.
Gary’s saw success in track and field his junior year by placing 5th in the pole vault at the State High School Track Meet in 1967. In 1968, he returned and took home 1st place with a vault of 15’ ½ ”. With that vault he had the distinction of being the first Indiana high school athlete to break the 15 foot mark in the pole vault. He was inducted into the Indiana High School Track and Field Hall of Fame for his efforts. He was also the first East Noble athlete ever to hold a state title. In 1968 senior Gary Thrapp was also named to Scholastic Magazine’s All American High School Track and Field Team. In June of ’68, Gary took first place in the pole vault at the Golden West National High School Track and Field meet in Sacramento, California.
Thinking back to his high school years, Gary says “clearly my most memorable moment was clearing the pole vaulting cross-bar at 15’ ½”. I had won the competition at around 14’4”. The meet was over and a large portion of the stadium crowd had squeezed down to the vaulting pit end of Tech stadium. It was on my 3rd attempt at being the first high school boy in Indiana to attempt and clear 15’ with a vault of 15’ ½”. My motivation was to represent my wonderful parents, my incredible track coach Dave Bowers, and my beloved Kendallville.”
Gary continued his track career while attending Indiana University on a Track & Field scholarship.
Gary has owned and operated G. Thrapp Jewelers since 1984 in Indianapolis, IN where he now lives with his wife Barbi. Gary has one son G. Ryan Thrapp who assists him in the family business.
CHRIS KEIL - 1986-1990 - INDUCTED 2009
There are not many athletes that can accomplish what our next inductee did, but when they do, they are special in many ways. Chris Keil accomplished the incredible feat of being a varsity letter winner all 12 seasons as an East Noble athlete between 1986 and 1990. He participated in football, basketball, and golf but could have picked any sport and been successful. Many of Chris’ coaches have remembered as the most well rounded athlete ever to come out of East Noble.
As an East Noble football safety and 2 year starter at quarterback # 14 was named 1st team All-conference two times and 1st Team All-state as a senior. To date Chris remains tied for second place in career interceptions and is ranked 5th as All-Time Passer.
Each winter season, Chris hung up his cleats and took to the basketball court where he remains to date the season career 3 point leader with 51%. He is 2nd all time in assists, 2nd in 3 pointers in a game, and 4th all time in points. He was named 1st team All-conference as a sophomore, junior, and senior, and was Area Prep of the Year as a junior. He was part of Sectional championship teams his sophomore and senior years. An opposing coach said “EN wins close ballgames because….Keil knows exactly what to do when game is on the line. (He is a) premier player.”
Chris was 1st team All-conference in golf 3 times. His team advanced to the State golf finals in 1989 and he was a regional finalist in 1990.
After leaving East Noble, Chris played basketball for Tri-State. He graduated with a degree in Business management in 1995. He now is the golf professional and part owner at Heron Creek Golf Course in LaGrange, IN. He resides in LaGrange with his wife Monica and their three children.
Quoting his high school basketball coach (Marty Johnson) “I could describe Chris Keil in the classroom and the basketball court the same way. You just could not beat him; his competitive drive was second to none. Pick a sport, pick a class, he was going to be the best at it.”
The most memorable sports moments for Chris were winning sectional and regional titles as a team. He says, “I had the benefit of great coaches-Marty Johnson, Mike Pasquali, Bob Wiant, and Mark Cockroft who brought out the best in us as players and as people and great teammates who all had the same goals to work hard, win and have fun doing it.”
As an East Noble football safety and 2 year starter at quarterback # 14 was named 1st team All-conference two times and 1st Team All-state as a senior. To date Chris remains tied for second place in career interceptions and is ranked 5th as All-Time Passer.
Each winter season, Chris hung up his cleats and took to the basketball court where he remains to date the season career 3 point leader with 51%. He is 2nd all time in assists, 2nd in 3 pointers in a game, and 4th all time in points. He was named 1st team All-conference as a sophomore, junior, and senior, and was Area Prep of the Year as a junior. He was part of Sectional championship teams his sophomore and senior years. An opposing coach said “EN wins close ballgames because….Keil knows exactly what to do when game is on the line. (He is a) premier player.”
Chris was 1st team All-conference in golf 3 times. His team advanced to the State golf finals in 1989 and he was a regional finalist in 1990.
After leaving East Noble, Chris played basketball for Tri-State. He graduated with a degree in Business management in 1995. He now is the golf professional and part owner at Heron Creek Golf Course in LaGrange, IN. He resides in LaGrange with his wife Monica and their three children.
Quoting his high school basketball coach (Marty Johnson) “I could describe Chris Keil in the classroom and the basketball court the same way. You just could not beat him; his competitive drive was second to none. Pick a sport, pick a class, he was going to be the best at it.”
The most memorable sports moments for Chris were winning sectional and regional titles as a team. He says, “I had the benefit of great coaches-Marty Johnson, Mike Pasquali, Bob Wiant, and Mark Cockroft who brought out the best in us as players and as people and great teammates who all had the same goals to work hard, win and have fun doing it.”
james abbs - 1974-1978 - INDUCTED 2009
Two impressive records still stand today in East Noble football history and they are both held by the man we are honoring tonight. Jim Abbs, an East Noble athlete from 1974 to 1978, remains the only 4 year varsity starter to play both defense and offense and the only player with over 1,000 yards rushing and passing in East Noble history. He remains 10th in career passing yards and 9th in career scoring. Jim’s football career brought him accolades three times as All-conference, 2 times as All-area, a Regional, an Honorable Mention and as an All-state football player.
His most memorable moment at East Noble was to play on the 1976 Conference Championship team of only 27 players, only one of which was over 200 pounds. They opened the season against the defending Conference Champion Bluffton team. East Noble won 47-6 holding them to no score until late in the 4th quarter. Jim passed for 2 touchdowns, rushed for 1 touchdown, and kicked extra points.
Jim also played basketball for East Noble where he made the winning free throws for 3 games during his career. In one thriller versus Homestead, he made 2 free throws in the final seconds of the game, stole the inbound pass, was fouled and scored 2 more points to ice the game. Says coach Fred Inniger “Jim was one of the best under pressure athletes I ever had. When it came to crunch time, you wanted Jim in the game.”
Jim was a two time All-Conference and one time Regional qualifier in track where he excelled in the 800 and mile relays. He also competed in the 100, 220, 440 sprints and he ranks in the top 10 East Noble performances for the 100 and long jump. He finished his East Noble athletic career with a total of nine varsity letters for football, basketball and track. In 1978 he earned East Noble’s Pop Guymon Award which is given to the Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year. Jim is a permanent member of the EN’s Academic Hall of Fame.
Following high school, Jim was recruited by the University of Wisconsin in River Falls where he was a 4 year starter as quarterback for the football team. While quarterback, they won two conference championships and were National Playoff Quarterfinalists in 1979. Jim was named twice to All-conference teams and was a Co-captain his senior year. In 1981, Jim was the NAIA National Football Scholar Athlete of the year.
Further accomplishments included two time Conference Football Scholar Athlete of the Year, and he received the university’s highest non-academic award when he was presented the Chancellor’s Service Leadership Award and graduated with academic honors.
Jim moved on to Washburn University school of Law and was the 1984 Outstanding Legal Intern for the law school legal clinic and again graduated with academic honors.
While serving as the chief Public Defender of Noble County, Jim has spent many hours as a volunteer certified firefighter, fire medic and rescue diver for Orange Township Fire Department. Giving back to his former high school, Jim has spent six seasons as a volunteer coach both for East Noble football and the track team as pole vault coach.
His most memorable moment at East Noble was to play on the 1976 Conference Championship team of only 27 players, only one of which was over 200 pounds. They opened the season against the defending Conference Champion Bluffton team. East Noble won 47-6 holding them to no score until late in the 4th quarter. Jim passed for 2 touchdowns, rushed for 1 touchdown, and kicked extra points.
Jim also played basketball for East Noble where he made the winning free throws for 3 games during his career. In one thriller versus Homestead, he made 2 free throws in the final seconds of the game, stole the inbound pass, was fouled and scored 2 more points to ice the game. Says coach Fred Inniger “Jim was one of the best under pressure athletes I ever had. When it came to crunch time, you wanted Jim in the game.”
Jim was a two time All-Conference and one time Regional qualifier in track where he excelled in the 800 and mile relays. He also competed in the 100, 220, 440 sprints and he ranks in the top 10 East Noble performances for the 100 and long jump. He finished his East Noble athletic career with a total of nine varsity letters for football, basketball and track. In 1978 he earned East Noble’s Pop Guymon Award which is given to the Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year. Jim is a permanent member of the EN’s Academic Hall of Fame.
Following high school, Jim was recruited by the University of Wisconsin in River Falls where he was a 4 year starter as quarterback for the football team. While quarterback, they won two conference championships and were National Playoff Quarterfinalists in 1979. Jim was named twice to All-conference teams and was a Co-captain his senior year. In 1981, Jim was the NAIA National Football Scholar Athlete of the year.
Further accomplishments included two time Conference Football Scholar Athlete of the Year, and he received the university’s highest non-academic award when he was presented the Chancellor’s Service Leadership Award and graduated with academic honors.
Jim moved on to Washburn University school of Law and was the 1984 Outstanding Legal Intern for the law school legal clinic and again graduated with academic honors.
While serving as the chief Public Defender of Noble County, Jim has spent many hours as a volunteer certified firefighter, fire medic and rescue diver for Orange Township Fire Department. Giving back to his former high school, Jim has spent six seasons as a volunteer coach both for East Noble football and the track team as pole vault coach.
TREVOR TIPTON - 1971-1975 - INDUCTED 2010
Between 1972 and 1975 East Noble had a defensive nightmare by the name of Trevor Tipton. This 3 time letter winner in football was an All-Conference linebacker as a junior and senior and an All-Conference center as a senior. He was named to the Kendallville New- Sun All-Area team twice, was News-Sun Prep of the Year as a senior and made the Honorable Mention All-State team as a senior. Named co-captain and MVP of the team his senior year, Trevor still holds the East Noble football records for most tackle points in a game with 39, most tackle points in a season with 262, and is 2nd in career tackle points with 571.
Trevor earned 2 letters in wrestling losing his senior year to the eventual state champion. According to assistant coach Don Manger, Trevor was one of the quickest big men on the wrestling mat he had ever worked with. He was a real team leader and competitor.
Trevor was a 4 letter standout catcher for East Noble’s baseball team. His coach Fred Inniger said he had a “gun for an arm” and proved it by throwing out 75% of the attempts at base stealing. This remains an East Noble school record. He played on three sectional championship teams and was voted captain both his junior and senior years. He was an All-Conference catcher three different years and named to the KPC All-Area team as a junior and senior. Coach Inniger said Trevor was “the best defensive catcher ever to play at East Noble. He had no regard for his body when he played. No one was more aggressive with a desire to win than Trevor. Trevor did not do anything halfway. He hated to lose and so prepared to win by watching football film or scouting other baseball players.” Besides serving as president of the Letterman’s club, he is one of East Noble’s elites by earning the Pop Guymon award as Most Outstanding Male Athlete.
Trevor Tipton continued his athletic career at Taylor University lettering four times in baseball and four times in football. He was All-Conference in both sports, twice as a catcher and three times as a linebacker. In football he also earned honors as Rookie of the Year of the conference, District Player of the Year, Team MVP twice and NAIA All American as a senior. In 1984, Trevor Tipton was inducted into the Taylor University Hall of Fame. He left Taylor University with a degree in Elementary Education.
Trevor continued his football career by playing 3 years for the Wabash Express Semi Pro Football team and was the All League linebacker all 3 years.
Trevor began his professional career teaching 4th grade at Central Noble in 1979 and coached both baseball and football. Trevor became the head football coach for Central Noble in 1990 until retiring after this season in 2009 with a career winning record and 2 undefeated regular seasons. He won conference 4 times and the sectional once. He was voted the North-South All Star Coach in 2003 and was Kendallville’s News-Sun Coach of the Year 3 times.
Trevor’s most remembers his time at East Noble as having been an opportunity to play for coaches who molded and shaped his life and set him on the path of his future career. He gives special thanks to Coach Dickerson, Coach Brokaw, Coach Aalbregste, Coach McBrier, Coach Barnum, Coach Manger, Coach Inniger, Coach Bentz, Coach Poikenon, Coach Skinner and Coach Savage.
Trevor is presently the Dean of Students at Central Noble Middle School and married to Debbie with 2 grown daughters who graduated from East Noble. He enjoys his free time on his 11 acre farm gardening, woodworking, restoring old buildings, antiquing and spending time with his family.
Trevor earned 2 letters in wrestling losing his senior year to the eventual state champion. According to assistant coach Don Manger, Trevor was one of the quickest big men on the wrestling mat he had ever worked with. He was a real team leader and competitor.
Trevor was a 4 letter standout catcher for East Noble’s baseball team. His coach Fred Inniger said he had a “gun for an arm” and proved it by throwing out 75% of the attempts at base stealing. This remains an East Noble school record. He played on three sectional championship teams and was voted captain both his junior and senior years. He was an All-Conference catcher three different years and named to the KPC All-Area team as a junior and senior. Coach Inniger said Trevor was “the best defensive catcher ever to play at East Noble. He had no regard for his body when he played. No one was more aggressive with a desire to win than Trevor. Trevor did not do anything halfway. He hated to lose and so prepared to win by watching football film or scouting other baseball players.” Besides serving as president of the Letterman’s club, he is one of East Noble’s elites by earning the Pop Guymon award as Most Outstanding Male Athlete.
Trevor Tipton continued his athletic career at Taylor University lettering four times in baseball and four times in football. He was All-Conference in both sports, twice as a catcher and three times as a linebacker. In football he also earned honors as Rookie of the Year of the conference, District Player of the Year, Team MVP twice and NAIA All American as a senior. In 1984, Trevor Tipton was inducted into the Taylor University Hall of Fame. He left Taylor University with a degree in Elementary Education.
Trevor continued his football career by playing 3 years for the Wabash Express Semi Pro Football team and was the All League linebacker all 3 years.
Trevor began his professional career teaching 4th grade at Central Noble in 1979 and coached both baseball and football. Trevor became the head football coach for Central Noble in 1990 until retiring after this season in 2009 with a career winning record and 2 undefeated regular seasons. He won conference 4 times and the sectional once. He was voted the North-South All Star Coach in 2003 and was Kendallville’s News-Sun Coach of the Year 3 times.
Trevor’s most remembers his time at East Noble as having been an opportunity to play for coaches who molded and shaped his life and set him on the path of his future career. He gives special thanks to Coach Dickerson, Coach Brokaw, Coach Aalbregste, Coach McBrier, Coach Barnum, Coach Manger, Coach Inniger, Coach Bentz, Coach Poikenon, Coach Skinner and Coach Savage.
Trevor is presently the Dean of Students at Central Noble Middle School and married to Debbie with 2 grown daughters who graduated from East Noble. He enjoys his free time on his 11 acre farm gardening, woodworking, restoring old buildings, antiquing and spending time with his family.
LYMAN "DUDE" HOLBROOK - 1964-1968 - INDUCTED 2010
Wandering the halls between 1964 to 1968 of both Kendallville High School and East Noble High School was a three sport athlete named Dude Holbrook who earned (12) letters during his career. On Guymon Field he played offensive and defensive tackle, fullback, and linebacker and was a co-captain of the team. As a junior, Dude was an All-conference team lineman. As a senior he made the All Conference team as both a fullback and defensive linebacker. Dude helped lead his team to the 1967 Conference Championship. At the reception this evening, you will be able to see the 1967 NEIAC Conference Champion trophy won by Dude and his teammates.
As a junior, East Noble wrestling was in only its 2nd year but Dude was 4th in the sectional with an individual record of 14-2. As a senior and only a third year wrestler, Dude won the Conference Heavyweight title, the East Noble Four-Way, and the Elkhart Sectional in the Heavyweight division, his most memorable moment. In his senior career he had 22 wins with only 2 losses to the eventual State Champion and Olympian by the name of Pete Lee. His overall record was an outstanding 30 wins and 4 losses and he was a named 1st team All NEIAC wrestler, the very first in East Noble’s history.
In track, Dude was an outstanding at the shot put. As a senior he was named All Conference in the shot put setting the record which he held from 1967 to 1977. That record still ranks as the sixth longest shot put in East Noble history. His junior and senior year teams were undefeated and won Conference both years. Dude Holbrook ended his high school career being awarded Pop Guymon award as the most outstanding athlete of the year.
Dude went on to play varsity football as a defensive tackle at Franklin College. One of his memorable teammates was Terry Hoeppner who became IU’s head football coach until 2007. In the early 90’s Dude remembers seeing some young boys in Sturgis, Mi practicing football drills in pads and helmets. Knowing that early fundamentals were key to a great football program, Dude was the driving force in obtaining funding and assistance to implement the Youth Football program in 1993. With the assistance from a few other dedicated men in the community, this program has proved to be a great success as seen by the very talented athletes over the years and the superior team records.
Dude has worked for the Kendallville Street Department since 1987 and was Street Superintendent for 16 years. He served on the East Noble school board and formerly owned the Dairy Queen. He now owns Dude’s Dairy Treat in Kendallville. He has 3 children, 3 step-children, and has been married for 3 ½ years to Karen.
As a junior, East Noble wrestling was in only its 2nd year but Dude was 4th in the sectional with an individual record of 14-2. As a senior and only a third year wrestler, Dude won the Conference Heavyweight title, the East Noble Four-Way, and the Elkhart Sectional in the Heavyweight division, his most memorable moment. In his senior career he had 22 wins with only 2 losses to the eventual State Champion and Olympian by the name of Pete Lee. His overall record was an outstanding 30 wins and 4 losses and he was a named 1st team All NEIAC wrestler, the very first in East Noble’s history.
In track, Dude was an outstanding at the shot put. As a senior he was named All Conference in the shot put setting the record which he held from 1967 to 1977. That record still ranks as the sixth longest shot put in East Noble history. His junior and senior year teams were undefeated and won Conference both years. Dude Holbrook ended his high school career being awarded Pop Guymon award as the most outstanding athlete of the year.
Dude went on to play varsity football as a defensive tackle at Franklin College. One of his memorable teammates was Terry Hoeppner who became IU’s head football coach until 2007. In the early 90’s Dude remembers seeing some young boys in Sturgis, Mi practicing football drills in pads and helmets. Knowing that early fundamentals were key to a great football program, Dude was the driving force in obtaining funding and assistance to implement the Youth Football program in 1993. With the assistance from a few other dedicated men in the community, this program has proved to be a great success as seen by the very talented athletes over the years and the superior team records.
Dude has worked for the Kendallville Street Department since 1987 and was Street Superintendent for 16 years. He served on the East Noble school board and formerly owned the Dairy Queen. He now owns Dude’s Dairy Treat in Kendallville. He has 3 children, 3 step-children, and has been married for 3 ½ years to Karen.
DAVID GATER - 1997-2001 - INDUCTED 2011
During David Gater’s reign at East Noble, the football team won sectional twice, regional and NHC once and were the State Champions in 2000. Previously playing at the receiver and defensive back positions, David took over the position of quarterback as a senior and led the team to a 14-1 season. He was instrumental in the memorable 2000 State Championship game when East Noble beat undefeated Plainfield 28-7. Prior to the championship game, Gater’s statistics included rushing for 812 yards on 161 carries, 120 tackles, and 64 of 107 pass attempts for 825 yards. In the state championship game David played both sides of the ball. Defensively he intercepted 2 passes and on special teams he blocked a punt which resulted in a touchdown. Offensively he led the team to the end zone four times highlighted by a 32 yard touchdown pass at the end of the first half. Said coach Tim Able, “he has instinctive moves that can’t be taught.” David is currently 3rd for best passing percentage in a season with 59.3% and second for most points scored in a season with 160 in 2000. David currently holds the record for most passes intercepted in a season (13) and in a career (15). He also holds the best punt return average in a season with 26.5 yards. David is 5th all time in East Noble football scoring.
David was a 2nd team All-Conference defensive back as a junior and 1st team All-Conference defensive back as a senior. He was also named All-State as a senior. He played in the North/South All-Star game in 2001 in Indianapolis.
David’s most memorable moment was the overtime defeat of Homestead in 2000. At the time Homestead had a 24 game consecutive winning streak in the NHC. Down 23-8 entering the 4th quarter Gater brought the team within 8 and then threw a 40 yard touchdown pass on 4th and 4. He then ran in the two point conversion to tie the game. In overtime, Gater won the game with a touchdown pass and 2 point conversion. That game gave the team confidence later in the season to come back and win.
On the track David held the 100m and 200m dash records for 8 years and now remains 2nd all time. In the 2001 regional David was 1st in the 100m and 2nd in the 200m. At the state level he was 9th in the 100m and 8th in the 200m. As part of the Indiana Track and Field All-Star team, David was 6th in the 200m and his 4 x 100 relay team was 2nd.
David earned a football scholarship to Ball State University where he started at safety for 3 years and was the Special teams MVP for 2 years. He earned a degree in Physical Education in 2006.
David has been the assistant football coach at Trine University for the last 5 years a team that has made it to the NCAA playoffs the last three years. He lives in Angola with his wife Jessica and two daughters Payton and Amya.
David was a 2nd team All-Conference defensive back as a junior and 1st team All-Conference defensive back as a senior. He was also named All-State as a senior. He played in the North/South All-Star game in 2001 in Indianapolis.
David’s most memorable moment was the overtime defeat of Homestead in 2000. At the time Homestead had a 24 game consecutive winning streak in the NHC. Down 23-8 entering the 4th quarter Gater brought the team within 8 and then threw a 40 yard touchdown pass on 4th and 4. He then ran in the two point conversion to tie the game. In overtime, Gater won the game with a touchdown pass and 2 point conversion. That game gave the team confidence later in the season to come back and win.
On the track David held the 100m and 200m dash records for 8 years and now remains 2nd all time. In the 2001 regional David was 1st in the 100m and 2nd in the 200m. At the state level he was 9th in the 100m and 8th in the 200m. As part of the Indiana Track and Field All-Star team, David was 6th in the 200m and his 4 x 100 relay team was 2nd.
David earned a football scholarship to Ball State University where he started at safety for 3 years and was the Special teams MVP for 2 years. He earned a degree in Physical Education in 2006.
David has been the assistant football coach at Trine University for the last 5 years a team that has made it to the NCAA playoffs the last three years. He lives in Angola with his wife Jessica and two daughters Payton and Amya.
TAYLOR MARCH - 2005-2009 - INDUCTED 2015
East Noble athletics has long been synonymous with hard work, attention to detail, perseverance, discipline, and strength. Perhaps no other sport represents all of these qualities in greater measure than the sport of wrestling. To reach the pinnacle of the sport and to win a state championship in wrestling means not only a great level of talent, but an incredible amount of suffering and sacrifice. With these factors in mind, it is clear that someone with the career qualifications that Mr. Taylor March has belongs in a hall that honors East Noble’s absolute best.
Taylor was a four year competitor in both football and wrestling, lettering three years in football along with being a four year varsity letterman in wrestling. It was on the wrestling mat where Taylor truly became one of East Noble’s greats.
He won the program’s Most Valuable First Year Impact Wrestler award as a freshman in 2006, and won the Most Valuable Varsity Wrestler award for his remaining three years: 2007, 2008, and 2009. At the conference level, he was a four-time All-Conference selection, finishing as conference runner up in 2006 and as conference champion in 2007, 2008, and 2009.
He was even more impressive at the state tournament level, where he was a 4 time sectional champion and won three regional championships. He also was a 3 time champion at the Ft. Wayne semi-state, considered the premier semi-state in Indiana. He joined a very select group of wrestlers as a 4 time state qualifier, and when he did get to state, he performed at an incredibly high level.
Taylor finished as the third place wrestler in the state in the 125 pound class in 2008, and was a 2 time state runner up, in the 112 pound class in 2006 and the 119 pound class in 2007. As a senior, he capped his incredible wrestling career with the highest honor in Indiana wrestling, a state championship in the 135 pound class. That year he also won the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award.
He finished his wrestling career with a stellar 163-11 individual record; the wrestling team also won two sectional titles as a team during his career. Taylor wanted to single out his family and godparents for their support, and also expressed tremendous gratitude to Coach Hoffar, Coach Knapp, Coach Pepple, Coach Funk, and his wrestling teammates.
Taylor attended, and continues to attend, Purdue University, where he is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in Biotechnology Innovation and Regulatory Science. While he works on his PHD he is currently employed as a Dose Formulation Scientist with Covance Laboratories.
Taylor March proved time and again that he had what it took in the demanding world of wrestling, performing with power, tenacity, and persistence. East Noble is proud to welcome him to its Hall of Fame!
Taylor was a four year competitor in both football and wrestling, lettering three years in football along with being a four year varsity letterman in wrestling. It was on the wrestling mat where Taylor truly became one of East Noble’s greats.
He won the program’s Most Valuable First Year Impact Wrestler award as a freshman in 2006, and won the Most Valuable Varsity Wrestler award for his remaining three years: 2007, 2008, and 2009. At the conference level, he was a four-time All-Conference selection, finishing as conference runner up in 2006 and as conference champion in 2007, 2008, and 2009.
He was even more impressive at the state tournament level, where he was a 4 time sectional champion and won three regional championships. He also was a 3 time champion at the Ft. Wayne semi-state, considered the premier semi-state in Indiana. He joined a very select group of wrestlers as a 4 time state qualifier, and when he did get to state, he performed at an incredibly high level.
Taylor finished as the third place wrestler in the state in the 125 pound class in 2008, and was a 2 time state runner up, in the 112 pound class in 2006 and the 119 pound class in 2007. As a senior, he capped his incredible wrestling career with the highest honor in Indiana wrestling, a state championship in the 135 pound class. That year he also won the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award.
He finished his wrestling career with a stellar 163-11 individual record; the wrestling team also won two sectional titles as a team during his career. Taylor wanted to single out his family and godparents for their support, and also expressed tremendous gratitude to Coach Hoffar, Coach Knapp, Coach Pepple, Coach Funk, and his wrestling teammates.
Taylor attended, and continues to attend, Purdue University, where he is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in Biotechnology Innovation and Regulatory Science. While he works on his PHD he is currently employed as a Dose Formulation Scientist with Covance Laboratories.
Taylor March proved time and again that he had what it took in the demanding world of wrestling, performing with power, tenacity, and persistence. East Noble is proud to welcome him to its Hall of Fame!
TIM ABLE - 1995-2000 - INDUCTED 2015
In the illustrious athletic history of East Noble High School, the accomplishments of one group stand above all other teams. While the Knights have produced numerous individuals who have won state championships, the 2000 football team stands alone as the one state title winner in a team sport. It is natural that the head coach of that team, Mr. Tim Able, belongs in the school’s hall of fame.
Mr. Able’s roots in coaching run deep, and from an early age. He played high school football for two different Indiana high school hall of fame coaches. At Martinsville High School he played for Bill Siderwicz in football, and as he continued his career at Taylor University, he played under coach Jim Law. While at Taylor, he also played baseball, where he was named first team all-conference as a second baseman in 1983.
After his graduation from Taylor, Coach Able began his teaching and coaching career at Maconaquah High School in Bunker Hill, Indiana. He was an assistant coach there for nine years, coaching under five different head coaches and serving as a defensive coordinator. After his apprenticeship as an assistant, he got the chance to be a head football coach in 1992 at North Daviess High School. He took over a 1A football program that had not experienced success and who had finished the previous year with no wins and only 14 varsity players. In his three seasons there, Coach Able guided the Cougars to 22 wins and a sectional championship.
The blueprint that he developed at North Daviess carried over to East Noble High School, where he took the head coaching position for the 1995 football season. The Knights won their first sectional championship in football under Coach Able in 1999, an accomplishment that his peers recognized in naming him to the North All-Star coaching staff. In 2000, Coach Able’s philosophy of “Winning with honor and dignity” was on full display as the Knights hammered through their schedule with only one loss, and capped the year by defeating Plainfield in the 4A state championship game.
Coach Able moved on to Decatur Central in 2001, and by 2005 had led the Hawks to a sectional title by beating Ben Davis for the first time in 24 years! This accomplishment earned him the honor of 2005 Indy Star Marion County Coach of the Year, and was named the Colts’ Coach of the Week after winning the sectional championship. While at Decatur Central he also coached two individuals who won three consecutive discus state championships as the Hawk’s head track coach.
In 2009 he became head coach at New Palestine High School, where the Dragons won a sectional championship in his first year as head coach. At the conclusion of that season Coach Able was named the Indy Star East Coach of the Year, and he was named as the head coach of the South team in the Indiana All-Star contest. The success at New Palestine continued, winning consecutive Hoosier Heritage Conference Championships in 2010 and 2011; in 2011 Coach Able was named the 4A Coach of the Year by the Indiana Football Digest.
In 2013 he accepted a head coaching position at Triton Central High School. In his 2 year tenure there his teams have won 20 games, a 2014 conference championship and the 2014 sectional championship. The 11 wins by the Tigers this past season is a school record.
Regardless of where Coach Able has landed, his vision and leadership have been evident. His teams have shown discipline and a fundamental brand of football that has led to success all over the state. He has stressed that success is not just about talent, but more about chemistry, cohesiveness in coaching staffs, playing together and striving to accomplish great things as a unit. He creates an environment and a culture in which academic excellence is valued and expected, where fundamentals on the field are perfected, and the game is rewarding in ways that go far beyond the final score.
Coach Able wants to thank the entire Knight Nation for their support during his tenure here at East Noble High School. Coach Able resides in Indianapolis with his wife Ronda. He has two children, Daphne Able Capps and Ryne Able.
Coach Able, it is East Noble’s honor to formally induct you into its hall of fame! Thank you for your contributions to this school and community!
Mr. Able’s roots in coaching run deep, and from an early age. He played high school football for two different Indiana high school hall of fame coaches. At Martinsville High School he played for Bill Siderwicz in football, and as he continued his career at Taylor University, he played under coach Jim Law. While at Taylor, he also played baseball, where he was named first team all-conference as a second baseman in 1983.
After his graduation from Taylor, Coach Able began his teaching and coaching career at Maconaquah High School in Bunker Hill, Indiana. He was an assistant coach there for nine years, coaching under five different head coaches and serving as a defensive coordinator. After his apprenticeship as an assistant, he got the chance to be a head football coach in 1992 at North Daviess High School. He took over a 1A football program that had not experienced success and who had finished the previous year with no wins and only 14 varsity players. In his three seasons there, Coach Able guided the Cougars to 22 wins and a sectional championship.
The blueprint that he developed at North Daviess carried over to East Noble High School, where he took the head coaching position for the 1995 football season. The Knights won their first sectional championship in football under Coach Able in 1999, an accomplishment that his peers recognized in naming him to the North All-Star coaching staff. In 2000, Coach Able’s philosophy of “Winning with honor and dignity” was on full display as the Knights hammered through their schedule with only one loss, and capped the year by defeating Plainfield in the 4A state championship game.
Coach Able moved on to Decatur Central in 2001, and by 2005 had led the Hawks to a sectional title by beating Ben Davis for the first time in 24 years! This accomplishment earned him the honor of 2005 Indy Star Marion County Coach of the Year, and was named the Colts’ Coach of the Week after winning the sectional championship. While at Decatur Central he also coached two individuals who won three consecutive discus state championships as the Hawk’s head track coach.
In 2009 he became head coach at New Palestine High School, where the Dragons won a sectional championship in his first year as head coach. At the conclusion of that season Coach Able was named the Indy Star East Coach of the Year, and he was named as the head coach of the South team in the Indiana All-Star contest. The success at New Palestine continued, winning consecutive Hoosier Heritage Conference Championships in 2010 and 2011; in 2011 Coach Able was named the 4A Coach of the Year by the Indiana Football Digest.
In 2013 he accepted a head coaching position at Triton Central High School. In his 2 year tenure there his teams have won 20 games, a 2014 conference championship and the 2014 sectional championship. The 11 wins by the Tigers this past season is a school record.
Regardless of where Coach Able has landed, his vision and leadership have been evident. His teams have shown discipline and a fundamental brand of football that has led to success all over the state. He has stressed that success is not just about talent, but more about chemistry, cohesiveness in coaching staffs, playing together and striving to accomplish great things as a unit. He creates an environment and a culture in which academic excellence is valued and expected, where fundamentals on the field are perfected, and the game is rewarding in ways that go far beyond the final score.
Coach Able wants to thank the entire Knight Nation for their support during his tenure here at East Noble High School. Coach Able resides in Indianapolis with his wife Ronda. He has two children, Daphne Able Capps and Ryne Able.
Coach Able, it is East Noble’s honor to formally induct you into its hall of fame! Thank you for your contributions to this school and community!
JEFF WEDDING - 2000-2004 - INDUCTED 2016
East Noble’s proud athletic tradition includes multitudes of phenomenal all-around athletes. Within that group, very few, if any, boast the accomplishments of Jeff Wedding.
Jeff graduated from East Noble High School in 2004. During his time at EN, he earned 10 high school athletic letters (4 in basketball, 3 in football, and 3 in track.)
Jeff’s athleticism was on full display during all seasons in high school. He was a multiple year starter on the basketball court, and was an important contributor to sectional championship track teams. With all of that success, it was still football which set Jeff’s career apart on the high school and collegiate levels.
On the East Noble gridiron, Jeff was a three year starter at quarterback; he also played on defense, being a very effective safety. The culmination of his career as a football player was the memorable fall of 2003. In that, his senior year, Jeff led his team to an undefeated regular season, along the way winning the NHC title along with sectional, regional, and semi-state championships. The 2003 Knights finished the year in the RCA Dome in the state championship game, finishing as the class 4A state runners-up. After the championship game, Jeff was awarded the Phil Eskew Mental Attitude Award, the IHSAA’s highest individual honor.
The post season continued to see awards pile up for Jeff; he was named the NEI Game Night Player of the Year, FW News-Sentinel Player of the Year, the KPC Prep of the Year, and was selected for the IFCA All-State team. He was voted on to the Indiana North All- Star team and was awarded the team mental attitude award after playing safety on defense in the North’s All-Star game win in the summer of 2004. Jeff finished his East Noble career as the #2 all-time leader in passing yards (4,036) and touchdown passes (28) as well as the all-time leader in career scoring with 204 points.
While his East Noble career was finishing, his success on the football field was only beginning. Jeff attended NAIA Powerhouse University of St. Francis in Ft. Wayne; as a Cougar, Jeff was part of 3 NAIA National Runner-Up teams and was for 2 years the starting
quarterback, leading both of those teams to final 4 appearances and 23 overall wins. Jeff finished his career at USF with 5,432 passing yards and 52 touchdown passes. He was a two-time team captain and 2008 Silver Helmet recipient. As he was as a Knight, Jeff was recognized on the collegiate level for his sportsmanship and leadership as an athlete receiving in 2008 the NAIA “All that is Right in Sports” Award.
His collegiate athletic career over, Jeff finished pursuing his career in education. He now continues to combine his career goals and his dedication to service while working with children as an Educational Liaison and teacher in the pediatric rehabilitation unit at Riley’s Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis.
Jeff’s accomplishments as a high school and collegiate athlete are numerous, and it is impossible to deny their importance to each of his schools. He has always displayed class and integrity as a student, athlete, and person, and in this he is a true epitome of the East Noble Hall of Fame. Jeff Wedding holds a most deserving place now as a member. Congratulations from family, friends, and the entire East Noble community.
Jeff graduated from East Noble High School in 2004. During his time at EN, he earned 10 high school athletic letters (4 in basketball, 3 in football, and 3 in track.)
Jeff’s athleticism was on full display during all seasons in high school. He was a multiple year starter on the basketball court, and was an important contributor to sectional championship track teams. With all of that success, it was still football which set Jeff’s career apart on the high school and collegiate levels.
On the East Noble gridiron, Jeff was a three year starter at quarterback; he also played on defense, being a very effective safety. The culmination of his career as a football player was the memorable fall of 2003. In that, his senior year, Jeff led his team to an undefeated regular season, along the way winning the NHC title along with sectional, regional, and semi-state championships. The 2003 Knights finished the year in the RCA Dome in the state championship game, finishing as the class 4A state runners-up. After the championship game, Jeff was awarded the Phil Eskew Mental Attitude Award, the IHSAA’s highest individual honor.
The post season continued to see awards pile up for Jeff; he was named the NEI Game Night Player of the Year, FW News-Sentinel Player of the Year, the KPC Prep of the Year, and was selected for the IFCA All-State team. He was voted on to the Indiana North All- Star team and was awarded the team mental attitude award after playing safety on defense in the North’s All-Star game win in the summer of 2004. Jeff finished his East Noble career as the #2 all-time leader in passing yards (4,036) and touchdown passes (28) as well as the all-time leader in career scoring with 204 points.
While his East Noble career was finishing, his success on the football field was only beginning. Jeff attended NAIA Powerhouse University of St. Francis in Ft. Wayne; as a Cougar, Jeff was part of 3 NAIA National Runner-Up teams and was for 2 years the starting
quarterback, leading both of those teams to final 4 appearances and 23 overall wins. Jeff finished his career at USF with 5,432 passing yards and 52 touchdown passes. He was a two-time team captain and 2008 Silver Helmet recipient. As he was as a Knight, Jeff was recognized on the collegiate level for his sportsmanship and leadership as an athlete receiving in 2008 the NAIA “All that is Right in Sports” Award.
His collegiate athletic career over, Jeff finished pursuing his career in education. He now continues to combine his career goals and his dedication to service while working with children as an Educational Liaison and teacher in the pediatric rehabilitation unit at Riley’s Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis.
Jeff’s accomplishments as a high school and collegiate athlete are numerous, and it is impossible to deny their importance to each of his schools. He has always displayed class and integrity as a student, athlete, and person, and in this he is a true epitome of the East Noble Hall of Fame. Jeff Wedding holds a most deserving place now as a member. Congratulations from family, friends, and the entire East Noble community.
GARY ORT - 1987-2012 - INDUCTED 2017
Dedication and sacrifice for those whom you serve are the hallmarks of a great educator; very few individuals have ever demonstrated those qualities as well, and for as long, as Coach Gary Ort has at East Noble High School.
Growing up not far from East Noble, Mr. Ort graduated from Garrett High School in 1981. While a Railroader, Coach Ort was an accomplished athlete, winning 10 varsity letters while competing in football, wrestling, and track. His accomplishments at Garrett led to him being inducted in the Garrett High School Hall of Fame in 2016.
He continued his athletic career at Indiana State University, where he was a two year letter winner in wrestling for the Division I Sycamores.
Graduating from Indiana State in 1986 with a degree in Physical Education and Health, he began teaching and coaching at East Noble High School. In addition to teaching in the PE department, he immediately began working in Knight Athletics. He served as an assistant coach in football from 1987-2011, as an assistant wrestling coach from 1988-1998, and in the track program from 1995-2012.
Coach Ort coached several successful seasons in wrestling, and as a football coach was on the staff of the 2000 State Championship and 2003 State Runner-Up teams, but it was as a head Men’s Track and Field coach where his impact was most keenly felt.
Becoming head coach in 1999 after a stint as an assistant track coach, Coach Ort’s teams became synonymous with excellence and achievement, staking a claim as one of the premier programs in any sport in this part of the state.
During his thirteen years at the helm, his charges won twelve Sectional Championships, a feat that is unequalled in East Noble history. This included a run of eight consecutive Sectional Titles, a school record in any sport. Competing in one of the marquee athletic conferences in the state, the Northeast Hoosier Conference, his teams won two conference championships. During his tenure he coached 35 State qualifiers, including two individual State Champions. He also coached four athletes who competed in the prestigious Midwest Meet of Champions. For his efforts, he was named KPC All-Area Coach of the Year ten times, and was NHC Coach of the Year twice.
Retiring from the coaching ranks in 2012, Coach Ort continues to teach in the East Noble PE department and serves as the school’s Assistant Athletic Director. He lives in Kendallville with his wife Laura. He has three daughters: Ashley, who currently teaches at Southside Elementary school, Chelsea, and Rachel.
The successes of Coach Ort’s athletic teams are equaled only by his love of his athletes, programs, school, and community. He continues to be a guidepost by which achievement, and dedication, are measured by. It is an honor to welcome him into the East Noble Hall of Fame.
Growing up not far from East Noble, Mr. Ort graduated from Garrett High School in 1981. While a Railroader, Coach Ort was an accomplished athlete, winning 10 varsity letters while competing in football, wrestling, and track. His accomplishments at Garrett led to him being inducted in the Garrett High School Hall of Fame in 2016.
He continued his athletic career at Indiana State University, where he was a two year letter winner in wrestling for the Division I Sycamores.
Graduating from Indiana State in 1986 with a degree in Physical Education and Health, he began teaching and coaching at East Noble High School. In addition to teaching in the PE department, he immediately began working in Knight Athletics. He served as an assistant coach in football from 1987-2011, as an assistant wrestling coach from 1988-1998, and in the track program from 1995-2012.
Coach Ort coached several successful seasons in wrestling, and as a football coach was on the staff of the 2000 State Championship and 2003 State Runner-Up teams, but it was as a head Men’s Track and Field coach where his impact was most keenly felt.
Becoming head coach in 1999 after a stint as an assistant track coach, Coach Ort’s teams became synonymous with excellence and achievement, staking a claim as one of the premier programs in any sport in this part of the state.
During his thirteen years at the helm, his charges won twelve Sectional Championships, a feat that is unequalled in East Noble history. This included a run of eight consecutive Sectional Titles, a school record in any sport. Competing in one of the marquee athletic conferences in the state, the Northeast Hoosier Conference, his teams won two conference championships. During his tenure he coached 35 State qualifiers, including two individual State Champions. He also coached four athletes who competed in the prestigious Midwest Meet of Champions. For his efforts, he was named KPC All-Area Coach of the Year ten times, and was NHC Coach of the Year twice.
Retiring from the coaching ranks in 2012, Coach Ort continues to teach in the East Noble PE department and serves as the school’s Assistant Athletic Director. He lives in Kendallville with his wife Laura. He has three daughters: Ashley, who currently teaches at Southside Elementary school, Chelsea, and Rachel.
The successes of Coach Ort’s athletic teams are equaled only by his love of his athletes, programs, school, and community. He continues to be a guidepost by which achievement, and dedication, are measured by. It is an honor to welcome him into the East Noble Hall of Fame.
RIC RIEMKE - 1983-1986 - INDUCTED 2017
Another outstanding all-around athlete, Ric excelled in no less than four sports as a Knight. Graduating in 1986, he left behind an athletic career filled with outstanding performances and breathtaking achievement.
He was a letter winner in four sports: football, basketball, baseball, and track. The sports of football and baseball is where he was the most accomplished.
As a football player, he was a three year starter and letter winner. He was a second team All-Conference selection in 1983 and 1985; he also garnered first team All-Conference recognition in 1984. In 1983, he also earned first team All-Area honors.
On the baseball diamond, he was known as a tremendous all-around player, and a fantastic teammate. He earned a slew of awards in baseball, but perhaps nothing is as indicative of his excellence in the sport as the success the team had while he was a leader on it. He starred on teams that won three Conference Championships, in 1984, ’85, and ’86. The Knights also earned two Sectional Championships during Ric’s tenure on the team, winning back to back crowns in 1984 and ’85. In addition to those achievements, the 1986 team won 19 consecutive games, a record that still stands over 30 years later.
Individually, Ric was honored as a First Team All-Conference performer twice, in 1985 and ’86; those same years, he was a First Team All-Area honoree. For his outstanding 1986 campaign, he was named All-Area Prep of the Year, and was a First Team All-State selection.
Post high school, Ric earned an associate’s degree from Vincennes University in 1988, and a degree from Purdue University in civil engineering in 1991.
Ric currently works for Lawson-Fisher Associates as a construction engineer in Edwardsburg, Michigan. Ric resides in Edwardsburg; with his wife, Aimee. The two also have a daughter, Alyssa.
Ric’s achievements in the athletic arena make it very fitting that he takes his place among the greats of East Noble. We are honored to welcome him into the East Noble Hall of Fame.
He was a letter winner in four sports: football, basketball, baseball, and track. The sports of football and baseball is where he was the most accomplished.
As a football player, he was a three year starter and letter winner. He was a second team All-Conference selection in 1983 and 1985; he also garnered first team All-Conference recognition in 1984. In 1983, he also earned first team All-Area honors.
On the baseball diamond, he was known as a tremendous all-around player, and a fantastic teammate. He earned a slew of awards in baseball, but perhaps nothing is as indicative of his excellence in the sport as the success the team had while he was a leader on it. He starred on teams that won three Conference Championships, in 1984, ’85, and ’86. The Knights also earned two Sectional Championships during Ric’s tenure on the team, winning back to back crowns in 1984 and ’85. In addition to those achievements, the 1986 team won 19 consecutive games, a record that still stands over 30 years later.
Individually, Ric was honored as a First Team All-Conference performer twice, in 1985 and ’86; those same years, he was a First Team All-Area honoree. For his outstanding 1986 campaign, he was named All-Area Prep of the Year, and was a First Team All-State selection.
Post high school, Ric earned an associate’s degree from Vincennes University in 1988, and a degree from Purdue University in civil engineering in 1991.
Ric currently works for Lawson-Fisher Associates as a construction engineer in Edwardsburg, Michigan. Ric resides in Edwardsburg; with his wife, Aimee. The two also have a daughter, Alyssa.
Ric’s achievements in the athletic arena make it very fitting that he takes his place among the greats of East Noble. We are honored to welcome him into the East Noble Hall of Fame.
JIM GEINGER - 1978-1981 - INDUCTED 2017
Nothing proves athletic prowess like success across multiple disciplines, and the success that Jim Geinger had in multiple sports reveals he was a singularly unique talent in the history of East Noble High School.
He graduated in 1981, leaving behind a record of excellence that has seldom been seen in East Noble’s proud tradition of excellence.
Jim played four sports while at East Noble: football, basketball, track, and cross country. He ran cross country his freshman year, switching to football as a sophomore. On the gridiron, he earned two varsity letters as a wide receiver and defensive back. As a senior, he garnered All-Conference honors as a wide receiver.
He played on the Knight’s basketball team for all four years, earning two letters. He was a starter for the 1979-80 Knights, which were Conference Champions. As a senior, he was the team’s leading scorer and Most Valuable Player. That year, he also earned second team All-Conference recognition.
As accomplished as Jim was in the previously mentioned sports, it was in track and field where he shone the brightest. In his four years, he earned four varsity letters, and was named team captain for his junior and senior years. His accomplishments were such that many have yet to be equaled, over 35 years after his performances. He still holds the school’s long jump record, at 22’6”. He also is the school record holder in the 300 meter low hurdles.
As a junior in 1980, he suffered a foot injury mid-season. In spite of not being anywhere close to healthy, he still won the conference long jump title and qualified to the Regional meet.
His senior season is remembered as one of the most memorable in school history, in any sport. That year Jim won conference championships in three events: The long jump, 100 meter hurdles, and 300 meter hurdles. In the Sectional meet, he won the 300 meter hurdles, and finished second in the long jump. He qualified for the State meet in both those events, finishing 6th in the long jump.
For his sterling accomplishments, he was named Most Valuable Performer, and for his accomplishments in the entire athletic arena, he was awarded with the Pop Guyman Award for 1981. He was also selected to the Midwest Meet of Champions, representing the state of Indiana in the long jump and 300 hurdles.
Jim works for Dexter Axle and resides in Avilla; he has a daughter, Mallory Geinger.
Jim’s accomplishments in the athletic arena at East Noble are legendary; his accomplishments have stood the test of time, as all true excellence does. East Noble is honored to welcome Jim Gienger into its hall of fame.
He graduated in 1981, leaving behind a record of excellence that has seldom been seen in East Noble’s proud tradition of excellence.
Jim played four sports while at East Noble: football, basketball, track, and cross country. He ran cross country his freshman year, switching to football as a sophomore. On the gridiron, he earned two varsity letters as a wide receiver and defensive back. As a senior, he garnered All-Conference honors as a wide receiver.
He played on the Knight’s basketball team for all four years, earning two letters. He was a starter for the 1979-80 Knights, which were Conference Champions. As a senior, he was the team’s leading scorer and Most Valuable Player. That year, he also earned second team All-Conference recognition.
As accomplished as Jim was in the previously mentioned sports, it was in track and field where he shone the brightest. In his four years, he earned four varsity letters, and was named team captain for his junior and senior years. His accomplishments were such that many have yet to be equaled, over 35 years after his performances. He still holds the school’s long jump record, at 22’6”. He also is the school record holder in the 300 meter low hurdles.
As a junior in 1980, he suffered a foot injury mid-season. In spite of not being anywhere close to healthy, he still won the conference long jump title and qualified to the Regional meet.
His senior season is remembered as one of the most memorable in school history, in any sport. That year Jim won conference championships in three events: The long jump, 100 meter hurdles, and 300 meter hurdles. In the Sectional meet, he won the 300 meter hurdles, and finished second in the long jump. He qualified for the State meet in both those events, finishing 6th in the long jump.
For his sterling accomplishments, he was named Most Valuable Performer, and for his accomplishments in the entire athletic arena, he was awarded with the Pop Guyman Award for 1981. He was also selected to the Midwest Meet of Champions, representing the state of Indiana in the long jump and 300 hurdles.
Jim works for Dexter Axle and resides in Avilla; he has a daughter, Mallory Geinger.
Jim’s accomplishments in the athletic arena at East Noble are legendary; his accomplishments have stood the test of time, as all true excellence does. East Noble is honored to welcome Jim Gienger into its hall of fame.
