TGFC - Hall of Fame Members - Class of 1993
Class of 1993 - Biographies
Janet Bachna, 1993
HIGH SCHOOL CAREER: Graduated from Canton Lincoln High School in Canton, Ohio…KSU CAREER: Helped to start the Kent gymnastics program in 1959 and was involved as the coach of the women’s team until her retirement in 1991…During this time the Lady Flashes participated in the AIAW National Championships 11 consecutive years…Became the first female judge from the United States to serve as a judge in international finals competition when she judged the World Gymnastics Championships held in Prague, Czechoslovakia in 1962…Helped organize the Gymnastics in Motion program that was a highlight of Kent Gymnastics from 1964-1989…Guided the Lady Flashes to four consecutive Ohio State Championships (1975-78) and four MAC championships (1981-84-88-89)…Named Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year in 1981 and 1984…Coached both the United States Pan-American and Olympic Gymnastics Teams…Served as Kent’s cheerleading advisor for five years…A member of the U.S. Olympic Committee for Women’s Gymnastics for 12 years (1960-72)…Chair of the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics (1964-69)…Received an Honorary Varsity “K” from secretary and vice president…Received the Kent Distinguished Service Award in 1969…PERSONAL: Born on September 29, 1928…Attended Ohio Western University…Taught in the Canton Public Schools for eight years…Inducted into the U.S. Gymnastics Federation Judges’ Hall of Fame in 1979, the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame in 1992.
Rudy Bachna, 1993
HIGH SCHOOL CAREER: A 1947 graduate of Cleveland Lincoln High School…KSU CAREER: Started the Kent Gymnastics program in 1959 along with wife Janet and brother Joe…Earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Kent…Was honored with the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1974…Served on the Kent HPERD faculty from 1963-1991…Was Kent’s head soccer coach (1963-72)…His women’s teams won more that 200 meets…Served as coach of the Kent men’s gymnastics team for 20 years…Charter member and one of the founders of the Great lakes Men’s Gymnastics League…Coached four state and four MAC championship women’s teams…Took teams to regional and national competition on many occasions…Named Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year in 1981 & 1984…He and Janet were regional coaches of the year in 1979…Served as head judge at the 1959 Pan-American Games trials from 1956-1970…Coach-Manager of the U.S. Pan-American and Olympics teams…Received a Gold Medal as coach of the 1963 Pan-Am squad…Along with Janet started the Kent Children’s Gymnastics Program in 1962…Judge at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo…Former advisor to the Kent Gymnastics and Weight Lifting Clubs and Phi Epsilon Kappa…PERSONAL: Rudolph S. Bachna was born on November 26, 1928…Inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame in 1980…Coached four Varsity “K” Hall of Fame members…Received Honorary Varsity “K” and is a life member of the VKAA…Active in Dance Masters of America as a judge and instructor…Has conducted numerous clinics and written many articles on gymnastics and soccer…Directed three National AAU Championships…Enjoys folk dancing and continues to be involved as a coach at several local gymnastic clubs.
Randy Bockus, 1993
HIGH SCHOOL CAREER: A 1978 graduate of Sandy Valley High School in Magnolia, Ohio…Earned nine varsity letters in baseball, basketball, football, and golf…Was an All-League and All-District selection in basketball and was twice named to the all-league team in baseball…Was an All-Ohio pick on the diamond as a senior…KSU CAREER: Lettered four times in baseball for the Flashes (1979-82)…Was a first team All-MAC choice in 1981 & 1982 and a second team pick in 1980…Led the MAC in hitting as a junior and was second in the NCAA that season with a .480 average…Kent’s MVP as a senior…Set nine individual season and career records for the Golden Flashes, including a career batting average of .391 which broke Thurman Munson’s mark of .390…Was recruited primarily as a pitcher after posting a 22-7 record on the mound in high school…Posted impressive numbers at the plate for Kent, driving in 103 runs and ripping 52 extra base hits in his career…POST KSU CAREER: Drafted in the 34th round by the San Francisco Giants as an outfielder…Was quickly returned to the mound and became one of the Giants’ most promising prospects…Named to the California League All-Star Team in 1983 and was twice selected to the Texas League All-Star Team (1984 & 84)…Played at the Major League level with the Giants…Spent one season with the Detroit Tigers organization and concluded his career with the California Angels in 1991…PERSONAL: Full name is Randy Walter Bockus…Born on October 5, 1959 in East Sparta, Ohio…Enjoys golf…Married to the former Susan Bock…Is currently a sales counselor for the Rose Hill Burial Park in Fairlawn.
Otho Davis, 1993
HIGH SCHOOL CAREER: Earned varsity letters in football and track at South Park High School in Beaumont, Texas where he graduated from in 1951…KSU CAREER: Served as the head trainer for the Golden Flashes from 1957-1965 and received his MA in Physical Education from Kent in 1964…Was awarded an Honorary Varsity “K” in 1960…POST KSU CAREER: Was named head trainer and assistant professor of physical education at Duke University in 1965 and served in that capacity until 1971 when he became associate trainer for the Baltimore Colts of the NFL…In 1973 he was named head trainer for the Philadelphia Eagles, a position he continues to hold…One of the most highly respected trainers in the nation, he has been recognized as the “Professional Trainer of the Year” five times (1977-78-80-81-87)…From 1971-1989 he served as the executive director of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) and the organization’s national office in Dallas is named in his honor…Received the Distinguished Service Award for Sports Medicine from the American Orthopedics Society for Sports Medicine in 1982…Has previously been inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame (1987) and the Pennsylvania Athletic Hall of Fame…PERSONAL: Full name is Otho Leroy Davis…Born on February 8, 1934 in Elgin, Texas…He and his wife, Mary Louise are the parents of five children…Is a member of the International Narcotic Enforcement Officers Association, the Executive Committee of the Professional Athletic Trainers’ Society…Served in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps.
Bob Francis, 1993
HIGH SCHOOL CAREER: A 1972 graduate of Lorain Catholic High School in Lorain, Ohio…Lettered in basketball and track under coach Jim Lawhead…helped basketball squad to the North Central Championship as a senior…School did not have a track team but Lawhead, who was the school’s athletic director, recognized the talent in Francis and a couple of his classmates and organized a mini-team to compete in the conference meet…Francis captured the high jump title with a record-setting leap of 6’5”…He was the Class A State Champion with a jump of 6’5” as well and set the Ohio Classic Meet record with a jump of 6’7” ¼”…KSU CAREER: Earned his BBA from Kent in 1976…Lettered four times each in indoor and outdoor track (1973-76) for the legendary Doug Raymond…Qualified for the NCAA Championships on several occasions fro the Flashes…Set the school records at 6’10” as a freshman…Became the only Kent high jumper to clear 7’ with his leap at the prestigious Knight’s of Columbus Meet in Cleveland in 1974…Captured MAC championships both indoor and outdoor…Earned All-America Honors by clearing 7’1” at the 1976 NCAA Championships…PERSONAL: Full name is Robert Eugene Francis…Born on January 24, 1954 in Lorain…Is single and is the General Manager for Shermo Industries in Dallas.
Don Horning, 1993
HIGH SCHOOL CAREER: A two-time Ohio State Champion for Walsh Jesuit High School in Stow, Ohio…Earned three varsity letters in wrestling and was undefeated in his junior and senior seasons…Posted an incredible 107-5 record as a prep and was team captain for two seasons…Named MVP of the Catholic Invitational tournament…KSU CAREER: Transferred to Kent after posting a 54-13 mark at Northwestern…Became Kent’s first two-time All-American after finishing third in the NCAA tourney at 118 pounds as a junior and seventh at 126 pounds as a senior…Captured the MAC Championship as a junior and was named the meet’s outstanding wrestler…also named the Outstanding Wrestler at the Ohio Open…Posted a 46-4-1 record with 21 pins for the Flashes…Named the winner of the Joe Begala Memorial Scholarship…Team captain as a senior…POST KSU CAREER: Since completing his collegiate career he has served as an assistant wrestling coach at Solon High School…Inducted into the Walsh Jesuit High School Hall of Fame in 1992…PERSONAL: Full name is Donald Edward Horning…Born on December 13, 1964 in Tacoma, Washington…Is single and is employed as a mechanic with C & H, Inc.
Ernie Sullivan, 1993
HIGH SCHOOL CAREER: A 1935 graduate of Ravenna High School where he earned six varsity letters in basketball (3) and football (3)…Twice chosen to the All Western Reserve League team in basketball and once in football…Team captain in basketball and league’s leading scorer as a senior…KSU CAREER: Lettered three times each in football band basketball for the Flashes…Was a standout defensive player on the hard-court as was twice an Honorable Mention pick on the All-Ohio Conference Team and a second team All-Ohio choice in 1938…The first Kent player to be so honored…He was usually assigned the task of guarding the opponent’s top scorer and was regarded as one of the most outstanding guards of his time…Earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Education…POST KSU CAREER: Selected to play in the All-Ohio College All-Star Football Game against the Cleveland Rams and was named to the College All-Star Basketball Team as well…PERSONAL: Born in Ravenna, Ohio in 1916…Served in the U.S. Army during WWII as a captain in the 8th Air Force and also was the coach of the basketball and football teams…Married the former Betty Caris they have two children…He continues to be an avid fan of Kent athletics.
Darlene Wolfe, 1993
HIGH SCHOOL CAREER: A three sport standout at Ford City High School in Ford City, Pennsylvania…Earned monograms in basketball, softball, and volleyball…Three time team MVP in basketball where she average 22 points per game for her career, including a 30.6 ppg average as a senior…Selected to try out for the USA Pan-American Team…Captained the basketball and volleyball teams as a senior and led her softball team to a sectional title while batting .689…KSU CAREER: Lettered eight times for the Lady Flashes in basketball and softball (1977-81)…Earned several all-tournament team berths as an outstanding guard…Received team hustle award in each of her four seasons…Captain of the basketball team for two years…First Team All-MAC as a senior…Kent’s first 1,000 point scorer…Was among Kent’s top-five in 11 statistical categories…A solid floor leader who helped coach Laurel Wartluft’s team to an 83-34 record during her four year career…Was selected as the Most Improved Player as a junior in softball and led the team in hitting as a senior…Earned her bachelor’s in physical education in 1982 and her master’s degree in Athletic Administration in education in 1984…POST KSU CAREER: Served as a graduate assistant at Kent (1982-84)…Is currently teaching and coaching basketball at Lemon Monroe High School in Monroe, Ohio…Also is in her fifth season as an OHSAA Softball Umpire…PERSONAL: Full name is Darlene Jane Wolfe…Born on January 17, 1960 in Armstrong County, PA…Has two brothers and a sister…Is a member of the NEO, OEA, MTA, OHSAA Coaches Association and Umpires Association and serves as a Core Team Member at LMHS.
