Chatham sports shrine to hold induction ceremony Sept. 13 The Chatham Sports Hall of Fame has whittled a long list of nominees down to 16 candidates for the Class of 2012. Twelve individuals and four teams are on the ballot. Four winners - one per category - will be elected by the Hall of Fame directors, voting members and honoured members. The annual induction ceremony will be Sept. 13 at the WISH Centre. 

THE FINAL CANDIDATES ARE: Athlete-modern: Roy Galloway, Jamie Jefferson, Derek Krete and Tyson Parry; Athlete-legend: Fran Crummer, Peter L. Gilbert, Ron Johnston and Brian Lancaster; Builder: Martin Aarts, Dave Allin, Jim Maynard and Bob Weedon; Team: 1977-78 major midget hockey, 1985 juvenile baseball, 1986-87 peewee hockey and 1987 peewee baseball. 

ATHLETE-MODERN Galloway has won almost 200 trapshooting championships, including three provincial and four national titles. He was inducted into the Ontario Provincial Trapshooting Association Hall of Fame in 2001. Jefferson won nine Ontario boxing championships - five junior, two intermediate and two senior - and fought at the national championships. Krete was an all-Canadian linebacker with the Western Mustangs, won a Vanier Cup in 1994 and was the best defensive player in Canadian university football in 1996. He played two seasons in the CFL, one with Toronto and one with Saskatchewan. Parry won five national youth tennis championships, competed internationally and starred at the University of Minnesota. He was named to the All-big Ten team in 1999. 

ATHLETE-LEGEND Crummer, a longtime Maple City Country Club member, competed at 27 provincial golf championships and one national championship. Gilbert skipped two teams to Ontario curling championships and went to two Canadian championships during a career that included more than 400 bonspiels. Johnston won three league MVP awards and four pitcher of the year awards in a softball career that featured two trips to the Ontario Amateur Softball Association finals. Lancaster won three provincial hydroplane racing championships (two in Ontario and one in Quebec) and a national championship in the 1970s as well as state championships in New York and Michigan. 

BUILDER Aarts co-founded the Chatham Youth Soccer Association and served as a coach, director, referee and administrator. He has also coached the Chatham Express men's team since forming it in 1988. Allin taught and coached in elementary schools for 35 years. He was also in charge of basketball camps, tournaments and club teams. Maynard has been a youth bowling coach, scorekeeper, supervisor and program director for more than 35 years. Weedon has been president of the Maple City Slo-pitch League for more than two decades. He is also an executive member of Slo-pitch Ontario and Softball Ontario. 

TEAM The 1977-78 Thames Valley Brick 'AA' Major Midgets won the first Ontario Minor Hockey Association title by a Chatham team in 12 years. The 1985 Juveniles won the Ontario Baseball Association 'B' championship as well as the Bluewater and Western Counties league titles. The 1986-87 Moose Lodge Major Peewees won the OMHA 'AA' banner before winning the first All-ontario championship in Chatham Minor Hockey Association history. The 1987 Mcdonald's Peewees won the Ontario Baseball Association 'AA' championship in addition to the Western Counties league and playoffs crowns. 

Ballots will be sent to voting members June 1 and must be returned by June 30. The inductees will be announced July 6. Banquet tickets go on sale Aug. 1. They'll be available at the WISH Centre and from Hall of Fame directors.

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Chatham sports shrine inducts five new members at annual ceremony The Chatham Erie & Huron Beverages Midgets proved in 1979 that biggest isn't always best.

The 1979 Chatham Midgets baseball team was inducted into the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday at the WISH Centre in Chatham. Team members are, front row, left: coach Paul Denomy and manager Mike Bennett. Middle row: Dale Dunlop, Todd Langstaff, Perry Mader, Steve Kenney, Rick Kucera and Jeff Green. Back row: John Wall, Bruce Hickmott, Rod Couture, Mike Torrie and batboy Dave Charbonneau. Absent are: Blake Alward, Bob Arnold, John Bink, Keith Blackford, Barry Brackett, Wayne Burey, Chris Kelly, Scott Ruttle and Frank Stoof. They outlasted 25 other teams, many from larger cities, to win the Ontario elimination baseball tournament. "That's what made this particular win so rewarding," centre-fielder Rick Kucera said. "You were playing against all the communities in the province, whether you were from a small community like Chatham or a big community like Toronto." The team was inducted into the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday at the WISH Centre. Also enshrined were figure skater Joelle Batten-Daigneau (athlete-modern), football player Randy Rybansky (athletelegend), high school teacher and coach Gene Dziadura (builder), and the 1983-84 and '84-85 Maple City Ice Crystals junior precision skating team. A record turnout of almost 280 people attended the annual ceremony. Guests included baseball legend Fergie Jenkins, who was a close friend of Dziadura. The Chatham Midgets wrote their own chapter in local baseball history with a fourth-place finish at the Canadian championship in Niagara Falls after winning the provincial banner. "That was fantastic," Kucera said. "That was the experience of a lifetime. You don't get that opportunity very often." 

The team of 16-and 17-yearolds had done well before. They'd reached the Ontario final as peewees and bantams but couldn't bring home the gold. "It was just a great bunch of athletes in all sports," said manager Mike Bennett, whose roster was dotted with high school football and basketball all-stars. They toughened themselves by playing highly ranked teams from Windsor and Michigan. Other smaller centres in the Western Counties league weren't enough competition. "You learn a lot more losing 2-1 than winning 20-0, 30-0," Bennett said. Their lineup for the Ontario elimination tournament was bolstered by 15-year-old bantam pitcher Perry Mader, a future Toronto Blue Jays farmhand. They won their first four games at the double-knockout tournament before losing to Windsor Athletic Association. After beating Toronto Riverside in a semifinal, Chatham got another shot at WAA in the final and won 11-5. "(It) was a complete shock to everybody in Ontario baseball," Bennett said. They not only pitched and hit well, they also fielded almost flawlessly with only five errors in the tournament. "We played such sound team defence," Bennett said. "Other teams were amazed at the defence we played." The victory let many players end their baseball careers on a winning note. "What was most rewarding is that was the end of hardball for most of us after midget year," Kucera said. He credits Bennett and coach Paul Denomy for the team's success. Bennett, in turn, praises Hall of Famer Ed Myers for special twice-weekly lessons when the players were tykes and peewees. "Our win was a culmination of everything Ed Myers put into Chatham Minor Baseball in those years," he said. Numerous injuries at the Canadian championship end any hopes of another gold-medal celebration. They still managed to go 2-2 in the round-robin, including a 7-4 win over the eventual champions from Quebec. They lost 8-0 to Niagara Falls in the bronze-medal game. "It was disappointing, but, at the same time, it was just a great experience," Kucera said. "... We were really proud to represent Chatham and eventually the province."

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Precision skating team won bronze twice at Canadians Back in the mid-1980s, the Maple City Ice Crystals owned a jewelry collection any teenage skater would have envied. Contributed Photo The 1983-84 Maple City Ice Crystals junior precision skating team will be inducted into the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday. The Ice Crystals went to 13 competitions in the 1983-84 and '84-85 seasons. They came home with 13 medals, including bronze twice at the Canadian championships. "It was a group of very talented ladies," said coach Esther Bordenuk (nee Polacek). The junior precision skating team will be inducted into the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday at the WISH Centre. The Ice Crystals finished out of the medals in their first few years together, but that changed in the spring of 1983. Winning gold at a competition in Bowling Green, Ohio, opened their eyes. "Wow, we can win," said skater Cherie Alexander (nee Anakin). "And from then on, we never lost a competition for the next two years." She added: "We had a really strong team and Esther put together a really good program. At that point, the majority of our team was gold test skaters. I think that helped. And I think we'd been together so long, it was second nature." The teens had not only the physical talent but also the mental strength to do well, Bordenuk said. They continued to do well after graduating from high school. Four Ice Crystals - Alleta Brodie, Delynn Riddell, Paula Stefina and Rhonda Rennie - skated professionally with Disney on Ice. Alexander and Jacquelyn DeNure travelled to Europe with the London-based Synchronicity senior team while at The University of Western Ontario. In their breakthrough ' 83-84 season, the Ice Crystals won three gold medals, including the Mid-American championships in Fraser, Mich. 

heir bronze at the Canadian championships was part of an Ontario medal sweep. "We had a strong coach. Our performances were technically strong," said skater Barbara Baker (nee Perkins), whose mother Marnie Perkins was the team manager. "Everything just kind of came together." Performances had to look effortless, though they were anything but. Between team practices and their own solo workouts, skaters were on the ice constantly. "I was skating every day of the week, probably four to five hours a day, when I was on that team," Alexander said. "... And we all were doing that. We were skating a good 20 to 30 hours a week." In '84-85, the Ice Crystals won bronze at the Western Ontario and Central Canadian championships before picking up another bronze at the nationals. They also won gold at the MidAmerican championships again. As one of the few Canadian teams at the U.S. events, they were always treated well, Bordenuk said. "We could have given them an award for being so nice to us," she said. The Ice Crystals' team spirit endeared them to their hosts. At the 1984 Mid-American championships, a new Friendship Award was named for them. "We just really enjoyed the whole team aspect of it," Baker said. "There was a lot of energy, very positive. And I think other teams ... (in) the United States, they just sort of responded to the cheering and the positive atmosphere we gave off. And we didn't only cheer for our team, we cheered for the other teams."

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Former CFLER Rybansky starting 24th year as high school teacher Randy Rybansky freely admits his CFL career involved a lot of luck. 

Ursuline Lancers coach and former CFL player Randy Rybansky will be inducted into the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame in the athlete-legend category Thursday at the WISH Centre. Some was bad, but good always seemed to follow. Being cut by the Toronto Argonauts? Bad. Landing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and playing in the Grey Cup? Good. Suffering a career-ending injury? Bad. Starting a teaching career that's entering its 24th year? Good. "Darned right I'm lucky," he said about his CFL career. "It all worked out in the end. It was a hell of an experience." Rybansky will be inducted Thursday into the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame at the WISH Centre in the athlete-legend category. 

His CFL journey began in 1984 at the Argonauts' training camp. He was their last cut, but the Ottawa Rough Riders called a week later after a fullback was hurt. The McGregor graduate stayed in Ottawa for almost three weeks, learning the playbook inside and out. However, there was no guarantee he'd make the team. Although the Riders coach begged him to stay, Rybansky returned to Wilfrid Laurier University for his fifth and final season. Days later, the Riders' starting fullback got hurt, too. "That was my key not only to make the team but to get a starting spot," said Rybansky, 50. "That was a bitter pill to swallow." The next year, he made the Argonauts. All went well until a broken toe sidelined him late in the season. As soon as the toe healed, the Argos cut him. "Just playing that sport and getting there was one thing," he said. "But realizing how much of a business it was when you're there is another thing. It really opened my eyes." He wasn't unemployed for long. He signed with the Ticats and went to the 1985 Grey Cup, losing 37-24 to the B.C. Lions.

Rybansky played in the Grey Cup on special teams and was used at tight end in short-yardage situations. He was on the field for one Ticats touchdown. His career ended early in the 1986 season in Hamilton. The webbing between his thumb and forefinger was cut down to the tendon. Recovery took awhile. Rybansky saw the injury as a sign to enroll in teachers' college at the University of Windsor. "I was ready to move on with my life," he said. "I needed a solid base in terms of what I was going to do." He began teaching in Bramalea in 1988. After three years there and nine in Mississauga, he came home to Chatham and started at Ursuline in 2000. Rybansky loves coaching the Lancers, who have won five Kent senior titles in eight years. He's in charge of the senior team each fall and assists with the juniors each spring. "Once you get out here and you get among the kids, they see you and you see them in a different light," he said. "You can develop a great rapport, different than what you have in the classroom." Rybansky played five seasons at McGregor, including four undefeated senior campaigns. He made Laurier as a walk-on after not being recruited. He knew the Golden Hawks had a great program with a tradition of sending running backs to the CFL. His fourth year in 1983 was a breakthrough campaign. He was chosen team MVP after scoring 10 TDs, which is still tied for the second-highest single-season rushing total in school history. Rybansky was an OUA second team all-star in 1984. He's fifth in rushing TDs (16), seventh in carries (256) and 10th in rushing yards (1,297) all-time at Laurier. "To me, this is the greatest team sport," he said. "And the camaraderie you're going to develop among players is invaluable. They're going to keep in touch the rest of their lives."

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Former figure skater Joelle Batten-Daigneau will be inducted into the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday at the WISH Centre in the athlete-modern category.

The career of one of Chatham's most successful figure skaters got off to a wobbly start. Former figure skater Joelle Batten-Daigneau will be inducted into the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday at the WISH Centre in the athlete-modern category. Joelle Batten-Daigneau was two years old when she first tried gliding across the ice. "We didn't have any high expectations for Joelle," said her mother and coach, Jo-Ann Batten. "We just wanted her to go out and have fun. "In fact, when she was starting, she was awfully stiff-legged. I thought, 'OK, she's not going to be anything special. She's going to be a regular skater.' And then one day she bent her knees and away she went." She went on to win two medals, including a gold, at the national championships and compete in Italy with the Canadian junior team. She'll be inducted into the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame in the athlete-modern category Thursday at the WISH Centre. Batten-Daigneau, 40, is still involved with figure skating on a daily basis as a full-time coach. "I love working with kids and I love teaching," she said. "It's kind of like the perfect fit." From the day her mother went into labour on the ice, Batten-Daigneau seemed destined to be a skater. Her parents never pushed her. She went at her own pace, but she was a quick study. "She had a good feel for the ice and a good rhythm," her mother said. "And she caught on really fast. It didn't take her long to acquire a skill." She loved being at the arena, even for practices at 5:40 in the morning. Getting out of bed wasn't a problem. "I just loved it," she said. "I don't remember ever a day I didn't want to go skating." Batten-Daigneau twice competed in ladies singles at the Canadian senior championships, finishing ninth in 1991 and 14th in 1992. At the time, she wasn't that impressed by ninth place. "But the further I get away from that moment, I realize what an accomplishment it was," she said. "There haven't been any singles skaters from Chatham that have done that (since)." Batten-Daigneau earned six medals (two gold and four silver) at the Western Ontario championships. She won five more (three gold and two silver) at the Central Divisional championships. "She was a very athletic, strong skater," her mother said. "She had very high jumps. She had speed. And she had the charisma and the style. "But she was known for her strength, her speed and the height of her jumps." Batten-Daigneau captured the Canadian novice championship in 1986. The next year, she won a bronze at the nationals as a junior. The bronze landed her a spot on the Canadian junior team. She wore the Maple Leaf to Italy in 1987 for the Merano Spring Trophy junior ladies competition. The event was held on outdoor rinks, so she battled rain, snow and strong winds to win a bronze medal. After one more season as a junior, she moved up to senior but failed to qualify for the Canadian championships again until her third year as a senior. After two trips to the senior nationals, she retired from competitive skating. "I had accomplished everything that I could," she said. "There just comes a point in time in your life when you have to get on with things. I was already teaching at that point. 

I wanted to finish university. It was just time to." She graduated from the University of Windsor with a bachelor's degree in sociology. During her career, she trained in Barrie at the famed Mariposa School of Skating as well as in Seattle and Colorado Springs. "But I would always come back to Chatham," said Batten-Daigneau, who went to school at Gregory Drive, King George VI and Chatham-Kent Secondary School. "My mother was a great coach. The city of Chatham was very generous to me with the ice times."

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• Athlete Modern - Joelle Batten-Daigneau (Figure Skating)
• Athlete Legend - Randy Rybansky (Football)
• Builder - Gene Dziadura (High school Coach)
• Team - Tie 1979 Erie and Huron Beverages Midget Baseball Team
• 1984 & 85 Maple City Ice Crystals Junior Precision Skating Team

A stylish skater, a bruising ball carrier and a cherished coach are among the newest inductees to the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame.

Figure skater Joelle Daigneau (athlete-modern), football player Randy Rybansky (athlete-legend) and high school teacher Gene Dziadura (builder) were named Friday to the Class of 2011. Two teams - the 1984 & '85 Maple City Ice Crystals junior precision skating team and the 1979 Chatham midget baseball team - will also be inducted Sept. 15 at the W.I.S.H. Centre. They tied in the voting. 

Rybansky played in the CFL with Toronto and Hamilton in 1985 and '86. He was a Grey Cup finalist in 1985 with the TigerCats. He went to the pros as a fullback, but he also saw action at tight end and on special teams. "I was very surprised, to tell you the truth - in a good way, that is," the Ursuline College teacher said about his Hall of Fame election. "It just kind of makes you feel humbled, in the sense of where you started and where you are now and who got you there." Rybansky was a football and basketball star at McGregor before focusing on the gridiron at Wilfrid Laurier University. He was the Golden Hawks' MVP in 1983 and an OUAA all-star in 1984. He'll be the first ex-CFLer in the Hall of Fame but probably not the last, thanks to the success enjoyed by Andy Fantuz, Derek Krete, Dan Comiskey and John Comiskey in recent years. "You're always rooting for local guys to do well (and) experience that, and those guys have," Rybansky said. 

Daigneau, nee Batten, was a two-time medalist at the Canadian figure skating championships: gold as a novice in 1986 and bronze as a junior in 1987. She also won six medals, including two gold, at the Western Ontario championships. As a member of the Canadian junior team, she earned a bronze in 1987 at the Merano Spring Trophy competition in Italy. Daigneau placed as high as seventh in ladies singles at the Canadian senior championships. She's now a coach with the Chatham Skating Club. 

Dziadura, who died in November 2010 at age 74, taught and coached for 35 years at Chatham Collegiate Institute. "A little bittersweet," his son, Chris Dziadura, said about the Hall of Fame selection. "Really proud of him. ... He's very deserving of this award for what he did for numerous athletes around the city." Dziadura is perhaps best known as the mentor to Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Fergie Jenkins, but he also coached football, basketball, tennis and track at CCI. He tried to get his football teams into the Hall of Fame, but he wasn't interested in personal accolades. "That's the kind of guy he was," Chris Dziadura said. "He was very humble. And he always put his athletes ahead of himself." Dziadura, a Windsor native, also played in the Chicago Cubs' minor league system before he became a teacher. He was a longtime scout for the Philadelphia Phillies. 

The Ice Crystals won medals in each competition they entered in the 1984 and '85 seasons, going 13 for 13. The Ester Polacek-coached team won bronze medals at the Canadian championships and gold at the Mid-American championships each year. A friendship trophy at the MidAmerican championships was named for the Ice Crystals to commend them for their sportsmanship. The underdog Chatham Midgets won the 1979 Ontario elimination tournament in Hamilton with a 6-1 record. "It kind of raised a lot of eyebrows," manager Mike Bennett said. "How could a 'B' team win an Ontario championship? We shocked an awful lot of people with that. "Over the course of two weeks, we played a lot of solid baseball." The team later placed fourth at the Canadian midget championship after losing several players to injuries. The inductees were chosen by Hall of Fame voting members. Ninety-one of 153 eligible members cast ballots. 

Tickets go on sale Aug. 1 for the induction ceremony and dinner. They'll be available at the W.I.S.H. Centre, from Hall of Fame directors and from Jay Teetzel (519354-2333). They cost $40 for adults and $20 for children under 10 years old.

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Four teams, 12 individuals on ballot for Class of 2011 The Chatham Sports Hall of Fame has whittled the list of submitted nominees for the Class of 2011 down to 16 candidates. The board of directors has chosen four candidates for each of the four categories.

• Athlete-Modern: Joelle Batten-Daigneau, Roy Galloway, Derek Krete and Tyson Parry. 
• Athlete-Legend: Fran Crummer, Shirley Pilson, Randy Rybansky and Eddie Wright. 
• Builder: Martin Aarts, Gene Dziadura, Jim Maynard and Bob Weedon. 
• Team: 1979 Chatham midget baseball, 1983-84 and ' 84-85 Maple City Ice Crystals junior precision skating, 1986-87 Chatham peewee hockey and 1987 Chatham peewee baseball. 

Voting members will receive their ballots June 1 and must make their choices by June 30. The inductees will be announced by July 11. The annual induction dinner and ceremony will be Sept. 15 at the WISH Centre. Tickets go on sale July 11. Following is a brief look at each candidate: 

ATHLETE-MODERN Batten-Daigneau won six medals, including two gold, at the Western Ontario skating championships and was a two time medallist at the Canadian championships (gold in 1986 as a novice and bronze in 1987 as a junior). She won a bronze medal at a 1987 competition in Italy as part of the national junior team. Her best finish at the Canadian senior championships was seventh in 1991. Galloway won four Canadian trap shooting championships: two in singles (1972 and 1979) and two in doubles (1974 and 1978). He's also a four-time Ontario champion. He was inducted into the Ontario Provincial Trap Shooting Association Hall of Fame in 2001. Krete was a three-time Ontario university football all-star and three-time Canadian all-star with the Western Mustangs from 1993-97. He won the Vanier Cup in 1994 and was chosen the Canadian stand-up defensive player of the year in 1996. He played linebacker and on special teams for two CFL seasons: 1999 with Toronto and 2000 with Saskatchewan. Parry won five Canadian youth tennis championships and was ranked No. 1 nationally in his age group in 1992 and '93. He played four seasons at the University of Minnesota and made the Big Ten all-conference team as a sophomore in 1999. He competed internationally and played in qualifiers for the tournament now known as the Rogers Cup. 

ATHLETE-LEGEND Crummer won six ladies club championships and three senior ladies championships at Maple City Country Club. She also played in 27 Ontario championships at the junior, ladies and senior levels between 1937 and 1982. Pilson twice skipped Chatham Granite Club rinks at the Ontario senior ladies curling championships and won three straight Southern Ontario Ladies Diamond senior championships from 1985-87. Before moving to Chatham, she won nine provincial championships in New Brunswick. Rybansky played football at Wilfrid Laurier University from 1980-84 and was an Ontario second-team all-star running back in 1984. He played in the CFL with Toronto and Hamilton in 1985 and '86, making one trip to the Grey Cup. Wright played hockey at Boston University from 1966-69 after starring for the Chatham Jr. Maroons. In 1970, he became the first black collegiate hockey coach in the United States when he was hired by the State University of New York at Buffalo. He coached for 11 seasons before moving into athletics administration at the school. 

BUILDER Aarts has been a president, director, coach and referee in the Chatham Youth Soccer Association since co-founding the organization in 1975. He's also been active at the high school, regional and provincial levels and has coached the Chatham Express men's team since 1988. Dziadura coached several sports during a 35-year teaching career at Chatham Collegiate Institute. He was an area scout for the Philadelphia Phillies and is credited with developing Hall of Fame pitcher Fergie Jenkins. The Windsor native also played in the Chicago Cubs' minor league system before moving to Chatham. Maynard has been a coach, supervisor, scorekeeper and, for the past 25 years, program director for Chatham youth five-pin bowling. Weedon has been president of the Maple City Slo-Pitch League since 1978. He's also a longtime executive member of the SloPitch Ontario Association and Softball Ontario. 

TEAM The 1979 Chatham Erie and Huron Beverages Midgets won the Ontario Baseball Association elimination tournament and placed fourth at the Canadian championship. The Ice Crystals won bronze medals at the Canadian championships and gold at the Mid American championships in 1984 and again in 1985. The 1986-87 Chatham Moose Lodge 'AA' Major Peewees won the Ontario Minor Hockey Association and All-Ontario championships. The 1987 Chatham McDonald's Peewees won the Ontario Baseball Association 'AA' championship. Most of the players also won an OBA title in 1985 ('AA' tyke) and were OBA finalists in 1986 ('A' peewee).

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