Coming off a Runner-Up finish in the 1970 OHSAA State Cross Country Championships in 1970, the boy’s cross country team would end up one place higher in 1971 when they scored 94 to outdistance Coshocton by 9. The finish would be the first team state title for Chagrin Falls. Although John Hurst never took a coaching course, when he arrived at CFHS in 1963, he was “appointed” cross country coach. It didn’t take long for the program to take off. The program was only in its 9th year in 1971, but had a 58-8 record in dual meets and in the previous 7 years in the CVC, Chagrin won 5 league championships and never finished below second. In 1971, the team finished 7-0 in dual meets. Not only did they have a perfect 7-0 dual meet record, they recorded the lowest score a team can accomplish twice, which is 15. That meant the top 5 runners finished 1st – 5th place. In the other meets, they never totaled over 20. They would win 4 large regular season meets that season – Warrensville, Gilmour, Chagrin, & CVC. The JV squad also had a tremendous season going 7 – 0 in dual meets and won three large meets – Gilmour, Chagrin, & CVC. Coach John Hurst ‘52 would later be a Chagrin Falls Schools Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 1995 inductee. Those that earned a varsity letter that season included Glenn Bomback ‘72, Mark Freemantle ‘72, David Hart ‘72, Mark Lodwick ‘72, Dan Miller ‘72 , Dwight Woodward ‘72, John Brandon ‘73, John Jackson ‘73, Todd Gardenier ‘73, Sam Narten ‘73, James Nelan ‘73, Rick Pamer ‘73, and Alan Streater ‘74.
Dr. Mario Gerhardt
Dr. Mario Gerhardt began the Varsity Boy’s Soccer Team in 1970 and is now in his 46th season as its Head Coach. He is the winningest boys high school soccer coach in Ohio with 504 wins entering the 2015 soccer season. The teams Mario has coached continue to have success in the postseason with one State Runner-Up finish (2003), 5 Final Four trips, 11 District titles, and 26 Sectional championships. His regular season includes 18 conference titles. He has coached 59 Academic All-Ohioans, 32 All-Ohioans, 11 Regional All-Americans, & 1 All-American. 45 of his players continued on to play varsity college soccer. He has also been recognized by his peers by being selected as the Ohio Coach of the Year 3 times, Greater Cleveland Coach of the Year 6 times, and Conference Coach of the Year 10 times. In 2004, he was selected as a NSCAA Regional Coach and was a finalist for National Coach of the Year. Mario has previously been inducted in the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame (1993) & Ohio North Youth Soccer Hall of Fame (2003). He has also been honored for with the NSCAA Robert W. Robinson High School Long-Time Service Award (2009), OSSCA Pinsenschaum Sportsmanship and Ethics Award (2010), and the OHSAA Sportsmanship, Ethics, and Integrity Award (1997-1998).
Chris Smith
We have had a rich history of runners at Chagrin Falls and that tradition would continue when Chris entered CFHS. He would go on to earn 12 Varsity letters in cross country, hockey, and track. He accumulated many honors including 1st Team CVC all four years in cross country while finishing first in the CVC Invitational his junior year and 2nd place his senior year. On the ice Chris was a 4-year starter where he was selected to the Blue Division All-Star Team and was the team’s leading scorer his senior year. In the spring, Chris’ talents were evident on the track. During his sophomore – senior years in track, he garnered many 1st team All-CVC honors and was selected the CVC MVP in track in his senior year. In the postseason Chris finished 8th in the 1600M in his junior year earning All-Ohio honors and 12th place his senior year. He would take his talents to Butler University, a Division I program in Indiana. He would compete throughout his collegiate career in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track. He was a member of the cross country team that was Horizon League Champions each of his four years and placed 4th at the NCAA Div. 1 Meet in 2004 and 25th in 2005. In indoor track, he earned 1st Place three of the years at the Horizon League Championships in the distance medley. Chris would also set Butler University’s 1000M record and also 4:10.88 mile at the Iowa State Classic. In outdoor track, he won the 1500M at the Horizon League Championships and was a NCAA Regional Qualifier (2005).
Ben Smith
Ben was a two-sport star at Chagrin in baseball and soccer. He was converted to goalie for his last two years where he would be selected 3rd Team All-Ohio, 1st Team All Greater Cleveland, and 1st Team CVC. During his senior year, the team finished with only two losses, which were to eventual DIII State Champion Hawken, and DII State Runner-Up Walsh Jesuit in the District Finals. In baseball, Ben holds CFHS baseball career record for runs scored (104) and walks (70) and ranks in the top 5 in four other categories. He also has 3 single season records: Average – .570, Home Runs – 9, & Runs – 55, while also ranking in the top 5 in 5 other single season categories. His 55 runs in 2001 is tied for 8th in Ohio. His impressive play earned him numerous awards from 2nd Team All-Ohio, CVC M.V.P., and to the all-star teams by the Plain Dealer, News Herald and Sun Press in baseball. His senior year, Ben would lead the Tigers to a CVC title and to the regional title game, the furthest the baseball program has made it in postseason play. He would later sign to play for Division 1 Cleveland State Vikings where he would be a four year starter at shortstop. His collegiate honors included being selected to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team (2002), All-Horizon League Championship team (2003), and Horizon League Player of the Week (2004). Additionally, he would receive the Paul O’Dea Scholarship for “the player who best exemplifies the dedication to baseball and sportsmanship as Mr. O’Dea.” Ben was a prospect of the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals before being sidelined from a torn shoulder labrum. However, Ben was still able to recover to be the starting shortstop his senior year.
Kristin Clark Reboul
Even without a girl’s golf program at Chagrin Falls, Kristin excelled on the links on our Boy’s Varsity Golf Team. In the postseason she was the 1987 State Runner-Up at Ohio High School Girls Golf State Championship with a 6th place finish in 1986. Kristin would compete in the summer touring around the country. Highlights from the summer competition were qualifying for the 1987 & 1988 USGA Junior Girls Championship and the 1987 Junior World Golf Championships. Kristin would go on to letter 4 years at Penn State University and was selected Captain by her teammates in both her junior and senior years. She was selected to the Eastern College Athletic Conference All-Conference Team in both 1990 & 1991. She continued competing in the summer and won the Cleveland Women’s Golf Association in both 1991 & 1992; the Cleveland, Greater Cleveland, Akron Tri-League Championship (1988), the Atlantic International Golf Championship in Bermuda (1989), and was Runner-Up at the Ohio Women’s Amateur Championship in 1991. Even with a demanding golf schedule Kristin would continue to carry her leadership role into other avenues from being Student Council Vice-President and OABR Director at CFHS and was a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Board at Penn State.
Tim Lockert
Tim participated in the unique combination of football, wrestling, and tennis while at Chagrin. His greatest success came in football where he was a standout during one of the greatest eras of Tiger football. As a starting offensive guard and linebacker during his junior and senior years, he helped lead the Tigers to a 19 – 1 record where they were CVC Co-Champs in 1971 and undefeated and CVC Champs in 1972. He earned numerous honors from 1st team CVC, MVP in the CVC, All-Ohio and the Cleveland Touchdown Club recipient in football. He would take his talents to Rose-Hulman University in Indiana. Tim would play four years and would be selected as captain during his senior year playing middle linebacker. Even forty years since graduating from Rose-Hulman, he is still on the top ten list for unassisted tackles in a season with 71.
Jeff Thompson
Jeff has maintained his passion for basketball from his days playing in a packed CFHS gym to coaching over 400-plus victories as boys and girls varsity basketball coach in Pennsylvania. Both in high school and at Dickinson College, he was a two-sport standout. At Chagrin, Jeff captained the 1968-69 basketball team to the CVC crown, which would earn him recognition on the prestigious Plain Dealer Dream Team. He earned all-MAC mention in both sports, and was the recipient of the MacAndrew’s trophy, as the outstanding Dickinson athlete in 1972. Jeff was selected the MVP of the 1972 Sun Coast Classic where he tallied 28 points and 22 rebounds in the championship game versus Brandeis. He is one of two players to average a double-double for their career. Jeff still holds the single season rebounding record at the college. He is also the only Dickinson College basketball player to amass 300 points and 300 rebounds in two different seasons. Since his collegiate days, he has been a varsity head coach for both boys and girls in the state of Pennsylvania. In a nearly 40 year coaching career, he has numerous titles and over 400 victories. He has led teams to district playoff wins in all four classifications – A, AA, AAA, & AAAA.