C’view hires new girls’ basketball coach

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

CONVOY — The Crestview Local Board of Education hired a new girls’ basketball head coach, as well as three new teachers and two food service employees, and honored members of the FFA Farm Business Management team that finished first in state competition for the fifth straight year during its May meeting on Thursday.

Mark Gregory was hired to replace longtime coach Greg Rickard and lead the Lady Knight basketball program in the coming school year.

The board approved a one-year supplemental contract for Gregory, a nine-year-varsity assistant for the Crestview boys’ varsity basketball program before taking over the girls’ program.

In addition to being a varsity assistant for the boys, Gregory played at Mount Vernon High School and Mount Vernon University and was also a graduate assistant at Mount Vernon for one year.

“Coach Gregory has been a tremendous asset and contribute greatly to the success we have experiences in our boys’ program during his tenure, and his enthusiasm, passion, and energy will infuse itself in our girls’ program immediately,” said Crestview Athletic Administrator Dave Bowen. “We look forward to his continuing the success that is Crestview Lady Knight basketball.”

The new girls’ basketball head coach, who attended the meeting, said he was excited at the chance to begin his new job and hoped to continue the success of the program, which under Rickard’s tutelage the past 26 years had won 428 games and lost 158, and garnered nine Northwest Conference championships, 16 sectional championships, four district titles, two regional championships, and were in the state final four on two occasions.

Also Thursday, the board accepted the resignations of three teachers. Those resigning included Rachel Ciminillo as an elementary physical education teacher after one year with the district; Melissa Eickholt as a health/physical education teacher after three years with the district; and Hannah Phlipot as a middle school science teacher after four years in the district.

New hires include Courtney Barna as an elementary teacher, Tori Metzger as a high school language arts teacher, Elizabeth Motycka as an intervention specialist, and Mandy Counts and Heidi Hicks as food service employees.

During their reports, principals talked about testing and the new teachers hired, while High School Principal Mike Biro noted that graduation for Crestview’s Class of 2016 would be at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 28, in the high school gymnasium.

Biro noted that the class, which includes 53 members, is one of the smallest in recent years, but added: “Good things come in small packages, at least that’s what my mother used to say.”

Superintendent Mike Estes talked about a presentation scheduled for the June board meeting from architect Garmann Miller on building options included in the district’s master site plan, while also reporting on work with Energy Optimizers on retrofitting lighting in the district. Estes said he plans to have that company present information on the project at the July meeting.

FFA advisor Paul Pohlman brought five of eight members of his FFA Farm Business Plan team that finished first in the state for fifth straight year. Pohlman also noted that all eight members of the finished in the top 10 of the competition, which featured 593 students from across Ohio.

In other personnel items, the board also approved the following summer school teachers: Andrea Agler, Karen O’Hagan, Mary Kay Barnes, Ali Sawmiller, Deb Gehres, Jim Wharton, Jordan Miller, and Jenna Wurst.

In other action, the board:

• Approved the following supplemental contracts for the 2016-17 school year: Greg Rickard and Owen Pugh, both half-time athletic director and assistant AD; Jason Lozer, band; Jeremy Best, boys’ head basketball coach and Mini Knights coach; Frank Minnig, eighth grade boys’ basketball coach; Dan Miller, seventh grade boys’ basketball coach; Torie Hile, high school basketball cheerleading coach; Lindsay Ebbeskotte, high school football cheerleading coach; Erin Camenisch, Jennifer Croft, Nicole Kirkpatrick, Jason Lozer, and Jim Wharton, sophomore class advisors; Aaron George, Danille Hancock, Tori Metzger, Greg Mosier, and Shawn Schuette, junior class advisors; Jeff Bagley, head cross country coach; Randy Grandstaff, cross country assistant; Allison Reindel, middle school cross country coach; Ali Sawmiller, FCCLA advisor; Jared Owens, football head coach; Shaun Balliet, Aaron George, Ben Kaufman, James Lautzenheiser, and Jon Van Cleave, junior varsity part-time coaches and freshman football coaches; Tom Riggenbach, Chris Roop, and Zach Rosenbeck, middle school football coaches; Joy Short, girls’ soccer head coach; Kyle Watson, girls’ soccer assistant; Jeremy Best, golf head coach; Tim Hurst, golf assistant; Aaron George, government class trip advisor; Danille Hancock, musical director; Doug Grooms, musical assistant director; Deanna Ray, National Honor Society advisor; Kristie McCormick and Ali Sawmiller, halftime prom/class advisors; Keith Rydell, public relations; Sandy Grooms, high school and middle school Scholastic Bowl advisor; Mimi Wreath, Student Council advisor; Tammy Gregory, volleyball head coach; Kristy Bagley, volleyball varsity assistant; James Lautzenheiser, eighth grade Washington, D.C., trip advisor; and Kristie McCormick, yearbook advisor.
• Approved the following volunteer coaches: Brian Brecht, football; Meagan Fokker, girls’ soccer; Ray Etzler, boys’ basketball; and Meghan Henry, girls’ basketball.
• Approved Colby Clifton, Katie McClure, Adam Saylor, Jonah Updegrove, and Ethan Waddles as summer custodial help.
• Authorized overnight trips by the boys’ basketball, volleyball, and cross country teams this summer.
• Approved the list of graduates from the Class of 2016.
• Approved preliminary specifications and authorized advertising for bids for two nine-passenger vans.
• Went into executive session to discuss personnel, with no action taken afterwards.

The next regular meeting of the Crestview Local Board of Education will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 16, in the district boardroom.