One of the legends in the annuls of Ohio High School wrestling, Euclid coach Clarence Eckert had a dual meet record of 246-42-4, ranking among the top coaches of all time. Three state titles and six district crowns were included among his successes.
Cleveland’s flyweight champion in 1920, 1921 and 1922, Phil Goldstein earned the right to compete in the National AAU Boxing Tournament in Boston in 1923. He fought his way to the semifinals of that tournament before losing a split decision to Fidel Labarbra, who went on to win the AAU crown, the 1924 Olympic championship and eventually the world professional flyweight title. A distinguished professional career followed with successes against some of the most imposing opposition.
An active competitor in Olympic-style weightlifting for 15 years, Howard Prechtel won a world title in 1961. Subsequently he established eight world records in various powerlifting classifications, some of which stood for several years.
In a competitive career spanning 21 years, Phillip Franz consistently was ranked among the nation’s best in this difficult and dangerous sport. Three times he was the runner up at the national championship and placed within the top four in 82% of his races.
Kenneth Carter was the national Tumbling Champion in the 1930s, and was considered one of the top flight gymnasts of his day, having made the USA Olympic Team in 1940. He toured the United States and Europe with an acrobatic group which gained extensive notoriety.
Paul Pirrone fought at a consistently high level which included bouts against 15 world champions. “Poison Pirrone” was the number one ranked middleweight in the world in 1934 and his pro career spanned eleven years, from 1928 to 1939.
A lefthanded pitcher who played with championship girls fastpitch softball teams throughout her career, Jean Simms Pierman won particular fame as a strikeout artist. She once struck out 21 batters in a no-hit game. Jean played in numerous city, national and international championships. She also starred in basketball and became an excellent bowler after her softball career ended.
A ten-time All-American pick at ASA National Slow Pitch Tournaments, Ida Jean Hopkins was chosen as the tournament’s most valuable player in 1967, 1968 and 1970, when she was the tourney’s leading hitter with a .704 average. She played fastpitch softball for ten years before switching to slow pitch in 1960. Ida began managing slow pitch teams in 1964, and coached her teams to eleven Regional ASA Tournament wins in 12 years and the national tournament in 1967.
Marge Wood played in nine World Softball tournaments as an outfielder and pitcher, and on an equal number of Metropolitan Cleveland championship teams between 1936 and 1951. She threw numerous no-hitters, several in World Tournament competition, and averaged ten strikeouts per game. Marge once hit four home runs in four at bats for the Rosenblums in a championship qualifier contest.
Rated one of the greatest catchers in the history of the sport, Ann Smith Downs was equally renowned for her hitting, her throwing arm and her ability to handle pitchers. She played on the Cleveland area’s finest teams, ending her career with the National Screw & Manufacturing Co. team that won the World Girls Softball championship. Ann also became one of the top women basketball players in Cleveland.