When it came to the leaderboard at high-profile amateur and professional golf tournaments in Northeast Ohio, you could count on seeing the name Rob Moss at the top.
In record-setting fashion, the left-handed Moss became the first player to win the Professional Golf Association’s Northern Ohio Section Championship for five straight years from 2010 to 2014, winning at different area courses along the way. The Kent State University product matched those victories to be named the Northern Ohio PGA Player of the Year five times (2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2013).
He was the organization’s Professional of Year in 2010 and was a two-time recipient of the Bill Strausbaugh Award. He won the Ohio Open in 1999 and 2001 to further solidify his status as an elite player. He won the Ohio Open three times (1999, 2001 and 2005).
With his section championships, he participated at national PGA Championships in 2005 (Baltrusol), 2010 (Whistling Straits) and 2011 (Atlanta).
His professional career began with seasons on the Asian Tour (1994-98), South American Tour (1998) and the former Nike Tour (1996, 2000). As a senior player, he qualified for the 2019 Senior PGA Championship at Ohio Hill C.C. in Rochester, N.Y.
While at Kent State, he won the Ohio Amateur title at Moraine C.C. in 1989. With the Golden Flashes, he was an Academic All-American in 1989 and 1990. He graduated with a degree in Business Administration.
He began his club professional career as an assistant at Lakewood C.C. (2001-2004) and head professional at Elyria C.C. (2005-2008). He then moved to The Pepper Pike Club (2009-present).
His accomplishments earned him induction into halls of fame at Kent State (1999), Parma Athletic (2000), Padua Franciscan High School (2004) and the Northern Ohio Golf Association (2015).
He lives in Broadview Heights with his wife, Darci, and three sons.
Hamilton, Tom
Tom Hamilton
Induction Year : 2022
Sport: Media
2022 marked the 33rd season of calling Cleveland Guardians baseball games on the radio for this Waterloo, WI, native. Since he joined Herb Score in the radio booth in 1990, Tom Hamilton has called all 94 postseason games the Cleveland franchise has played in that span, including three World Series (1995, 1997 and 2016). His 33-year tenure is tied with Rick Manning on TV, and the second longest in franchise history next to Score (34 years). Tom, joined in the radio booth with Jim Rosenhaus, calls the action and commentary for all 162 regular season games and 15 spring training contests on Newsradio WTAM 1100, 100.7 FM WMMS, and the 30-station Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Network.
Tom arrived in Cleveland after three seasons calling AAA Columbus Clippers action, the top farm club of the New York Yankees (1987-89). He started his broadcasting career calling minor league games across Wisconsin, as well as University of Wisconsin football games and University of Colorado basketball games. Tom called Big Ten basketball on television for 25 years. He is a member of the Press Club of Cleveland’s Hall of Fame and is a seven-time recipient of the Ohio Sportscaster of the Year Award (1997, 2000, ’01, ’04, ’06, ’13, and ’16).
Russo, Carol
Carol Russo
Induction Year : 2022
Sport: Volleyball
Thanks to Carol Russo’s passion, dedication and commitment, volleyball was Elyria High School’s most consistently successful sport over a two-decade period. It was her coaching and organizational prowess that boosted the Pioneers among the state’s most elite and respected programs. In 1996, the Pioneers posted a 28-1 record and became the first Elyria volleyball team to win a state semi-final game and play for the state championship. It was Russo’s third team to reach the state tournament. In addition to the state tournament runs, Russo’s teams won the district championships 14 times, and 18 conference titles across four leagues (Buckeye, Erie Shore, Lake Erie, and Pioneer).
In 27 years as a head volleyball coach, beginning her career at Mayfield and ending at Elyria Catholic, Russo posted a career record of 575-126. She won 20 or more games 20 times during her career. She was inducted into the Volleyball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Elyria Sports Hall of Fame in 1999, and was selected to the prestigious AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) Hall of Fame in 2012. Russo played volleyball for her mother, Sue, at Oberlin High School as well at The Ohio State University. Carol and her mother, Sue, were the first mother-daughter combination to coach teams in the Ohio state tournament.
Nageotte, Katie
Katie Nageotte
Induction Year : 2022
Sport: Track & Field
Katie Nageotte is the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the pole vault and only the third woman to win pole vault gold for the United States. She grew up in Olmsted Falls and attended Olmsted Falls High School and Ashland University (after spending her first two years at Dayton). Nageotte won the Gold in her first Olympics with a vault of 16 feet, 0-3/4 inches (4.9 meters) at the COVID-delayed games in 2021 in Tokyo. This year she won the World Championships with a vault of 15-11, and last year finished first in the Olympic Trials at 16-3. With hopes of competing in the Paris Olympics in 2024, she would have the chance to become the second woman ever to win consecutive gold medals in the pole vault.
Nageotte started competing in the pole vault in the seventh grade as Olympic sports always intrigued her, especially those involving adrenaline and upper body strength. She competed in gymnastics and thought that may be her path, but grew to love the pole vault when she competed for her middle school track team. As a high school senior, she was the 2009 OHSAA Division I champion. Nageotte won two NCAA Division II titles and was a three-time Division II All-American. She won gold at the 2018 U.S. Indoor Championships, silver at the 2019 U.S. Outdoor, gold at the ’19 U.S. Indoors and silver at the ’19 Indoor Championships. COVID knocked her back in 2020, but she persevered to break an Olympic Trials record in July of 2021 before going to capture gold in Tokyo.
Kosar, Bernie
Bernie Kosar
Induction Year : 2022
Sport: Football
Bernie Kosar remains one of the most beloved sports figures in Cleveland history. Raised in Boardman, Ohio, where he was a standout high school player, Kosar considered himself a “Cleveland guy” and worked with then-owner Art Modell to make his dream come true to play in a Cleveland Browns uniform. Graduating a year early from the University of Miami, Kosar and Modell used the NFL’s Supplemental Draft to bring him home and lead the Browns on the field at old Municipal Stadium. Kosar guided the Browns to three AFC Championship Games in nine seasons as quarterback. He ranks second in Browns history with 21,904 passing yards, completing 58.8 percent of his passes with 116 touchdowns and 81 interceptions.
Three times during his tenure with the Browns Kosar set records for most consecutive passes without an interception (286, 308 and 308). He took the franchise to the playoffs five times and threw for 489 yards in an overtime win over the NY Jets in 1987. He won a NCAA National Championship in his first season as the Miami Hurricanes’ starting QB, a thrilling Orange Bowl win over unbeaten and top-ranked Nebraska. Kosar won a Super Bowl ring as a member of the Dalles Cowboys in 1993.
Levine, Les
Les Levine
Induction Year : 2021
Sport: Media
Levine was the self-proclaimed “Voice of Truth & Reason;” a trailblazing multimedia talent who spent five decades with his pulse on the Cleveland sports scene.
He would broadcast more than 2,500 sporting events as lead play-by-play voice for the Cleveland Crusaders, Kent State University basketball and football, Cleveland State University basketball, Cleveland Thunderbolts, and various high school and collegiate games. Levine’s signature sports talk show “More Sports and Les Levine” was a fixture on radio and television virtually every weekday beginning in 1991 until his passing. He wrote a weekly sports column for The News Herald and was an Award-Winning columnist for the Cleveland Jewish News. Levine hosted the playoff postgame show on Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan during the Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 NBA Championship run, and he covered the victory parade celebrating Cleveland’s first professional sports title in 52 years.
Levine left behind an unparalleled media legacy in Ohio sports.
Deceased 2021
Ilgauskas, Zydrunas
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Induction Year : 2021
Sport: Basketball
Zydrunas llgauskas was drafted by the Cavaliers as the 20th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft and went on to play 12 seasons for the Wine and Gold, averaging 13.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks over a then-team record 771 games played.
The 7-3 center from Lithuania was twice an NBA All-Star (2003, 2005), a member of Cleveland’s back-to-back 60-win teams (66-16 in 2008-09; 61-21 in 2009-10), and six playoff teams, including the franchise’s first ever NBA Finals appearance in 2007.
llgauskas retired in 2011 and remains the Cavaliers’ all-time leader in offensive rebounds (2,336) and blocked shots (1,269) while ranking second in points scored (10,616), total rebounds (5,904), games played (771) and minutes (21,820), third in free throws made (2,495), and defensive rebounds (3,568) and fourth in field goals made (4,045). llgauskas is the only player in franchise history to accumulate 10,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 1,000 blocks over his career.
Z’s number 11 jersey is now retired and hangs in the rafters at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
Nance, Larry
Larry Nance
Induction Year : 2021
Sport: Basketball
Nance played his final seven NBA seasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers (1987-1994) after a six-year stint with the Phoenix Suns.
Known as “Leapin’ Larry” for the dunking prowess that made him the first-ever NBA Slam Dunk Champion in 1984 and for his strong shot-blocking skills, Nance made three NBA All-Star teams (1985, 1989, 1993), including twice with Cleveland. He helped the Wine & Gold reach the postseason six times. Nance appeared in 433 regular season games with the Cavaliers, averaging 16.8 points on .530 shooting from the field, 8.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and a team-record 2.5 blocks. Among the franchise’s all-time leaders, Nance ranks third in blocked shots (1,087) and field goal percentage (.530), ninth in points scored (7,257), rebounds (3,561) and field goals made (2,945), and 10th in minutes {(14,966) and free throws made (1,364). The 6-10 forward remains the lone player in Cavaliers history to make the NBA All-Defensive Team three times (1989, 1992 and 1993).
Larry’s number 22 jersey hangs in the rafters at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, while his son, Larry, Jr., now proudly wears 22 and continues the Nance legacy with the Cavaliers.
Curtis, Ben
Ben Curtis
Induction Year : 2021
Sport: Golf
Career Statistics
Ben Curtis is best known for winning the 2003 British Open Championship. Prior to the tournament, he was given 300-1 odds of winning the major championship. After sealing the one-stroke win at Royal St. George’s, Curtis leaped from a 396th ranking in the world to 35th, the highest jump of any player in golf history. The 2003 British Open Championship was Curtis’ first major championship appearance. With his victory, he became the first golfer since golf legend Francis Ouimet in 1913 (U.S. Open) to win his first major championship debut.
After the 2003 title, Curtis gained national attention when he appeared on the “Late Show with David Letterman,” hitting wedge shots rooftop to rooftop during the telecast. He visited President George W. Bush at the White House as well. In 2008, Curtis was a member of the victorious USA Ryder Cup team. In the Sunday singles matches Curtis defeated Lee Westwood 2-1 to secure the victory and bring the Cup back to U.S. soil for the first time since 1999.
Curtis graduated from Kent State University where he was a three-time All-American. He was inducted into the Mid-American Hall of Fame in 2012. Additional PGA Tour wins include the Booz Allen Classic and the 84 Lumber Classic (2006) and the Valero Texas Open (2012).
In 2018, Curtis retired from the PGA Tour and launched the Ben Curtis Golf Academy at The Country Club of Hudson (OH). He and his wife, Candace, established the Ben Curtis Family Foundation in 2013 with a mission to end childhood hunger in Portage and Summit counties.
Moss, Rob
Rob Moss
Induction Year : 2019
Sport: Golf
When it came to the leaderboard at high-profile amateur and professional golf tournaments in Northeast Ohio, you could count on seeing the name Rob Moss at the top.
In record-setting fashion, the left-handed Moss became the first player to win the Professional Golf Association’s Northern Ohio Section Championship for five straight years from 2010 to 2014, winning at different area courses along the way. The Kent State University product matched those victories to be named the Northern Ohio PGA Player of the Year five times (2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2013).
He was the organization’s Professional of Year in 2010 and was a two-time recipient of the Bill Strausbaugh Award. He won the Ohio Open in 1999 and 2001 to further solidify his status as an elite player. He won the Ohio Open three times (1999, 2001 and 2005).
With his section championships, he participated at national PGA Championships in 2005 (Baltrusol), 2010 (Whistling Straits) and 2011 (Atlanta).
His professional career began with seasons on the Asian Tour (1994-98), South American Tour (1998) and the former Nike Tour (1996, 2000). As a senior player, he qualified for the 2019 Senior PGA Championship at Ohio Hill C.C. in Rochester, N.Y.
While at Kent State, he won the Ohio Amateur title at Moraine C.C. in 1989. With the Golden Flashes, he was an Academic All-American in 1989 and 1990. He graduated with a degree in Business Administration.
He began his club professional career as an assistant at Lakewood C.C. (2001-2004) and head professional at Elyria C.C. (2005-2008). He then moved to The Pepper Pike Club (2009-present).
His accomplishments earned him induction into halls of fame at Kent State (1999), Parma Athletic (2000), Padua Franciscan High School (2004) and the Northern Ohio Golf Association (2015).
He lives in Broadview Heights with his wife, Darci, and three sons.
Lucci, Tom
Tom Lucci
Induction Year : 2019
Sport: Tennis
A straight set humbling in a junior tournament and the subsequent lonely walk back home played major roles in shaping the tennis career of Tom Lucci.
Lucci was only 14 and the tournament was his first. He lost all 12 games he played. The zeroes on the scoreboard motivated him to much bigger and better results, so much so that Lucci’s commitment has led to a trove of championships and honors.
He is the 18th inductee into the tennis wing of the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame.
Lucci was prominent while competing in high school, college, on the Association of Tennis Professional Tour, and in United States Tennis Association play.
His championship run began at the scholastic level when Lucci led Youngstown Chaney High School to three City Series titles (‘74 thru ‘76) as the team’s captain and co-MVP.
At the University of Central Florida, Lucci was part of a nationally ranked team that won a trio of Sunshine State Conference championships. Again, he was a team captain and MVP.
Like a fine wine, Lucci has gotten better with age. He has won nine USTA national championships, three as a single player and six in doubles, stretching from the 40 age group to the 60s.
Lucci continues to captain the USA’s Gordon Trophy team for a competition that originated in 1949 and pits the United States against Canada for players 45 and older. Established after World War II, the Gordon Trophy has been played annually. It is a team competition between Canada and the United States and features the highest caliber of tennis for players 45 and older. The Gordon Trophy’s long history has been held at some of the finest Clubs as the competition has alternated between Canada and the United States.