2016 Hall of Fame Class Announced
Six outstanding athletes and a former professor will be recognized at the The University of Findlay’s annual Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony to be held Saturday, Jan. 23 at Winenbrenner Theological Seminary’s TLB Auditorium.
This year’s alumni inductees will include former wrestling standout Quantres Bates ’00, award-winning golfer David Grove ’95, football star Alan Baumlein ’87, stellar basketball player Kyle Hunt ’02, swimming sensation Brad Algiere ’00, and decorated indoor and outdoor runner Andrea (Morgan) Zechella ’03. David Wallach, a former UF math teacher who also assisted a great deal with Oiler athletics, will posthumously receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Doors will open at 10:15 a.m. and the induction/luncheon will begin at 11 a.m. The registration fee is $25 for adults, $15 for minors and free for children ages 6 and younger. UF Athletic Hall of Fame members will be admitted free. To register in advance, visit www.findlay.edu/alumni or call (419) 434-4516. It will also be possible to register at the door on the morning of the event.
Quantres Bates won 93 matches during his three seasons of wrestling at Findlay and amassed a number of impressive accolades. He is one of a handful of “Roughnecks” who earned multiple national titles and All-America honors for the Oilers.
Competing in the 118-pound class, Bates finished 5th at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) championships in 1997, and returned the next year to capture a national title. During his third season in 1999, Bates competed in the 133-pound class and repeated as a national champion while Findlay finished as runner-up in the NAIA. In each of his three seasons as an Oilers Roughneck, Bates earned NAIA All-America honors. His name appears in the UF record book in the fourth position with 116 single-season takedowns and fifth with 296 career takedowns.
After transferring to National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I Oklahoma for his final season of eligibility, Bates posted a 34-3 record and was named Big 12 Player of the Week on two occasions for the Big 12 Conference champions. During his four seasons as a collegiate wrestler, Bates accumulated an overall record of 127-26.
Bates has served as a youth wrestling coach where he has demonstrated his philosophy: “Sports is a great tool for young kids to help them learn how to set goals, make plans to achieve their goals and foster the team atmosphere.”
A region manager for Speedway, Bates and his wife, Sarah live in Fishers, Indiana with their children, Trey and Alyssa.
Grove finished in the top 10 in half of the 26 tournaments in which he represented the Oilers. He was a medalist on seven occasions, which ranks second all-time at Findlay. Grove’s career scoring average of 78.51 places him in the 18th position all-time for UF men’s golf. A model student athlete, Grove earned the program’s first NAIA Academic All-America award for the 1993-1994 season. That same year, he was named Aristos Eklektos junior of the year at Findlay.
Grove graduated in three and one half years with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and completed his MBA in 2005. He had certainly demonstrated his belief that “sports allow one the opportunity to learn how to handle success, failure and adversity, all of which help an individual in life.”
An employee of the Ohio Mutual Insurance Group for 15 years, Grove currently serves as vice president of product management.
He has served on the Galion Country Club Board of Directors, completed the executive education program at the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, and was selected to serve on the Insurance Services Office (ISO) 2015 Actuarial Panel.
Grove and his wife of 21 years, Missi, live in Bucyrus, Ohio, and have two adult daughters, Hannah Woods and Chloe Grove.
Alan Baumlein was named Ohio Class A Lineman of the Year, as well as a first-team All-Ohio linebacker while playing for McComb High School. He was a cornerstone of an emerging football powerhouse at the school. Baumlein continued to earn accolades while performing at linebacker for the Oilers.
At Findlay, Baumlein was named a two-time all-district and three-time all-conference performer, along with being voted as a team captain in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. During his sophomore and junior seasons, Baumlein was the key to an Oilers’ defense that ranked second in the nation as he led the Findlay defense in tackles and interceptions. As a senior, Baumlein recorded a school-record 128 tackles to go along with six sacks, 10 tackles for loss, a blocked punt and five interceptions. During Baumlein’s career, the Oilers forged a record of 29 wins and 10 losses, won a Hoosier-Buckeye Conference championship in 1984-85 and made three appearances in the NAIA Playoffs.
Baumlein offers the following reflection; “There is rarely a day that goes by, even yet today that I don’t come across at least one situation or decision that isn’t affected by the influence that football had on my life. Being part of a team, a band of brothers, and leaving it all out there for each other is one of my greatest appreciations of football.”
Baumlein serves as the Executive Pastor at Christ’s Church in Mason, Ohio where he resides with his wife, Tina and children Nikolaus and Rebekah.
Kyle Hunt ranks sixth amongst a group of very talented scorers in Findlay basketball history with a total of 1,840 points. A well-rounded player, Hunt’s scoring average of 16.3 points per game is nicely balanced by his 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. He scored a career-high 42 points in a game during his junior season, and netted a total of 540 points while a senior.
As a sophomore, Hunt was named NAIA all-American. He was a first-team all-GLIAC selection in both 2001 and 2002, and was named Daktronics Midwest Region first team in 2001, and second team in 2002. The Oilers posted a record of 78-36 during Hunt’s career, and earned a berth at both the NAIA Division I Tournament and the NCAA Division II Tournament.
During a team trip to Phoenix, Arizona during Hunt’s junior year, he was reminded of the value of participating in team sports. “We were a close-knit group and to be able to get away and just play some teams from out west while building team camaraderie really cemented our trust in one another,” he recalls.
Hunt serves as a Business Development Representative for the digital marketing company, Hibu. He and his wife, Kati live in Perrysburg, Ohio with their children Kasey, Kamryn, Kali and Krosby.
Brad Algiere was the first national champion in the Findlay swimming program, winning the 200-yard butterfly in 1996 and again in 1997 at the NAIA national championship meet.
Algiere earned NAIA All-America honors on 19 occasions, including 13 top-five finishes, and his name still appears in the Findlay swimming archive as a member of the record-holding teams in the 400-yard medley relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay. At one time, Algiere was also the UF record holder in the 500-yard freestyle as well as the 100-yard and 200-yard butterfly.
While swimming competitively, Algiere was inhibited by poor eyesight. During his first national championship experience, while swimming in the 200-yard butterfly finals, Algiere finished the race strongly but was unable to read the distant scoreboard. The two young ladies keeping time behind the starting block were puzzled that Algiere was not celebrating and informed him that he had won the event and Findlay’s first national championship in swimming.
The decorated Findlay swimmer offers the observation; “Sports foster dedication and discipline that can be used for the remainder of your life.” Algiere has practiced this philosophy while currently serving as the Director of Management Accounting for DPT Labs. Algiere and his wife of 14 years, Stephanie, reside in San Antonio, Texas with daughters Kristi and Samantha.
Andrea (Morgan) Zechella was a decorated indoor and outdoor runner at The University of Findlay. She earned all-American honors on four occasions, twice each in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the National Collegiate Athletics Association.
The pinnacle achievement for Zechella was as a member of the NAIA National Champion 4 by 800-meter outdoor relay team in 2000. Individually, she was runner-up in the NCAA division II 800-meter outdoor race in 2003 and recorded what remains the fifth-ranked time in the event.
Zechella still holds Findlay records in the indoor 400-meter, 600-meter and 1000-meter events, as well as the outdoor 800-meter run. She credits the Oilers coaching staff for helping her to formulate and then fulfill her philosophy of “Go hard or go home!” Zechella distinctly recalls the sound of Coach Marc Arce’s voice encouraging her during the final 300 meters of the half-mile race. Coach Lisa Klingshirn motivated Zechella to move beyond her fears and doubts about her abilities. Because of this encouragement, upon graduation from The University of Findlay, Zechella was invited to train with the Nike Farm Team where she met the B standard for the 2004 Olympic Trials in the 800-meter race.
Zechella currently serves as an Application Analyst for the University of Cincinnati in the Information Systems and Technology Department. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her son, Vinny and daughter, Madison.
The youngest of four sons, born and raised in Toronto, Ohio, Dave Wallach received his bachelor’s degree from Wright State University and master’s from Rutgers University.
Wallach began his math teaching career in the New Knoxville, Ohio school system, moved on to teach math in Piqua, Ohio and joined the Math Department Faculty at The University of Findlay in 1984. During his career he received many honors and much recognition in the mathematics field. At UF, he served as Chair of the Division of Math and Computer Sciences, taught nearly every math course offered, developed the Concepts and Foundations course, and was co-originator of Mathematics Day.
In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Wallach was a loyal supporter of all Oilers athletic programs. From 1987 until 2002, he served as the faculty athletic representative, overseeing student-athlete eligibility and reviewing transcripts of transfer students. During this time he assisted in guiding UF’s transition from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, acting as the liaison between the governing bodies and The University of Findlay. He was also the voice of the Marching Oiler Brass at football games.
Wallach loved attending UF athletic events, at home and away, and was especially enthusiastic at basketball games. He could be found in the front row, under the basket, cheering on his Oilers. He was well known to most GLIAC referees for the “help” he provided on calls. Wallach was recognized by the UF Athletic Department and basketball team in 2008 for his support with the presentation of a basketball signed by all of the coaches and players. His photo hangs behind the bleachers as a reminder to the UF team, the opponents, and the referees that he is still cheering and watching.