The hall of fame efforts, cancelled the last three years due to the pandemic, nonetheless honored a very distinguished group.
Game photos click here.
The hall of fame efforts, cancelled the last three years due to the pandemic, nonetheless honored a very distinguished group.
Robert Pence (1948) excelled in everything he did during his days as a Burton Maple Leaf.
He went on to serve his country in the military before a career as a horse racing leader. Sadly, he was not able to see his efforts to full appreciation, as he passed from pancreatic cancer in June 2013.
Travis Porter (2008) was born into a wrestling family of historic proportions in Geauga County.
Porter also played some pretty good football for Berkshire High. Wrestling was his passion, though.
He was state champion at 215 pounds as a senior, and was a three-time state qualifier. Local honors were numerous, and he had plenty of family competition on the mats; six family members placed at the state levels, with uncles Chip (1987) and Brian (1979) claiming state titles to provide his inspiration.
“Wrestling was my whole life back then,” Porter said after being honored. “I’d wake up in the morning, head to practice early before school, then go back to practice after school to improve myself.” Regarding the current new digs for the Berkshire community, he spoke with pride.
“I’m not sure, but there was talk 15 or so years ago about new buildings,” Porter said. “This project got going back then, but putting it all together took a lot of time. But this place sure is a beautiful setting. This entire process in wrestling has been my whole family life, and it could not have come to this point without whole community support.”
Sarah Zeleznikar (2007) was honored for a superb softball career for the Badgers. She was forced to leave the ceremony early and missed out on her introduction in front of a huge crowd.
Meghan Wright (2011) excelled on both the volleyball and basketball courts for Berkshire. She earned first team All-Ohio honors in both sports before moving on to Siena College on a full ride volleyball scholarship. Today she works as an oncology therapist at Radiation Oncology, supporting cancer patients.
Tim Goff (2012) terrorized opponents on the basketball courts for four years at Berkshire. He then took his talents to Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia where he was a captain on the team for three years while earning a degree in marketing. He now resides with his wife, Alexa, and family pooch Lady May in Westerville, where he is an advisor for Payne and Brown Insurance.
Goff’s experience in Burton left a lasting impression.
“This honor just brings me full circle in life,” Goff said. “I am part of eight generations of family living here in Burton, so this community will always be home for me and my family. Even though I’m now living outside of Columbus, which is a different atmosphere than a small town like Burton, this just means so much for me to be proud of, and this new school building is just such a great thing for the whole community to be proud of as well. It’s fantastic, just as good as many college campuses.”
Kayla Byler (2013) also was a star on Berkshire’s volleyball and basketball courts alike. She, too, earned All-Ohio honors and led her teams to stellar seasons. Her college career took her to Slippery Rock and Cleveland State, then to higher degrees in finance at Belmont University. Now her masters degree in sports management has taken her to Nashville, Tennessee, where she puts her community values learned in Burton to work in the Nashville area.
Kyle Storm (2015) put his skills to work on the gridiron and tracks of the area. He earned many honors, capped with a state title in the 400 meter run in 2015. After studies at Kent State in pre-medicine/biology, he now attends the University of Toledo College of Medicine, where he hopes to earn his MD certificate this spring. He plans to go into further studies in pulmonary/critical care activities. He still loves to run as well.
