Eight athletes, coaches and sports figures with ties to Logan County are being recognized for their contributions to athletics as part of the 2026 Ohio Sports Hall of Fame class.
The inductees include individuals who were born in Logan County, competed at the highest levels of their sports or spent significant portions of their careers coaching and mentoring local athletes. Their accomplishments span baseball, football, basketball, track and field, and professional sports.
The 2026 class includes Mark Brunswick, Gail Clark, Greg Peitsmeyer, Jonathon Miller, Ed Ratleff, Ann Vogel, Jesse Williams and Clive Rush. The induction ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, October 17, at the Dayton Convention Center.
Mark Brunswick built an accomplished career as a baseball coach and educator. He coached Bellefontaine High School baseball for 24 years before continuing his coaching career at Marysville and Lehman Catholic. Brunswick finished with more than 500 career victories, including a 502-165 record, 14 league championships and two state Final Four appearances with Bellefontaine in 2004 and 2006. More than 90 of his players went on to play college or professional baseball. He also spent 29 years teaching at Bellefontaine High School.
Gail Clark was a standout football player at Bellefontaine High School before continuing his career at Michigan State University. A 1969 Bellefontaine graduate, Clark earned All-America and All-Big Ten honors before being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 1973 NFL Draft. He played professionally for the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots before returning to Bellefontaine, where he coached high school football for many years. Clark died on July 3, 2026, at age 75.
Greg Peitsmeyer devoted much of his professional life to Bellefontaine athletics and education. After graduating from Wright State University and earning advanced degrees in education, he spent his career as a teacher, administrator and football coach at Bellefontaine High School. His 25-year coaching career included 10 years as an assistant before he became head coach of the Chieftains in 1988. He led the program through the 2002 season and retired from Bellefontaine High School in 2011. Peitsmeyer died in January 2015 at age 60.
Jonathon Miller is a 1999 graduate of Bellefontaine High School whose career in semi-professional baseball earned him recognition in this year’s Hall of Fame class. Miller played for the Louisville Stallions, becoming the team’s all-time home run leader, and was inducted into the National Semi-Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in July 2025. He also served as a backup quarterback at the University of Louisville and helped Chris Herren establish a Louisville chapter of Project Purple, an initiative supporting young people affected by mental health and addiction issues in their families.
Project Purple was inspired by Herren’s visit to a Rhode Island high school, where students pledged to remain free of drugs and alcohol. The initiative encourages young people to stay true to themselves, reduce the stigma surrounding substance use and build healthy coping skills. It has since evolved into Herren Project Clubs, which provide school-based peer support, wellness activities and community events.
Ed Ratleff, born in Bellefontaine in 1950, achieved success in multiple sports before becoming one of the area’s most accomplished basketball players. He became the first player in Ohio history to win state championships in basketball and football in the same year. Ratleff later starred at California State University, Long Beach, earning two-time first-team All-American honors and competing for the United States at the 1972 Summer Olympics. The Houston Rockets selected him sixth overall in the 1973 NBA Draft, and he played five seasons in the NBA.
Ann Vogel established herself as one of the most successful coaches in West Liberty-Salem history during a 32-year career leading the school’s cross country and track and field programs. Her teams captured three Ohio High School Athletic Association state championships, including two in girls track and field and one in girls cross country. Her programs also earned numerous conference, district and regional championships. Vogel retired from coaching in 2024, leaving a legacy of athletic achievement and student development.
Jesse Williams, a 1969 Bellefontaine High School graduate, was one of Logan County’s standout football players. A four-year varsity running back for the Chieftains, Williams earned a football scholarship to Michigan State, where he joined former Bellefontaine teammate Gail Clark. A knee injury affected his college playing career, but Williams later built a successful career in business and claims management. He died in 2020 and will be honored posthumously.
Clive Rush, born in DeGraff on February 14, 1931, went on to a career in football as both a player and coach. He played college football at Miami University and spent one season with the Green Bay Packers in 1953. Rush later coached at several major college programs, including Ohio State and Oklahoma, before becoming head coach at the University of Toledo from 1960 to 1962. He later joined the New York Jets coaching staff and helped develop the offensive game plan for the team’s victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Rush became head coach of the Boston Patriots in 1969 and continued in professional and collegiate coaching roles before leaving the game. He died in 1980.
Together, the eight inductees represent generations of athletic achievement and dedication to sports. Their paths took them from local schools and playing fields to college championships, professional leagues and coaching careers that influenced athletes across Ohio and beyond.
Their induction into the Ohio Sports Hall of Fame recognizes not only their individual accomplishments, but also the lasting connection between Logan County and Ohio’s rich sporting tradition.
