His trainer at the University of Michigan said of Dull, "The boy was ambitious to run but I ...thought there was no hope for success." Contrary to his trainer's impression, Dull did succeed, going on to run in the 1908 Olympic Games, participating in the the 3200 meter steeplechase as an individual and in the 3-mile team run, the squad consisting of 5 runners. While not medaling in the steeplechase, finishing second in his heat thus not moving on to the finals, Dull did earn a medal in the team race, which was scored like cross country is today with the places of each nation's top three finishers being combined to determine the final standings. Though Dull was not among the top three finishers, he and the other US runners did earn silver medals.

 After leaving Michigan Dull moved to Pittsburgh and continued to run as part of the newly formed Pittsburgh Athletic Association. According to June 7, 1912, edition of The Pittsburgh Press, Gayle, the "national junior five-mile champion of the United States," would be joining another area man (Emil Marshall, a 179-pound Greco-Roman wrestler) in an attempt to qualify for the 1912 Olympics, entering the 3000 meter run. The newspaper noted that "Both young men are in excellent physical condition, and are confident of making a favorable impression on the members of the team selection committee at the Chicago tryouts." Sadly, Dull did not qualify for his second Olympics.

Born May 4, 1883, in Galion, Dull attended city schools and played a significant role in sports within the system. According to The Annual 1903, when Galion was encouraged to take part in athletic meets to foster school spirit, "Dull '03, was chosen president of the association" that was formed in 1901. During the 1902 football season, Dull was the captain of the football team, playing halfback on a squad which finished 4-0-1. (Dull is pictured in the center of the yearbook's team photo, holding a football with the inscription "G.H.S. 1902.") When Galion was invited to participate in a field meet in Mansfield in 1902, Dull was asked to captain the track team that would compete. The Annual reported that he tried hard to recruit schoolmates to join him, but only one other Galionite participated. Dull took a first and two thirds and his teammate added two seconds. Together, they finished third in the team standings. And when basketball was started (1902-3), Dull was chosen as captain of the team. He was obviously an all-round athlete.

Gayle Dull's father was a train master in Galion but was transferred to Michigan. Dull and his mother stayed in Galion until his graduation and then joined his father in Michigan where Gayle enrolled at the University and continued his athletic pursuits. He eventually moved to Pittsburgh and coached at Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon). Married and the father of two children, Dull died October 6, 1918, from complications following surgery for appendicitis.

Thanks to Andee Barnett, Galion Historical Society,

for her assistance in compiling this material.

Born in Galion, Ohio, on November 22, 1922, William R. Durtschi returned to his hometown as a teacher, coach and, later, businessman following his college and military years. While at GHS, Durtschi "...was active in numerous clubs and team sports but excelled in football." In 1937 Bill, a sophomore halfback, averaged 8 yards a carry and earned All-NCOL second team honors. In 1938 he led the area in scoring and was named First Team All-NCOL running back; and in 1939, he again earned First Team NCOL honors. The ‘37 and ‘38 teams were the NCOL champions.

After graduating from high school in 1940, Bill was recruited by Ohio State University, where he played for Paul Brown. Enrolled in the College of Education, Bill played freshman football that fall. In 1942, Bill played halfback on both offense and defense and also served as the team's punter. Unfortunately, he sustained a knee injury in the 1942 game against Southern California, ending his playing career. The ‘42 team earned the school's sixth conference title and OSU's first national title. (Coincidentally, two of his 1942 Buckeye teammates, Cecil Souders of Bucyrus and Robert Frye of Crestline, had been high school opponents.)

In 1943 Durtschi entered military service but re-injured his knee and was given a medical discharge. He then returned to OSU, graduated in 1948 and took a job at Newcomerstown where he taught physical education and coached football and basketball. As the head coach in 1949, Bill led the team to its first league championship in twenty years. He then became the backfield coach for four years at Cuyahoga Falls, and in 1956, he replaced Earl Bruce as assistant coach for football, basketball and baseball at Mansfield Senior.

In 1957 Bill returned to his hometown, accepting the Tigers' head coaching job. Taking command of a team that had not won a game the previous year, Bill's teams earned consecutive NOL titles (‘57 & ‘58). Not without adversity, though, the 1957 team had to deal with a flu outbreak that postponed games and also suffered the loss of the team's uniforms and equipment as the field house burned to the ground. Despite the problems, the 1957 Tigers became the first unbeaten team since 1944. And the 1958 team, the first to use the new Heise Park facility, not only won a second title but also stretched the school record unbeaten streak to 19 games. Bill retired from coaching in 1961 and later became the Galion AD. In 1982, after 34 years of teaching and coaching, Bill retired from education but continued his Durtschi Real Estate business.

He and his wife Betty, parents of three sons (Bill, Bob and Dave) and grandparents of five, later moved to Florida. Staying connected with the 1942 OSU team, Durtschi attended team reunions every five years in Columbus with his teammates and their coach Paul Brown.

In summing up Durtschi's life, his daughter-in-law Donna Durtschi wrote of him:

Bill's heart was always in Galion and with the Ohio State Buckeyes as he rarely missed attending a game. He was a hard-working coach who was dedicated to his players, teammates and, most of all, his family. Bill credited the success of the 1942 OSU team to the players' ability to put the team above the individual. A team composed of multiple nationalities and religious creeds were united in contributing to a winning environment. Bill carried this team philosophy throughout his years as a leader on the field and in the classroom. He believed that there were no role models as impressive to young people as Paul Brown and his 1942 team. He once was asked why he coached, "I'll never regret coaching. I met a lot of wonderful people and I saw a lot of boys grow up to be fine young men. That itself is reward enough.

Bill passed away on July 13, 1994.

Information compiled and submitted by Donna Durtschi

Born January 7, 1957, Kevin Arnold, the youngest of Arlene and Jack Arnold's six sons, moved to Galion in 1968, attended North Elementary and graduated with the Class of 1975. While at the high school, Kevin displayed leadership skills right from the start, serving as Sophomore Class Treasurer, Junior Class President and Student Council Representative, and Yearbook Business Manager as a Senior. As a junior, Arnold was chosen to attend Buckeye Boys State; and the next year he earned the award for having the highest GPA among senior athletes. In addition, he served as the basketball team manager his sophomore and junior years and played tennis all four years (Varsity 11th and 12th grades) and lists his coach, Mr. James Erf, among his favorite teachers. (Others named were Mrs. Meyers and Mr. Daly.) For his all round abilities, he was recognized with induction into the National Honor Society, and his classmates chose him to speak at graduation. Following high school, Kevin earned a BS (Cum Laude) in 1979 from Grace College, his MS (1981) and a Ph.D. (1983) from The Ohio State University.

After leaving OSU, Kevin went into practice as a psychologist, eventually opening The Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy, which has been recognized as "a national model of innovation in practice management." Arnold has served his community in diverse ways, including founding the Parenting Coordination task force in Franklin county to assist children of divorce who were being exposed to harmful parental conflicts. Later, he served on the Ohio Supreme Court Task Force on Alternative Dispute Resolution. He has been active in the Ohio Psychological Association programs, workshops, committees and as an officer. According to the biographical information submitted with his nomination, Kevin is "...a leader in professional psychology specialization" and his efforts have "...led to the first ever summit in professional psychology on specialty among all the major national organizations." The author of numerous articles published in leading psychology journals, Arnold has also been a presenter for over 30 years at state and national conventions, has appeared on a number of radio and television programs and has served as a columnist for Columbus Parenting magazine. Over his career he has been recognized for his work, receiving the President's Award from the Ohio Psychology Associationn (2002); the President's Award from the Ohio Board of Psychology (2007); the Distinguished Service to a Specialty Board, from the American Board of Professional Psychology and the Heiser Award for advocacy work from the American Psychology Association (both 2016).

Arnold says Galion "taught him his sense of community and commitment to friends and family" and notes that "if he's successful in anything, it's due in part to what he learned in high school and while working at Clancy's." He also credits Galion with giving him "the skills to succeed, to think creatively and for giving him his best friend, Mike Jokerst." Arnold has identified their friendship "...the most significant gift from his class." They worked on projects and traveled together for many years, and when Jokerst was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Kevin was with Mike for many of the cancer treatments. Eventually, Kevin was with his friend one last time, and he and another friend, Bill Mechling, spoke at Jokerst's funeral.

Currently Kevin not only owns and operates the Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy in Columbus, but also is a Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiartry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University. He and his wife Melissa Wervey Arnold are the parents of two, a son Connor (who coincidentally will serve this year as a student council member at his school - shades of dad?) and a daughter, Alexandra. According to Jackie Lamb, one of his high school classmates, Kevin is "someone who hasn't forgotten where he comes from. He is just an all round good guy who is very thoughtful, likes to laugh and tells the funniest stories."

The son of Bob and Ruth Wegesin, Jim Wegesin grew up in Delphos, OH, and attended St. John's schools. In high school, he earned 3 letters, served as captain and was named All Conference in his favorite sport, football. A member of NHS, Wegesin was also chess and judo champion and president of FTA. In 1968 he entered Findlay, majoring in HPER and minoring in General Science. He earned 3 letters in football and wrestling, was football team captain (1972) and named All Conference and All District in football in 1971 and 1972. Earning his BS in November 1972, he married Elaine Bayman, also from Delphos, on December 2, 1972, and was hired at Galion in late January 1973. There, he coached varsity football and YMCA and middle school wrestling and middle school track. Wegesin later became head wrestling coach, serving from 1977 to 1999. Since retiring as head coach, Jim has continued as an assistant.

In his 43 years of teaching and coaching, Wegesin has received a number of honors, including Coach of the Year awards from Findlay College (Wrestling Alumni 1983-84 and 1985-86) and North Central Ohio Wrestling Officials (1984-85 and 1985-86). Jim was recognized as the Bell Ringer Award winner (Galion Schools 1986) and the B.E.S.T. (Business/Education Student Teacher) honoree (Crawford County 2003). In 2012 he was the recipient of the J. C. Gorman Coaches Dedication Award. While serving as either the head coach or as an assistant, his GHS wrestling teams have won 6 NOL Team Championships (1978, '80, '84, '85, '86 and '87) as well as one NCC Championship (2013-14). Under his tutelage Galion wrestlers have earned 102 individual league championships, with 52 qualifying for the state meet. Twenty, including 1 Runner Up and 4 State Champions, have placed. In addition, two became High School "All Americans."

Wegesin's influence has ranged far beyond the halls of Galion Middle School and the mats of the Galion Wrestling Program. When interviewed, he noted, "It is not about me. It is about the athletes I coached and what they've accomplished after leaving high school." And those achievements at the college level and elsewhere are significant: Ten Academic All-Americans, eight All-Americans, one NCAA Champion, one Big 10 Champion, and one Big 10 Runner-up. In addition, two have been named Hall of Fame inductees at their respective universities. Eight went on to become head wrestling coaches, including two who came home to Galion. Dozens of others have worked as assistant wrestling coaches and five have become referees, with two working state meets. One is now a rules interpreter for the state as well.

The father of two sons, Wegesin and his wife have five grandchildren with whom he hopes to spend more time now that he is retired from the classroom. Perhaps some of them will follow in his footsteps. In the meantime, Jim hopes to coach six more years and influence many more youngsters as they pass through the Galion Wrestling Program to which he has dedicated so much of his adult life.