Peters new athletic director at YSHS
- Published: August 21, 2008
Long time cross country head coach and assistant track coach Vince Peters was approved by the school board at its Aug. 14 meeting as the new Yellow Springs High School/McKinney School athletic director. Peters has coached running at the high school for 25 years.
Tracked down on the athletic fields recently, Peters was already hard at work laying lines for a football scrimmage and warming up his cross country runners before their daily run. He had also just finished painting his new office.
“Painting lines is just one of the athletic director’s duties,” Peters said. His job also includes such things as requisitioning for items ranging from paint, to porta-johns, to golf caps, and scheduling games and officials.
“Luckily, for the start of this season most of it has already been done by Chris Rainey, who did an excellent job as AD over the years,” he said.
Peters, who has also coached at the Miami Valley Track Club (MVTC) since 1979, retired three years ago from the Aerospace Division of Ball Corp. After getting out of the Air Force, he obtained a degree in math and computer science from Wright State and settled in the area. He ended up in Yellow Springs in 1982, when Gudgel, who in his capacity as track coach had been bringing runners to MVTC for summer programs, asked Peters to fill a vacant coaching position at the high school. The success of the high school’s track and cross country teams during that period is legendary.
In a recent interview, former YSHS state 1600 and 800 meter champion and current Big Ten 1500 meter champion, Sam Borchers said, “Vince is incredibly connected. All the coaches know him. He should be coaching at a college.”
Not surprisingly, Peter’s own two children who attended YSHS have had great success as track athletes. Daughter Tina, a high school race walking champion, is at Goshen College in Indiana. She recently competed for the U.S. team in Mexico, where she came in fourth against teams from North and Central America. She is an Olympic hopeful for the 2012 team. Son Andy graduated from YSHS this year and will attend St. Xavier University in Chicago on a combined track and cross country scholarship.
Peters, who was named Metro Buckeye Conference Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2006, serves on the board of directors of USA Track and Field and is the the national chairman of USA Race Walking.
“Vince is dedicated to the young people of Yellow Springs, not only as pertains to cross country and track,” Gudgel said in a recent interview. “His own kids were involved in a number of other activities at the high school, including other sports, and Vince was a regular supporter at basketball and soccer games.”
In other school board business:
• Board member Ann Erickson, standing in for board Chair Aida Merhemic, presented retiring math teacher Chris Rainey with a plaque honoring him for his 35 years of service. Rainey is also the outgoing athletic director.
• The board accepted the resignation of school nurse Susan Praeger with thanks for her 28 years of service.
• Elisabeth Ventling Simon was approved for a one-year limited contract as a part-time (.71 FTE) Art Teacher at YSHS/McKinney School, Level III Step 8, for the 2008–2009 school year.
• The board approved a 25 cent increase in the price of lunch, including milk, at Mills Lawn School to $2.50.
• The board approved a 25 cent increase in the price of lunch, including milk, at YSHS/McKinney School to $2.75.
• The board approved the following substitutes for the 2008–2009 school year: teachers at $80 per day/$40 per half day are Robert Hardin, Luan Heit, Margaret Johnson, Shirley Martin, Natalie Noble and Kari Tulecke; aides at $10 per hour are Carl Bradley, Karen Hammond, Shirley Martin and Ted Wasserman.; secretaries at $10 per hour are Karen Hammond and Shirley Martin; custodians at $10 per hour are Mindy Partee and Larry Shaffer.
• The following were approved for district one-year non-certificated co-curricular contracts: Peter Dierauer (seventh/ eighth grade boys track coach, $959), Jim Hardman (head boys soccer coach, $4,130), Isabelle Drierauer (seventh/eighth grade girls track coach, $959), Judy Parker (seventh grade volleyball coach, $1,211), Vince Peters (head girls track coach, $4,130), Roberta Perry (site manager, $1,513), Vince Peters (head cross country coach, $4,130), Vince Peters (athletic director, $5,448), Mike Reichart (golf coach, $1,816), Don Nowak (MLS Webmaster, $959), Don Nowak (district Webmaster, $1,086).
• The following were approved for district one-year non-certificated co-curricular contracts subject to pending BCI and/or FBI background checks: Jay Jones (head football coach, $3,128), Mike Galiardi (assistant football coach, $2,119), Craig McCann (assistant football coach, $2,119), Ben Van Ausdal (assistant boys soccer coach, $2,119), Ryan Berning (reserve volleyball coach, $1,211), Crystal Hannah (8th Grade Volleyball Coach, $1,211).
• The board accepted with “great appreciation” the donation of an elliptical bike and a multi-press weight machine from The Antioch Company for use in the YSHS/McKinney School fitness room.
• Schools Treasurer Joy Kitzmiller reported that July receipts from the income tax went down 2.8 percent. This is the first time there has been a decrease in the July payment since the schools had an income tax, she said. However, she reported that there was a 5 percent decrease in the health insurance premium due to the new insurance plan that was worked out in teacher contract negotiations. A final draft of the new employee handbook is almost ready and will go out next week, she said. This is the first time the district has had an employee handbook.
• School Superintendent Norm Glismann said that the open enrollment figures continued to be strong enough to support the new teachers at Mills Lawn School. A few students had withdrawn due to the increased expense of driving to Yellow Springs, but they were being replaced by new applicants, Glismann said. He reported that the YSHS ACT scores from last year exceeded the state average.
• Sean Creighton reported that the YS Promise Committee has had three meetings and developed an organizing process and has been discussing the best option for our community. They have targeted November for a recommendation.
• The second board meeting of the month was canceled, noting that there will be a second meeting of the month in September that will serve as a committee of the whole for community discussion.
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