Findlay, Ohio, April 1, 2003 — The University of Findlay’s Athletic Hall of Fame will induct eight individuals on Friday, April 11, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Alumni Memorial Union.

Tickets for the meal and induction ceremony are available for $20 for adults and $15 for children ages 6 to 12. Children under five are admitted for free. Those wanting to attend can call the Office of Athletics at 419-434-4663 for tickets.

Inductees for this year are Ben Finch Jr. ‘78, Otis G. Smith Jr. ‘94, Denny Maag ‘80, Tiajuana N. Newell ’93, Dennis J. Guerra ‘79, Cheri Harrer ‘85, Paul Trina ’80 and Bob Heitkamp ’93.

Findlay football started to gain national attention in the late 1970s. Several players attracted most of the attention and credit for the NAIA national runner-up trophy in 1978. A standout defensive end on that team named Ben Finch helped lead Findlay’s prominence into NAIA football.

Having played on the only undefeated Findlay football team up to that time, Finch vividly recalls losing the national championship game in 1978, which was his senior year, and then watching his teammates go on to win the 1979 NAIA national football title.

However, Finch’s accomplishments overshadow whatever disappointment he might have felt over Findlay’s national championship loss. In 1978, Finch was named the NAIA National Player of the Week, the first every at Findlay, as well as an NAIA All-American defensive end in both 1977 and 1978. A three-year letterman in football, Finch also earned three letters in track. He still holds the Findlay record for the javelin throw at 195 feet. Finch will be remembered as “a consummate defensive end” with awesome football skills.

The father of two sons, Finch currently serves as a senior correction officer for the New Jersey Department of Corrections.

The junior college route to college became a popular option for students in the late 1980s. Findlay basketball capitalized on this route in 1991, when Otis “Chip” Smith came to The University of Findlay after an All-American career at Owens Technical College in Toledo. Smith helped turn around a Findlay team that had finished 14-13 in 1990-91. He led the Oilers to the NAIA Division I National Tournament in 1992 and 1993. The 1991-92 season included one of the program’s all-time great wins when UF traveled up I-75 and knocked off NCAA Division I Bowling Green State University 79-68.

Smith didn’t finish his career in any top 10 lists because of playing at UF for just two years, but those who saw him play will always recall the fire, leadership and incredible perimeter talents he brought to the floor. He hated to lose, and it rubbed off on his teammates. He was named NAIA All-District both years and Honorable Mention All-American in 1992. He had several near triple doubles in points, rebounds and assists. Smith was also named Homecoming King at The University of Findlay in 1992.

He received his bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1994 and has received several employee awards including an Outstanding Service in Social Work award in 1996 from the state organization.

Smith and his wife Michelle ’93 have two children and currently reside in Columbus, Ohio, where he is employed as an account manager with Alliance Data Systems.

Two sport athletes were commonplace in the 1970s and 1980s at then Findlay College. One athlete who not only played two sports but also excelled in both was Denny Maag, who played both football and baseball at Findlay College from 1976-1980.

He was a defensive back in football and was All-Hoosier Buckeye Conference and the team captain of the 1979 NAIA national championship team. He was also a starter for the 1978 NAIA national runner-up squad. He led the team with five interceptions in 1979. In baseball, he was also All-Hoosier Buckeye Conference.

Maag has continued his success after graduating from Findlay College in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He has several banking degrees and is the former president of the Peoples Banking Company. Maag has been extremely active in the community with the United Way, Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, and the Fostoria Athletic Boosters.

Maag is currently a major gifts officer at The University of Findlay. He and his wife, Pam, have three children. They reside in Fostoria, Ohio.

In 1990 a young lady brought great running talent to The University of Findlay track and field program. Four years later, she had not only made her mark on Findlay track but NAIA national track and field as well.

Tiajuana Newell started her career with a bang. She capped an outstanding freshman year by winning the NAIA national indoor championship in the 60-yard hurdles. She went on to become a 12-time NAIA All-American in track and field. She set 10 school records while at Findlay but showed her versatility by competing in many different running events. Her specialty was in the hurdle events, where she held school records in the 100-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles and 50-meter hurdles. She was also an outstanding long jumper and triple jumper. She was an NAIA District 22 champion in the 100-meter hurdles four times, the long jump and triple jump twice and the 400-meter hurdles once. She was twice a member of the district winning 400-meter relay team.

In 1999, Newell was inducted into the NAIA National Hall of Fame, a true sign that she had made her mark at the highest level.

Newell graduated from The University of Findlay in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in systems analysis and business administration. She is currently employed by the Ohio Savings Bank in Cleveland, Ohio, as a developer II and remains active in Cleveland with her son, Kenneth Jr.

Denny Guerra believes that “athletics parallel life…requiring persistence, hard work, sacrifice, commitment, embracing constructive criticism and respect for those who have paved the road before you.” With that in mind, Guerra has certainly left his mark for those athletes who have followed him to Findlay. Guerra was a two-sport athlete in football and track, lettering three times in both sports.

In football, he was a two-year starter at running back, during which time the Oilers finished the 1978 season as the NAIA national runner-up. He was the recipient of the senior award, which is awarded to the senior player with the highest grade point average. In track, Guerra enjoyed tremendous success. He was a three-time Hoosier Buckeye Conference champion in the 100-meter dash, a two-time HBC champion in the 200-meter dash, and a one-time HBC champion in the 400-meter dash. He was a three-time NAIA national track and field qualifier and finished fifth in the 200-meter dash and seventh in the 100-meter dash. Guerra also held school records in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 400- meter for many years, and his 100-meter time of 10.2 and his 200-meter time of 21.24 still stand today.

Guerra graduated from Findlay College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1979. He went on to receive many banking certifications in order to gain his current position as vice president of commercial lending with The Citizens Banking Company in Sandusky, Ohio. Guerra is also a current Big East football official. He and his wife, Pat, have two children and reside in Sandusky, Ohio.

In the early 1980s female sports were still in their infancy, and female athletes did not always get the recognition they deserved. Cheri Harrer came to Findlay College from Bucyrus, Ohio, to embark on what would become a very successful college career.

While at Findlay College, Harrer competed in three sports – volleyball, basketball, and track and field. In volleyball, she lettered twice and was the team captain. In basketball, she was NAIA District 22 first team once and honorable mention twice. She was a four-year starter and a three-time captain. She was named an NAIA Academic All-American following the 1984-85 season. Finally, in track and field, Harrer was the Western Buckeye Collegiate Conference javelin champion and conference record holder in 1984. She finished the 1983 season with the second best throw. She was a track team MVP and still has the second best javelin throw in UF history.

Following graduation from Findlay College, Harrer embarked in a career in coaching. It began as a graduate assistant at Bowling Green State University, included stops at Bluffton College and her alma mater, The University of Findlay, as an assistant coach. She is currently the head women’s basketball coach, the women’s athletic director and an assistant professor at Baldwin-Wallace College. Her basketball teams at B-W have been extremely successful, including a record of 101-14 over the last four seasons. She has twice been named the OAC Coach of the Year and the Ohio College Basketball Coach of the year in 2000.

Harrer graduated from Findlay College in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, She received her master’s degree from BGSU in 1986. She currently resides in Berea.

Every good ship has a good captain. Paul Trina was the captain of what became an NAIA football powerhouse at Findlay College in the late 1970s.

Trina was the starting quarterback at Findlay for three years, including 1978 when the Oilers were the national runner-up, and in 1979 when the Oilers captured the NAIA national football championship. He was a three-year letterman, an all-Hoosier Buckeye Conference selection and ended his career as a starter with a record of 27-4-2. He passed for 37 touchdowns and completed more than 60 percent of his passes. He was named the student-athlete of the year in 1980 at Findlay College and as an Academic All-American the same year. He was also an outstanding baseball player at Findlay. Trina was a two-year letter winner and led the team in hitting in 1978.

Today, Trina is the athletics director for Warren City Schools, including Warren Harding High School. He is responsible for more than 90 coaches in his school system and has taught for several years in the Warren system.

Trina graduated with honors from Findlay College with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1980. He later went on to earn his master’s degree in sports administration from Ohio University and a second master’s degree from Youngstown State University in educational administration. Trina and his wife, Lorraine, reside in Cortland, Ohio, with their three children.

Some people wondered whether Findlay football would ever return to the NAIA powerhouse status that it enjoyed in the late 1970s. Several players made sure that return would happen. Maybe the most notable was standout linebacker, Bob Heitkamp.

Heitkamp was a two-time NAIA First Team All-American and an Honorable Mention All-American as a sophomore. He was an NAIA National Defensive Player of the Week and was the Outstanding Defensive Player of the Game in the national play-offs three times in two years. He was First Team All-District three times and was a Mancuso Award winner at UF as the top male athlete in all sports. He was the Society Bank MVP both his junior and senior years. Heitkamp was a Kodak first team defensive player and led the team in tackles and tackles for losses both his junior and senior seasons. Most importantly, Heitkamp helped lead the Oilers back to the top of NAIA football with a national championship in 1992.

Heitkamp was known throughout the campus and community for his quiet nature and friendliness off the field but had the innate ability to turn into a terror on the field. Heitkamp graduated from The University of Findlay in 1993 with his bachelor’s degree in business administration.

He currently resides in his hometown of New Bremen, Ohio, with his wife, Amy, and one daughter. He is currently employed by the Auglaize Farmers Co-op as a branch manager and he is the co-owner of GMR Pork.