Varsity O Association’s Athletic Hall of Fame – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | General
Sept. 17, 2005
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The Ohio State Department of Athletics boasts a strong history and has always acknowledged and been proud of these roots. One of the many ways the former student-athletes are honored is through the Varsity “O” Association’s Athletics Hall of Fame. The induction is a credit to the dedication and outstanding performances the former Buckeyes had while attending Ohio State and following their graduation. The Class of 2005 contains seven men and five women, spread between a variety of the sports at Ohio State.
Richard Castillo’s induction marks the first men’s soccer player to join the ranks of the hall of fame. Castillo, a four-year letterwinner from 1980-83, holds the two highest single-season point totals. In 1982 he recorded 42 points (20 goals and two assists) and in 1983: 31 points (14 goals and three assists). The 20 and 14 goals he earned each season, respectively, are the Top 2 single-season totals in the men’s soccer program history. Castillo’s records continue, leading the books as Ohio State’s career leader in goals scored, tallying 49, and totaling the highest number of points (108) throughout his Ohio State career. Rounding out Castillo’s career are his still-standing single-game records. During a game against Wittenberg, he recorded a school single-match record for goals (five), points (10) and shots (14).
The class has one former dual-sport athlete. Peggy Palumbo captained the unbeaten basketball team from 1960-61. During the same time, Palumbo was the president of the Ohio State Physical Education Association. She earned All-Lake Erie honors in her second sport of field hockey, playing left wing. Following her career at Ohio State, Palumbo spent 20 years coaching a variety of girls’ high school sports in the Cleveland area.
The eldest of the 12 inductees is Bob Momsen. Momsen was a letterwinner in football in 1950. He recovered a fumble against Michigan that would later lead to the only score for the Buckeyes in the famous 1950 “Snow Bowl.” Momsen scored a safety against Pittsburgh and recovered another fumble against Iowa that led to Ohio State’s 10th touchdown of the game in an 83-21 win. Following the 1950 season, Momsen earned First Team All-America honors as a tackle and was selected by the Detroit Lions in the 1951 NFL Draft.
On the other end of the spectrum is the youngest inductee of the 2005 Class. Gabriele Jobst is a two-time All-American in volleyball, the sport she lettered in from 1991-94. The three-time First Team All-Big Ten player, helped lead Ohio State to a pair of Big Ten championships. Jobst competed on two NCAA national semifinal teams as a freshman and senior and was a three-time Big Ten Player of the Week. Jobst succeed on both the court and in the classroom. She was named an Academic All-American in 1994, a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a four-time OSU Scholar-Athlete. After her time at Ohio State, Jobst went on to play professionally in Europe for six years.
Four sports have two athletes represented in this year’s class. Joining Jobst in representing volleyball is Audrey DiPronio. DiPronio was a letterwinner for the Buckeyes from 1988-90 and a three-year starter as a setter. An All-American and team captain in 1990, DiPronio was a member of the Buckeye’s first Big Ten championship in 1989. Named All-Big Ten twice, she also competed for the Canadian National Team from 1992-93. DiPronio stayed with the volleyball team after exhausting her eligibility as an assistant coach for the team from 1994-97.
The second inductee from the football team is Kurt Schumacher. Schumacher was a two-year starter at left tackle, helping the Buckeyes win two Big Ten championships on teams that posted a combined record of 14-1-1 during conference play. He participated in three Rose Bowl games and was named First Team All-American in 1974 and a two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection from 1973-74. In the 1975 NFL Draft, Schumacher went in the first-round to the New Orleans Saints.
Both the swimming and diving teams have one male and one female being honored this year. Stacia Goff won three individual events at the 1991 Big Ten Championships and swam on the 400-yard freestyle relay championship team that hit the wall in a record time that has remained unbroken at Ohio State. A two-time All-American and Academic All-American, Goff was named to the 1991 All-Big Ten team and also was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. Goff graduated summa cum laude with a grade point average of 3.88 and was awarded the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor.
Artie Wolfe is the male half of the swimming honorees. Winning an individual national title in the 200-yard butterfly in 1962, Wolfe helped the Buckeyes earn their 11th national championship. Wolfe also competed on the 400-yard medley relay teams that won at the NCAA championships in 1961 and 1962.
The Ohio State diving program also boasts a rich history, and has two former athletes being honored. Laura Profumo is a three-time All-American. Claiming the 3-meter springboard and the platform events at both the 1989 and 1990 Big Ten Championship, she was recognized as All-Big Ten each year. Profumo also competed nationally and was a member of the United States National Diving Team from 1990-91. She was chosen by fellow divers as the Phillips 66 Performance Award winner at the 1990 U.S. Indoor Championships. Finally, Profumo was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten and four-time OSU Scholar-Athlete honoree.
The second diver of this class is Patrick Jeffrey. Jeffrey is the only diver in NCAA history to win three events at the national meet: the 1- and 3-meter springboard events and the platform event. With this accomplishment, Jeffrey was named the 1988 NCAA Diver of the Year. At the 1988 Big Ten Championships, Jeffrey accomplished the same feat, taking three diving events and was named Big Ten diver of the year. A three-time All-American, Jeffrey competed and coached at the national and international level. A member of the 1988 and 1996 Olympic teams, he returned to the Olympics in 2000 as a coach. A National diving champion three times in the platform and twice in the 3-meter, Jeffrey currently is the diving coach at Florida State University.
Jamie Macoun is the third men’s hockey player to be inducted to the hall of fame. A three-time letterwinner while at Ohio State, Macoun tallied 17 goals and 58 assists while playing in 83 games overall. He went on to play 18 seasons with the National Hockey League, joining the ranks of the Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings. Macoun was a member of a Stanley Cup-winning squad with the Flames and the Red Wings.
Rounding out the 2005 Hall of Fame Class is former golfer Steve Groves. A First Team All-American in 1972 and 1973 and an honorable mention All-American in 1971, Groves currently works as the PGA Head Professional at the Champions Golf Course in Columbus. While competing for the Buckeyes in 1972, he shot a tournament-low score of 218 at the Kepler Intercollegiate, to earn medallist honors and help the Buckeyes win the tournament. Groves was a three-time All-Big Ten honoree and a three-time letterwinner at Ohio State.
The Ohio State Varsity “O” Association Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2005 has a wide variety of inductees spanning 44 years. The Class of 2005 brings the total of male athletes recognized by the Varsity “O” Association to 217, while the women have 64 members.
