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The Monroe County Region has a rich athletic tradition.
Region athletes have performed in the Olympic Games, won NCAA championships and reached the highest levels of professional sports, playing in Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League and Major League Soccer.
One wore a world boxing title belt.
Another waged a 17-inning pitching duel against Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell.
More: Was a professional baseball player the Region's best female athlete? Vote now!
And, of course, they have dominated on the high school level.
From Milan graduate Bill Laskey, who played in the Super Bowl II, and Bedford’s Fred Lowe, who competed in three straight Olympics starting in 1968, to current MLB players Joey Wiemer of Bedford and John Schreiber of Gibraltar Carlson, it is an impressive list.
It’s a daunting task to try to pick the best of the best, but that’s exactly what we’re trying to do.
As part of the celebration of America’s 250th birthday, The Monroe News and its parent company, USA Today, are celebrating our greatest athletes.
The poll will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on July 17.
Below is a list of some of the top male athletes in Region history.
Rosie Barnes: Still holds the Monroe High record with 1,248 career points. Went on to star at Bowling Green and was drafted by the Houston Rockets in 1980.
Derek Clark: Pitched Summerfield to state championship in 2019 when he set a Monroe County Region record with a 0.20 earned-run average. Missed his senior season because of COVID-19. Went on play for Northwood University and West Virginia. Drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in 2024.
Audie Cole: The 2005 Monroe County Region Offensive Player of the Year as a quarterback at Monroe switched to linebacker in college at North Carolina State. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round in 2012 and played five seasons there. He later signed with Jacksonville and New Orleans but never played for those teams.
Cameron Craig: Still holds state records in the individual medley (1:45.42) and the 100 freestyle
43.55). Swam collegiately for Arizona State and Ohio State.
Braeden Davis: Won four individual state championships at Dundee, Monroe County Region Wrestler of the Year in 2023, All-American at Penn State after placing fifth at last year’s NCAA finals.
Andrew Dobrzanski: Named Monroe County Region Boys Swimmer of the Year all four years of his high school career at Milan. Helped Arizona State win national championships in the 200 and 400 medley relays at the NCAA finals.
Jim Duffy: The only two-time winner of the Monroe County Region Boys Athlete of the Year Award, earning the honors in 2000 and 2001. He was the Baseball Player of the Year on both of those years. Played three seasons of baseball at Michigan State after graduating from Airport.
Josh DuPree: The first Monroe County Region athlete to make All-State teams in both basketball and football. The 2008 Region Boys Athlete of the Year led Whiteford to a state championship in track and Field. Still shares the Region record in the 100 meters at :10.6.
Carl Ford: A receiver drafted in the seventh round by the Green Bay Packers in 2003 after standout careers at Monroe High and the University of Toledo. Played from 2003-07 with Green Bay, Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit.
Fred Gladding: Capped an outstanding career at Flat Rock by going 10-1 with 148 strikeouts in 86.67 innings as a senior in 1955. Played 13 seasons in the majors, leading the National League with 29 saves in 1969.
Rick Hayward: A former Ida student who reached the National Hockey League for four games as a teammate of Wayne Gretzky with the Los Angeles Kings during the 1990-91 season. Had a long career in professional hockey from 1983-2001 in the AHL, IHL, ECHL and in Germany. Logged nearly 5,000 career penalty minutes.
Shane Heams: A Bedford High School product who was drafted by the Seattle Mariners after graduating in 1994. Also played in the minor leagues systems for Detroit, Boston, Colorado and Cincinnati, climbing as high as Triple A. Helped the United States win a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Kevin Hilton: An SMCC graduate who became an All-American at the University of Michigan and helped the Wolverines win an NCAA championship. Scored 57 goals and racked up 109 assists in 142 college games. Went on to play 12 seasons of minor-league hockey.
Willie Jones: His :10.6 clocking in the 100 meters in 1963 still stands as the Monroe County Region record. Also starred in basketball and football at Monroe and played college football at the University of Montana.
Stan Joplin: Was one of the Monroe County Region’s best basketball players of all time for Milan. He went on to play for the University of Toledo, leading the Rockets to an 82-27 record over four years. He later served as an assistant coach under Jud Heathcote at Michigan State and was the head coach at Toledo for 12 seasons, earning MAC Coach of the Year honors in 2006-07.
Dennis Kinney: A Bedford graduate who was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 10th round in 1970. Played in the Majors for Cleveland, San Diego, Detroit and Oakland from 1978-82. Logged a 9.3-inning relief appearance in 1980 for San Diego.
Jackson Lamb: Three-time Monroe County Player of the Year in basketball and two-time winner in baseball at Bedford. Accepted a baseball scholarship at The University of Michigan, where he was All-Big Ten in 2017. Drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2013 and the St. Louis Cardinals in 2016.
Bill Laskey: Linebacker played in Super Bowl II with the Oakland Raiders after standout careers at Milan High School (graduated in 1961) and the University of Michigan. An NFL Pro Bowler in 1965 with Buffalo and played 119 games for the Raiders, Colts and Broncos.
Fred Lowe: A 1965 Bedford graduate who completed in the Olympics in 1968, 1972 and 1976. Set numerous national records and was inducted into the United States Weightlifting Hall of Fame in 1989.
John Martin: A Flat Rock graduate who earned a spot in the Eastern Michigan Hall of Fame and was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1978. Played in the Major Leagues for St. Louis and Detroit. His best season was 1981 with the Cardinals, when he went 8-5 with a 3.42 ERA.
Bronco McKart: The Monroe native compiled a 56-11-1 record with 34 knockouts in professional boxing. He won the World Boxing Organization light middleweight title in 1996.
John Mingawa Webster: A 2000 Monroe High graduate who went on to become an All-Big Ten soccer player at Michigan State. He played professionally for the Kansas City Wizards.
Chris Morris: Offensive lineman drafted in the seventh round by the Oakland Raiders out of Michigan State. The 2001 Bedford graduate was a three-year starter in Oakland and later played for Carolina and New England. Also spent time with Detroit and Tennessee.
Joe O’Donnell: A 1959 Milan graduate who went on to an All-Big Ten and honorable mention All-American as a lineman at the University of Michigan. Played in two AFL championship games with the Buffalo Bills and finished his nine-year career in the NFL with Cincinnati. He later became a school board member and assistant coach at Milan. The football field is named in his honor.
Roy Parmalee: A Lambertville native who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1929-1939 for the New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Athletics. In 1936, he pitched all 17 innings for the Cardinals in a duel against Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell.
Gary Price: Had Division 1 schools from all over the country chasing him after being named Monroe County Region Player of the Year as a lineman at Monroe in 1982. Briefly attended Michigan State but returned home when his father died in 1983 and left the game.
Shea Ruddy: Division 7-8 state player of the year as a senior at Whiteford when he led a game-winning drive in the state championship drive. Two-time Division 2 All-American at Hillsdale.
John Schreiber: A Gibraltar Carlson graduate who went on to pitch for Henry Ford Community College and Northwestern Ohio. Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2016 and made his Major League debut with the team in 2019. Currently part of the Kansas City bullpen after a stint with Boston.
Dave Steffen: A dominant lineman who led Flat Rock to a state championship in 1976, the first year of the playoffs. Also a state championship wrestler, he played minor league baseball for the Detroit Tigers and later became USSSA Hall of Famer in softball.
Casey Swiderski: Four-time individual state champion at Dundee, Monroe County Region Wrestler of the Year in 2022, All-American at Iowa State after playing seventh in the NCAA finals.
Joey Wiemer: Stood out in football, basketball and baseball for Bedford High School. Drafted in the fourth round by the Milwaukee Brewers out of the University of Cincinnati in 2020. Has played for Cincinnati, Miami and Washington. Tied an MLB record by reaching base in 10 straight plate appearances this season.
Todd Williams: Won six state titles in track and cross country at Monroe High, then became an eight-time All-American at Tennessee. Ran the 10,000 meters for the United States in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics.
Bryce Windham: Starred in football, basketball and baseball at St. Mary Catholic Central, leading the Falcons to a state championship in football and being named state player of the year in both football and basketball. Made it to Triple A in the Chicago Cubs system before retiring from baseball.
Eric Wilson: A run-stuffing defensive tackle who graduated from Monroe in 1996, was a two-year captain at the University of Michigan. Played for the national championship team in 1997. Drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2011 and spent two seasons with Miami in the NFL, but his greatest fame came in the Canadian Football League, where he played 10 seasons and won the Grey Cup twice.
Izaiah Wright: Set Monroe County Region records for career rushing yards (5,657) and touchdowns (85). Will begin his collegiate career at Purdue in the fall.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Vote now for the best male athlete in Monroe County Region history
Continue reading...
Region athletes have performed in the Olympic Games, won NCAA championships and reached the highest levels of professional sports, playing in Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League and Major League Soccer.
One wore a world boxing title belt.
Another waged a 17-inning pitching duel against Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell.
More: Was a professional baseball player the Region's best female athlete? Vote now!
And, of course, they have dominated on the high school level.
From Milan graduate Bill Laskey, who played in the Super Bowl II, and Bedford’s Fred Lowe, who competed in three straight Olympics starting in 1968, to current MLB players Joey Wiemer of Bedford and John Schreiber of Gibraltar Carlson, it is an impressive list.
It’s a daunting task to try to pick the best of the best, but that’s exactly what we’re trying to do.
As part of the celebration of America’s 250th birthday, The Monroe News and its parent company, USA Today, are celebrating our greatest athletes.
The poll will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on July 17.
Below is a list of some of the top male athletes in Region history.
You must be registered for see images attach
Rosie Barnes: Still holds the Monroe High record with 1,248 career points. Went on to star at Bowling Green and was drafted by the Houston Rockets in 1980.
Derek Clark: Pitched Summerfield to state championship in 2019 when he set a Monroe County Region record with a 0.20 earned-run average. Missed his senior season because of COVID-19. Went on play for Northwood University and West Virginia. Drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in 2024.
You must be registered for see images attach
Audie Cole: The 2005 Monroe County Region Offensive Player of the Year as a quarterback at Monroe switched to linebacker in college at North Carolina State. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round in 2012 and played five seasons there. He later signed with Jacksonville and New Orleans but never played for those teams.
Cameron Craig: Still holds state records in the individual medley (1:45.42) and the 100 freestyle
43.55). Swam collegiately for Arizona State and Ohio State.Braeden Davis: Won four individual state championships at Dundee, Monroe County Region Wrestler of the Year in 2023, All-American at Penn State after placing fifth at last year’s NCAA finals.
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Andrew Dobrzanski: Named Monroe County Region Boys Swimmer of the Year all four years of his high school career at Milan. Helped Arizona State win national championships in the 200 and 400 medley relays at the NCAA finals.
Jim Duffy: The only two-time winner of the Monroe County Region Boys Athlete of the Year Award, earning the honors in 2000 and 2001. He was the Baseball Player of the Year on both of those years. Played three seasons of baseball at Michigan State after graduating from Airport.
Josh DuPree: The first Monroe County Region athlete to make All-State teams in both basketball and football. The 2008 Region Boys Athlete of the Year led Whiteford to a state championship in track and Field. Still shares the Region record in the 100 meters at :10.6.
Carl Ford: A receiver drafted in the seventh round by the Green Bay Packers in 2003 after standout careers at Monroe High and the University of Toledo. Played from 2003-07 with Green Bay, Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit.
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Fred Gladding: Capped an outstanding career at Flat Rock by going 10-1 with 148 strikeouts in 86.67 innings as a senior in 1955. Played 13 seasons in the majors, leading the National League with 29 saves in 1969.
Rick Hayward: A former Ida student who reached the National Hockey League for four games as a teammate of Wayne Gretzky with the Los Angeles Kings during the 1990-91 season. Had a long career in professional hockey from 1983-2001 in the AHL, IHL, ECHL and in Germany. Logged nearly 5,000 career penalty minutes.
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Shane Heams: A Bedford High School product who was drafted by the Seattle Mariners after graduating in 1994. Also played in the minor leagues systems for Detroit, Boston, Colorado and Cincinnati, climbing as high as Triple A. Helped the United States win a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Kevin Hilton: An SMCC graduate who became an All-American at the University of Michigan and helped the Wolverines win an NCAA championship. Scored 57 goals and racked up 109 assists in 142 college games. Went on to play 12 seasons of minor-league hockey.
Willie Jones: His :10.6 clocking in the 100 meters in 1963 still stands as the Monroe County Region record. Also starred in basketball and football at Monroe and played college football at the University of Montana.
Stan Joplin: Was one of the Monroe County Region’s best basketball players of all time for Milan. He went on to play for the University of Toledo, leading the Rockets to an 82-27 record over four years. He later served as an assistant coach under Jud Heathcote at Michigan State and was the head coach at Toledo for 12 seasons, earning MAC Coach of the Year honors in 2006-07.
Dennis Kinney: A Bedford graduate who was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 10th round in 1970. Played in the Majors for Cleveland, San Diego, Detroit and Oakland from 1978-82. Logged a 9.3-inning relief appearance in 1980 for San Diego.
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Jackson Lamb: Three-time Monroe County Player of the Year in basketball and two-time winner in baseball at Bedford. Accepted a baseball scholarship at The University of Michigan, where he was All-Big Ten in 2017. Drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2013 and the St. Louis Cardinals in 2016.
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Bill Laskey: Linebacker played in Super Bowl II with the Oakland Raiders after standout careers at Milan High School (graduated in 1961) and the University of Michigan. An NFL Pro Bowler in 1965 with Buffalo and played 119 games for the Raiders, Colts and Broncos.
Fred Lowe: A 1965 Bedford graduate who completed in the Olympics in 1968, 1972 and 1976. Set numerous national records and was inducted into the United States Weightlifting Hall of Fame in 1989.
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John Martin: A Flat Rock graduate who earned a spot in the Eastern Michigan Hall of Fame and was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1978. Played in the Major Leagues for St. Louis and Detroit. His best season was 1981 with the Cardinals, when he went 8-5 with a 3.42 ERA.
Bronco McKart: The Monroe native compiled a 56-11-1 record with 34 knockouts in professional boxing. He won the World Boxing Organization light middleweight title in 1996.
John Mingawa Webster: A 2000 Monroe High graduate who went on to become an All-Big Ten soccer player at Michigan State. He played professionally for the Kansas City Wizards.
Chris Morris: Offensive lineman drafted in the seventh round by the Oakland Raiders out of Michigan State. The 2001 Bedford graduate was a three-year starter in Oakland and later played for Carolina and New England. Also spent time with Detroit and Tennessee.
Joe O’Donnell: A 1959 Milan graduate who went on to an All-Big Ten and honorable mention All-American as a lineman at the University of Michigan. Played in two AFL championship games with the Buffalo Bills and finished his nine-year career in the NFL with Cincinnati. He later became a school board member and assistant coach at Milan. The football field is named in his honor.
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Roy Parmalee: A Lambertville native who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1929-1939 for the New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Athletics. In 1936, he pitched all 17 innings for the Cardinals in a duel against Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell.
Gary Price: Had Division 1 schools from all over the country chasing him after being named Monroe County Region Player of the Year as a lineman at Monroe in 1982. Briefly attended Michigan State but returned home when his father died in 1983 and left the game.
You must be registered for see images attach
Shea Ruddy: Division 7-8 state player of the year as a senior at Whiteford when he led a game-winning drive in the state championship drive. Two-time Division 2 All-American at Hillsdale.
John Schreiber: A Gibraltar Carlson graduate who went on to pitch for Henry Ford Community College and Northwestern Ohio. Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2016 and made his Major League debut with the team in 2019. Currently part of the Kansas City bullpen after a stint with Boston.
Dave Steffen: A dominant lineman who led Flat Rock to a state championship in 1976, the first year of the playoffs. Also a state championship wrestler, he played minor league baseball for the Detroit Tigers and later became USSSA Hall of Famer in softball.
You must be registered for see images attach
Casey Swiderski: Four-time individual state champion at Dundee, Monroe County Region Wrestler of the Year in 2022, All-American at Iowa State after playing seventh in the NCAA finals.
Joey Wiemer: Stood out in football, basketball and baseball for Bedford High School. Drafted in the fourth round by the Milwaukee Brewers out of the University of Cincinnati in 2020. Has played for Cincinnati, Miami and Washington. Tied an MLB record by reaching base in 10 straight plate appearances this season.
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Todd Williams: Won six state titles in track and cross country at Monroe High, then became an eight-time All-American at Tennessee. Ran the 10,000 meters for the United States in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics.
Bryce Windham: Starred in football, basketball and baseball at St. Mary Catholic Central, leading the Falcons to a state championship in football and being named state player of the year in both football and basketball. Made it to Triple A in the Chicago Cubs system before retiring from baseball.
Eric Wilson: A run-stuffing defensive tackle who graduated from Monroe in 1996, was a two-year captain at the University of Michigan. Played for the national championship team in 1997. Drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2011 and spent two seasons with Miami in the NFL, but his greatest fame came in the Canadian Football League, where he played 10 seasons and won the Grey Cup twice.
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Izaiah Wright: Set Monroe County Region records for career rushing yards (5,657) and touchdowns (85). Will begin his collegiate career at Purdue in the fall.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Vote now for the best male athlete in Monroe County Region history
Continue reading...
