This year’s inductees into the Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington Sports Hall of Fame were, from the left, Joe Huff, Shaina Cales, and Joe Kirschner. Photo by Wade Linville
Three individuals became the newest inductees into the Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington High School Sports Hall of Fame on Friday, Jan. 5.
This year’s RULH Sports Hall of Fame inductees were Joe Kirschner, Shaina Cales, and Joe Huff.
Joe Kirschner (1975 graduate)
Joe Kirschner is known as the “puffed-jawed” leader of Ripley Baseball during the 1975 campaign. Not only was he named Southern Hills League all-league and most valuable player in 1975, but he also led the team to their first ever SHL baseball title. The 1975 team went 10-0 in the league as well as posting a 19-3 overall record. Kirschner was also MVP of the American Legion Post 129 in Hillsboro.
After high school, Kirschner went on to play baseball for Southern State Community College. He continued to play baseball in the Buckeye Baseball League for several years. He Also played for numerous softball teams.
He pursued a business degree, then worked in Georgetown for Mac Tools/Stanley for 22 years. He continued his career at Dualite in Williamsburg as a purchasing manager for 23 years.
Joe Kirschner married his wife, Julie, in 1983 and moved to the Hamersville area. They have two children, Kali Sassack and Cody Kirschner.
Kirschner has enjoyed coaching many teams throughout the years. He coached boys and girls softball, baseball, and basketball in Hamersville and the Western Brown School District.
He recently retired and continues his love for baseball by attending Cincinnati Reds games and playing the game with his three grandsons Keller, Nolan, and Callum.
Shaina Cales (2007 graduate)
Shaina Cales is one of two female athletes to ever receive Southern Hills Athletic Conference all-conference honors in multiple sports during her senior year (5 total – cross country, volleyball, basketball, softball, and track and field).
She was SHAC all-conference in volleyball in 2006 and 2007, All-SHAC in basketball in 2006 and 2007, and All-SHAC in Softball in 2005 and 2007.
Cales received most of her accolades as a runner.
She was All-SHAC in cross country in 2003, 2005, and 2006, a cross country regional qualifier in 2003, 2004, and 2006, and 2006. She was cross country individual and team SHAC champion, and the 2007 SHAC 1,600 meter run track and field league champion.
She currently has the school record in cross country (20:29 – 2006), the school record in the 1,600 meter run (5:48 – 2007), and a member of both the school record 4×400 meter relay team (4:46.8 – 2007) and 4×800 meter relay team (11:21.3 – 2007)
Following high school, Cales attended Xavier University on an Army ROTC scholarship and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BSBA in Marketing in May 2011.
She served 5 years on active duty as a Signal Officer reaching the rank of Captain with assignments in Vilseck, Germany and Arlington, VA with a deployment to Afghanistan 2013-2014. Thank you for your service.
In May 2018, she completed a Master’s Degree in Public Health at George Washington University in Washington, DC. After that, she moved to Boise, ID and worked in health communications and substance use prevention for the State of Idaho.
Since 2021, she has been a Community Outreach Manager at Delta Dental of Idaho. She owns a coaching business providing personalized training for teen and adult runners from the mile to the marathon, and she coaches youth track and cross country for the YMCA.
Joe Huff
Beginning with the Class of 2024, RULH will be adding honorary members into the Hall of Fame as Friends of Ripley Athletics. This year’s honoree was Joe Huff, Jr.
You cannot attend a Ripley Jr./Sr. High School game without seeing Joe Huff sitting in the stands cheering on his beloved Blue Jays and Lady Jays. He has watched multiple family members play and graduate from RULH.
Four generations of his family have been proud supporters of RULH Local Schools and their athletic teams. Joe Huff continues to set the standard of what it means to be a loyal Blue Jay.