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SPRINGFIELD, O. --- Former Tiger football All-America running back
Dave Merritt headlines the list of nine to be inducted into Wittenberg
University's Athletics Hall of Honor Sept. 22.
Also to be inducted are Gilbert Dickerhoof '38, Earl Fisher '43,
Dr. Bill Fisher '64, June Daniels Holland '51, Coach Joe Kaiser '00, Rod
Miller '68, Lee Ann Sadler '60 and Coach Bill Stobbs.
Merritt, who holds virtually every Tiger rushing record, gained
4,696 yards between 1975 and 1978 and led Wittenberg to two appearances in
the NCAA Division III championship game.
Merrritt's greatest day may have been in his freshman year when
wittenberg defeated Ithaca 28-0 in the 1975 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. He rushed
for 186 yards on 22 carries and scored on runs of 57 and 81 yards and was
named the offensive player of the game by ABC Sports which covered the game.
Amazingly, 937 of Merritt's 4,696 career rushing yards came in six
NCAA Division III playoff games, an average of 156.2 yards per game.
Merritt, who gained 1,351 yards rushing in 1977, was twice awarded
the Mike Gregory Award as the Ohio Athletic Conference's most valuable
offensive back and was a first team all-America in 1978.
During his four-year career, Merritt topped the 100-yard mark 23
times, including two 200 yards performances: 217 against Muskingum in 1977
and 222 against Minnesota-Morris in 1978. He still holds Wittenberg records
for career rushing attempts, season and career rushing yards, career points
(228) and career touchdowns (38).
Dickerhoof, now a retired physician in Bay Village, Ohio, participated
on Wittenberg's first wrestling team and also played football, ran track, and
was an OAC diving champion. As a football player, Dickerhoof earned all-OAC
honors as halfback and missed only one varsity game in three years.
The late Earl Fisher participated in basketball and baseball. He was the
first Wittenberg basketball player voted most valuable player for two years.
After setting the field house scoring record with 34 points, he won all-Ohio
honors.
A World War II hero, Fisher was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously
after he was killed leading a charge at Iwo Jima.
Bill Fisher, now a physician in Muncie, Ind., participated in basketball
and golf. As a four-year basketball letterman, he received the Mike Gregory
Award as the OAC most valuable player in 1964.
In addition, Fisher was named to the NCAA Mid-East Regional and the NCAA
finals all-tournament teams. During Fisher's Wittenberg career, the basketball
team won the OAC championship three times and the NCAA championship in 1961
and was the NCAA runner-up in 1963.
June Daniels Holland of Springfield played field hockey, volleyball,
basketball and softball. During her senior year, she coached the New Carlisle
girls' basketball team. She was also involved with the Miami Valley hockey
team.
The late Joseph H. Keyser, '00, played football. In the late 1890s, he
is reported to be the first Wittenberg player to score using the drop kick. He
later became Wittenberg's first full-time athletic director and coach.
Miller, now of Kettering, Ohio, participated in football and baseball.
In football he earned four letters, was most valuable player twice, and
received the Mike Gregory Award as the OAC's most valuable offensive lineman
in 1967.
Miller, who was also Little All-America and Lutheran All-America, still
holds Wittenberg records for catches in a season (49), catches in a career
(143) and yards receiving in a career (2,288). He also earned three letters in
baseball and received all-OAC honors three times. He gained the batting title
one year with a .433 average.
Sadler, of Pataskala, Ohio, earned four varsity letters in field hockey,
volleyball, and basketball. She also played softball for two years. Playing on
nine Great Lakes teams, Sadler participated in the national USFHA Tournament
in competitions against teams from Germany, Australia, Trinidad/Tobago,
Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, and Great Britain. She also played in two USVBA
national championships, an AAU basketball national competition, and the Region
All-Star team.
Stobbs coached Wittenberg's football, basketball, and baseball teams
from 1929-1941. In 1931 and 1940 he had undefeated football seasons; the 1940
season ended with a conference championship. Stobbs had two more conference
championships, basketball in 1937 and baseball in 1938.
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