Ohio lacrosse hall of fame 2019 inductees

Dennis Swanson has been involved with Ohio lacrosse since his freshman year at Ohio State in 1972. His involvement includes that of a player, coach, volunteer, and dedicated contributor to the growth of the game. While Dennis is being inducted for his many contributions to the game over that 47 year span, his credentials as a player are also impressive with both Ohio State and the Columbus Lacrosse Club. He was a four year starter at attack for the Buckeyes, and the first OSU Lacrosse four year varsity letter winner. He was the team’s leading scorer in both 1974 and 75 and was voted MVP in 1975. 

He worked with Norm Wolford and John Galipault in the late 70’s putting on clinics in Columbus and Cincinnati to introduce middle school and high school players to the game. 

Dennis, along with Paul Caldwell and Jim Leake, started North Star Lacrosse. He was an active volunteer for both girls and boys lacrosse in Upper Arlington.  From 2006 to 2009 he served as the Commissioner of the Ohio High School Lacrosse Association, during a time of growth and change in high school boys lacrosse in Ohio. As commissioner, he joined with the girls commissioner to begin talks with the Ohio High School Athletic Association to recognize the sport of lacrosse in Ohio. OHSAA finally recognized lacrosse in 2016 season. During his time as commissioner, he also facilitated a meeting with USL President Steve Stenerson and representatives of Nationwide Insurance’s Affinity program. US Lacrosse continues to benefit from that meeting. Dennis also served as webmaster for UA Girls Lacrosse, UA Boys Lacrosse, OHSLA, and North Star Lacrosse. 

Dennis was a member of the Ohio Lacrosse Hall of Fame Board from 2006 -2018. He served on the Executive Committee, Banquet Committee, and Bylaws Committee. For many years he produced the banquet program. He also assisted in developing the OLHOF website.

After winning the Girls Midwest Championship in 1991 as the Worthington High School coach, Doug Troutner moved to the new Worthington Kilbourne High School for the 1992 season and has been there ever since. His Kilbourne teams have won 279 games during his tenure, including a State Championship in 2014. He was named Midwest Coach of the Year in 1991, and has been named both the OSLA Coach of the Year and OCC Coach of the year several times.  Coaches, parents, and fans across Ohio know Doug as not only a great teacher of the skills of the game, but also as someone who instills the traditions and history of the game, including giving back to the sport, in his players. Many of his former players are now coaching at all levels of the game, youth, high school, and college across the country. At one point, there were seven Columbus area high school teams being coached by former Troutner players.

Troutner served as President of both the Midwest School Girls Lacrosse Association and the Ohio School Girls Lacrosse Association and was instrumental in growing high school girls lacrosse in Ohio in the 90’s. He conducted numerous clinics across the state in the late 80’s and early 90’s to introduce the game to new teams. In 2004 he was inducted into the Worthington Kilbourne Hall of Fame. 

Toutner’s commitment to the game can be summed up in comments on his Hall of Fame application form.

“Coaching with John Galipault taught me many valuable things. Perhaps the greatest was impressing on players that the owe a debt to the future of the sport. If they enjoyed playing lacrosse, they need to insure that the next generation has the opportunity to enjoy it as well. I am most proud of the number of my former players who have gone on to become coaches at all levels of the game.”

  Steven Peterson has been a fixture in the game of lacrosse in Cincinnati as both an outstanding coach and an involved contributor since 1995. In his eight seasons as coach of the Mariemont High School boys lacrosse team, his teams have won four Division II State Championships and he has recorded over 100 wins. He served as a Mariemont assistant coach for ten years before taking over the program. Equally impressive is that since 1995 he has coached over 800 youth games for the Terrace Park Bulldogs. He has been named the Cincinnati Enquirer D-II Coach of the Year three times. He also coached the Greater Cincinnati Lacrosse Association youth team in the 1998 World Games. 

While his coaching record is certainly impressive, Steve’s contributions to the game of lacrosse and its growth in the Cincinnati area are even more impressive. His list of contributions is long, starting with Youth Director of the GCLA in 1996. He served as President of the USL Southern Ohio Chapter from 2004 to 2009, during this time the game was growing rapidly at all levels in the Cincinnati area, due in no small part to Steve’s leadership. He continues to serve as a trustee of the Southern Ohio Chapter. 

Steve’s love and passion for the game of lacrosse are summed up in a comment from a Mariemont lacrosse parent;

“Coach Peterson not only taught my three sons and their friends the game of lacrosse, he shared with them his love of the game, his values on and off the field, and the true meaning of sportsmanship and teamwork. He is the one consistent thread throughout the years that binds together the players of every age, the parents, and the fans of the lacrosse program in our community.”

As goalkeeper, Dave Wright was the mainstay of the outstanding Denison University teams of the early 70’s. He was the 1st Team goalie for the Midwest Conference four years in a row. He was named All American three times. Honorable Mention ’71, 3rd Team ’72, and 2nd team ’73. He was the Big Red captain in 1973. During his four years in the goal, Denison was 44-10 under Hall of Fame Coach Tommy Thomsen. Wright is second all-time for Denison in career save percentage (.717) and ranks 3rd, (.757-’73) 4th (.704-71), 5th (.698-72) in single season save percentage. He was also the goalkeeper for the winning South team in the 1973 North/South All Star game. He started his playing career at the Severn School and his team went undefeated in 1968.

After graduating from Denison he continued with playing career with various club teams in the Baltimore/Washington area. In 1990 the “Potomac Geezers” won the Vail Masters division.  He was a member of the USA Masters team that won the World Games in Manchester, England in 1994 and again in Baltimore in 1998. 

A long standing Ohio Lacrosse Hall of Fame tradition will continue in 2019.  The Hall of Fame will bring together the past and present of the game by honoring the high school girls and boys All Americans from Ohio's three US Lacrosse chapters.  Their banquet tickets are complimentary courtesy of their Chapters.   Parents and supporters of these young lacrosse players may purchase tickets at the link to the right.

Tickets are $50 each.  Tables of 8 are available.  Click this link to purchase on line. 

Ohio Lacrosse Hall of Fame Ticket

Banquet will be held at the Ohio Union on the Ohio State University Campus.  Check in and registration 11:15 AM, Banquet starts at 11:30 AM

Saturday June 8, 2019.  Ticket Purchase deadline is Tuesday, June 4, 2019.