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It all started for two Martin area families Friday night at the Genoa-Rossford football game and ended at Oregon’s
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A time enhanced photo of six-foot-9,
285 pound former Genoa and Owens
Community College athlete Zach
Diekman, who won the “steinstossen”
with a throw of 12 feet, 11 inches.
(Press photo by Harold Hamilton/HEHphotos.
lifepics.com) |
German-American Festival Sunday.
Both the Diekman and Reeder families have that tough middle European ancestral blood, and it was demonstrated over a single weekend.
Because the Comets had a significant lead in their win over Rossford, as is Genoa coach Mike Vicars’ custom, the starters were pulled early and Genoa began to substitute younger players to give them experience.
One of the freshmen was the 120-pound fullback Max Reeder. Being a wrestler, ranked No. 3 in the state as an eighth grader in his weight division, and able to bench press 215 pounds, Reeder had both the balance and the strength to handle the position. These qualities more than make up for his 5-foot-3 height. In fact, his height may have been an advantage as it seemed the Bulldog linebackers could not see him behind Genoa’s front line until he broke through. Reeder was given the ball more than six times and he gained yardage nearly every time.
Olivia Reeder, Max’s “big” sister and 5-4 senior, is also a Genoa athlete. She was the leading scorer on the 2009 soccer team and is a catcher on the Comet softball team. She wants to play college soccer somewhere next year.
Not to be out done by Max, Olivia at 120 pounds can squat lift 210 pounds. Get the feeling that there’s some athletic ability in this family?
The following Sunday, at Oregon’s German American Festival waiting for her father to compete in the steinstossen” (stone throw), Olivia said, “That looks like fun. I wonder if I should try.”
That was all it took and before she knew it her father, Curt, signed her up. They quickly found a loose stone in a nearby garden and with a few instructions from Dad, a previous champion, Olivia was ready to go. The lady’s stone weighs 76 pounds, nearly as much as Olivia. Without hesitation, she raised it over her head and pushed it through the air. It was a good throw considering this was her first time in a sport that favors taller and heaver bodies, but not enough to win.
Not to be out done by his kids, 49-year-old Curt Reeder, a 1979 Genoa graduate who distinguished himself in
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A time enhanced photo of
49-year-old Curt Reeder,
a 1979 Genoa graduate
who distinguished himself
in football and wrestling,
competes in the “steinstossen.”
Curt, at 6-1, is the freshman
assistant football coach and
the lifting coach for all Genoa
sports. (Press photo by Harold
Hamilton/HEHphotos.lifepics.com)
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football and wrestling, also threw the stone. Curt, at 6-1, is the freshman assistant football coach and the lifting coach for all Genoa sports. He practices what he teaches.
Curt began attending the GAF with his wife, Chris, and her family years ago. At one of these visits they suggested to Curt that he try the “steinstossen.” Curt is of German descent and Chris’s mother was from Austria, and her father escaped from behind the Iron Curtain in communist Hungary. After his escape he risked his life returning to Hungary to help others escape — setting an example for the younger family members which is paying rewards today.
By this year, Curt had been throwing stones at the GAF for 19 years. According to the event manager, Curt brought a unique style a few years ago that everyone now emulates.
Before Curt, everyone rested the stone on their shoulder and pushed it with their arms. Curt lifts the 126-pound stone over his head as high as possible. He says this not only improves distance due to the extra height but it also allows one to push the stone with his legs rather than his shoulders. Everyone now uses this technique except perhaps those who cannot lift it that high. While he did not win Sunday, Curt has set “steinstosson” records twice in the past.
In the stands, cheering at both the football game and the GAF was Curt’s wife and other daughter, Melissa Edens, who played golf for Bowling Green State University. Curt credits his wife, a teacher at Brunner Elementary and an active physical fitness person, for keeping everyone motivated.
Curt said, “Actually she probably works out more than any of us.”
Just a “stones throw” away from the Reeders, pun intended, lives Zach Diekman, this year’s winner of the steinstossen contest.
Diekman is 6-9 and weighs 285 pounds. He threw the stone 12 feet, 11 inches. Diekman has competed in the event for several years.
Diekman had some coaching from Curt Reeder, but he credits his father, Mike Diekman, as the one who really got him started. Zach said he remembers as a little boy his dad competing and winning trophies, so he decided that when he grew up he was going to win one for himself. That he did, winning first place on both days of the event.
Zach’s technique is simple — get the stone as high up as you can and then start running, being careful not to cross the foul line. Zach is a 2004 Genoa graduate who played football and basketball for Genoa and then went on to play basketball at Owens Community College.
Zach’s older brother Jeremy is a 2002 Genoa graduate who also played basketball with his brother both at Genoa and later at Owens. Younger brother Nate graduated in 2008 and was a lineman on the football team and threw discus and shot put on the track team. Father Mike is a 1974 Genoa graduate who played basketball and football.
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