Courtad tops list of male athletes

by Shane Sadler
THE POST

A war was waged among the sports staff to decide who would be The Post's top male athlete of 1999-2000. Hours of grueling debate resulted in the following:

1. Courtad male athlete of the year

A senior who left his permanent mark on Ohio's storied wrestling program was the winner by a slim margins.

Tim Courtad came to Ohio from Miami after the RedHawks dropped their program. He redshirted in 1998-99 and dominated his opponents this year.

Ohio's top grappler finished the regular season with a record of 24 wins and one loss. After winning his final 18 matches Courtad won his second Mid-American Conference Championship.

The NCAA Championships in St. Louis were the next stop for Courtad. There he compiled five wins and two losses giving him a ranking of fifth nationally and All-American status. Of his two losses one came to eventual National Champion Brock Lesnar of Minnesota.

One month after the NCAAs, Courtad participated in the 2000 University Freestyle Championships. Four hundred wrestlers competed in the event where Courtad half-nelsoned his way to a second-place finish.

Courtad's final tournament was the U.S. Freestyle National Open in Las Vegas. The tournament is open to aspiring Olympic wrestlers and featured former world and national champions.

Courtad's seventh-place finish was tops among all collegiate wrestlers in the heavyweight division. He was not given a shot at the 2000 Olympic Trials, however. Only the top six wrestlers from each weight class are accepted.

Wrestling Head Coach Joel Greenlee said there were many components to Courtad's success.

"I think the main thing is Tim hates to lose at anything, and he will do whatever it takes to make sure he doesn't," he said. "He will run more, lift more and practice more than most people to become the best."

Greenlee said Courtad is as exceptional off the mat as he is on it.

"He is a great example of team unity. Tim does not keep to himself; he is a great teacher who lets the younger guys know what they need to do to accomplish their goals," he said. "Tim is also an outstanding kid who gets good grades and is a great citizen."

For his career Courtad won more than 100 matches, which is a milestone few collegiate wrestlers reach.

2. Stonerook takes second

Runner-up to Courtad was Shaun Stonerook of the Ohio men's basketball team.

The forward averaged 15.7 points per game and 11.7 rebounds per game. In his final year of eligibility the Ohio State transfer led the Bobcats all season and throughout the MAC Tournament, in which the Bobcats defeated top ranked Kent.

Nationally, Stonerook finished second in double-doubles (22) and third in total rebounds (387). His accomplishments did not go unrecognized. The Bobcat senior earned first team All-MAC, All-MAC tournament team, National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District second team and his teammates elected him team MVP.

3. Freshman takes third

Coming in behind the two-experienced fifth-year seniors is a true freshman who used his first year to settle into position that demands maturity.

When former Ohio quarterback Kareem Wilson's eligibility ran out he left a serious void in the Bobcats' pro set offense. Little did fans know a 17-year-old freshman from Illinois would step up and take over.

Dontrell Jackson served as the only true freshman Division I-A starting quarterback in the nation last season. At times Jackson showed his youth, but he gained experience while starting all 11 games for Ohio.

Last season Jackson gained 528 yards, obtained a 113.61-quarterback efficiency rating and combined his running and passing skills for nine touchdowns.

4. Left-hander comes in fourth

Tony Schiml's amazing senior season with the Ohio baseball team earned him fourth place in the voting.

The left-handed pitcher racked up nine wins during the regular season including eight straight against MAC opponents. Schiml continued his excellence in the MAC Tournament with a complete game 5-2 win against Ball State.

Schiml was voted to the All-MAC Tournament team and was the unanimous MAC Pitcher of the Year. He will now take his game to the professional level after signing a contract with the Boston Red Sox.

5. Sprinter claims fifth spot

The fifth and final spot goes to men's track team member Martin Jackson. Throughout the outdoor season, in which he qualified as a provisional for the NCAA Championship, the freshman was the Bobcats' top individual sprinter.

Lacking collegiate experience, running against three All-Americans and competing with a hernia of the groin Jackson finished fifth in the 200-meter dash and sixth in the 100 at the MAC Championships.