Five inducted into North Royalton Athletic Hall of Fame

by Melissa Martin

North Royalton High School celebrated five distinguished alumni as the newest members of the North Royalton Athletic Hall of Fame during an Aug. 27 ceremony.

The Class of 2026 includes Dean Chuppa, Class of 1979; Debbie Andrews, 1990; Troy Richert, 2011; Nick Woods, 2014; and Joseph Marousek, 2020. Each was selected for outstanding athletic achievement, leadership, character and the positive impact they made during and after their time at North Royalton High.

Inductees were recognized during the Aug. 28 football game against Brecksville-Broadview Heights.

Chuppa’s connection to North Royalton athletics spans more than five decades as a student-athlete and coach. He played basketball for the Bears from 1974-1979 and has coached for the past 41 years. He has coached boys and girls basketball, football, baseball, golf, wrestling and track and field.

Andrews was a standout three-sport athlete, competing in cross country, basketball and track and field, earning 10 varsity letters.

Beyond competition, Andrews was active in the Letterman’s Club, serving as vice president and secretary during the 1988-89 school year.

Following graduation from North Royalton in 1990, Andrews received an NCAA Division I scholarship to the University of Toledo, where she competed for four years in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track.

Andrews continued as a distance runner after college, completing 11 marathons, including five Boston Marathons. Her running journey became part of an inspiring story when she ran the Boston Marathon in 2014 — one year after the bombing — as a cancer survivor.

Richert distinguished himself as one of the most accomplished divers in North Royalton High history and also competed in track and field.

A four-year letter winner in swimming and diving, Richert was named North Royalton’s Outstanding Diver all four years and qualified for the state diving meet each season. He earned All-Ohio honors four times, placing 13th as a freshman, 10th as a sophomore, third as a junior and second as a senior. His third-place and state runner-up finishes were the highest by a male diver in North Royalton history.

He was named conference Diver of the Year four times and still holds North Royalton’s record for six dives.

In addition to his success in the pool, Richert was a four-year letter winner in track and field. He was a conference champion and regional qualifier.

Richert became a member of Ohio State University’s gymnastics team from 2011-2013 and later coached the Ohio State Diving Club from 2015-2016. Richert continued his education by earning his MBA from Cleveland State University.

Woods distinguished himself as a three-year letter winner and two-year starter in basketball. He earned first-team All-Conference honors in 2013 and 2014 and honorable mention All-District both years. As a senior, he was named first-team Academic All-Ohio.

Woods was equally accomplished on the track. A three-year letter winner, he earned the team’s Most Improved Award in 2013 and was named Team MVP as a senior in 2014.

Woods was a member of National Honor Society, Letterman’s Club and Link Crew. He also served as Mr. Bear during the 2013-14 school year.

Following graduation, Woods ran track at John Carroll University, where he became a six-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference honoree in the 4×100, 4×200 and 4×400 relays. He has since returned to North Royalton, serving as the junior varsity boys basketball coach and an assistant coach for the high school track program.

Marousek was a four-year starter at quarterback and letter winner in football and a three-year captain. He was named Division II All-Ohio in 2018, earned All-District honors three times and All-Conference honors four times. He was selected as the team’s Offensive MVP in 2016, 2017 and 2018. He set numerous school records, including 64 career passing touchdowns, 6,613 career passing yards, 26 career rushing touchdowns and 8,425 yards of total offense. His 2018 performance against Nordonia, which included 542 passing yards, 138 rushing yards and six total touchdowns, earned a place in the OHSAA record book.

Marousek also excelled in baseball, twice earning All-Conference honors and All-District recognition in 2019. He was the 2020 Harold Conrad Male Athlete of the Year and received the Northeast Ohio National Football Foundation High School Scholar-Athlete Award. He graduated summa cum laude, was a member of the National Honor Society, earned Academic All-Ohio honors in football and baseball and served as class president for four years.

Marousek initially received a Division I football scholarship to the University of Akron, where he earned Academic All-Mid-American Conference honors in 2021. He transferred to Baldwin Wallace University, where he continued competing in football and baseball.

As a quarterback for Baldwin Wallace, Marousek was a two-year starter and letter winner. He finished his career with 3,032 passing yards and 25 touchdowns and earned several honors, including OAC Offensive Player of the Week. He was named a finalist for Male Collegiate Athlete of the Year at the 25th Greater Cleveland Sports Awards and earned multiple academic honors during his collegiate baseball career. He graduated summa cum laude from Baldwin Wallace in May 2024.

Photo caption: Alumni athletes Troy Reichert, Joseph Marousek, Nick Woods, Debbie Andrews and Dean Chuppa pose with the North Royalton Bears’ mascot prior to being recognized as this year’s inductees to the NRHS Athletic Hall of Fame. Photo submitted.