Best of the rest: These athletes just missed the cut for Times Recorder's Top 25 lists

Putting together the Top 25 boys and girls in the past 25 years also led to some tough decisions, and here are some names who were also considered, in no particular order.

Girls

Kristyn Heagen, John Glenn, 2008

Heagen shined in three different sports, earning 10 letters, but softball and basketball were where she left her biggest mark for the Muskies.

She teamed with Logan Hursey to be one of the top batteries in the Muskingum Valley League for three seasons. Heagen helped the Muskies win four league titles and a pair of district championships, though the Muskies fell just short of a state final four berth during Heagen's junior season. She was twice named first team All-MVL and All-East District and received second team All-Ohio honors as a senior.

In basketball, Heagen was a three-time All-Ohio selection, including Second-Team honors as a senior. She finished her career with 1,245 points, 639 rebounds, 257 steals and 201 assists. She was a three-time first team All-MVL and All-East District performer. She was a two-time MVL Player of the Year and was selected as the East District Player of the Year as a senior.

Pamela Bullock, Rosecrans, 2003

Bullock was a seven-time track All-Ohioan at Rosecrans, finishing as a five-time state runnerup and four-time Central Catholic League champion.

She was twice co-Eastern District track athlete of the year and was a four-time district finalist in tennis, going on to Findlay University where she was a six-time track All-American (indoor and outdoor) and four-time Great Lakes Inter-Collegiate Athletic Conference champion as well as GLIAC female athlete of the year.

Haley Gregory, John Glenn, 2014

The Muskie track standout qualified for the state meet each of her first three years, but injuries hampered Gregory's efforts in becoming a state champion.

Gregory was a four-time MVL champion in the 100, 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles then qualified for the state meet in the 100 and 100 hurdles as a freshman. She qualified for four events as a sophomore, becoming All-Ohio in both hurdles (100 and 300), while also competing in the 100 and 4x100 relay.

As a junior, Gregory won the indoor state title in the 60 hurdles and returned to the outdoor state meet in all four events. She posted the fastest preliminary time in the 300 hurdles and the second-fastest in the 100 hurdles, but an injury in the finals of the 100 hurdles prevented Gregory from stepping on the podium.

Gregory was on pace to return to state as a senior, but injuries suffered after the district meet essentially ended her high school career.

She was able to compete for Division II Ashland University.

Destiny Johnson, Zanesville, 2017

Johnson was a force on the soccer field, scoring 68 career goals with 27 assists, including 21 goals and 10 assists as a senior. She played on three East Central Ohio League championship teams and one sectional championship team. She was also an All-Ohio selection, the 2015 ECOL Player of the Year, and the 2016 East District Player of the Year before playing soccer at Wright State.

She was also an integral part to the success of the basketball team, which reached the Division I district semifinals in all four seasons with Johnson running the point.

Kylan Harper, Rosecrans, 2019

The Rosecrans' striker was one of the most prolific scorers in area history. She finished her high school career with a county-record 146 goals and 71 assists. She also holds several school records, including goals in a season with 50.

She was recognized by the coaches as a three-time First Team All-Ohio player and is among the top 15 in the state for career goals.

Harper continued her soccer career at Youngstown State University.

Madison Riggle, Maysville, 2016

Riggle was another strong pitcher in softball, earning three All-Ohio honors, including being a two-time First Team selection.

The four-time All-Muskingum Valley League First Team honoree averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game during his career. She posted a career record of 55-23 (.705) with a 1.68 ERA and 654 strikeouts and finished with a career .436 batting average and 26 home runs. The Panthers won three straight district titles during her tenure.

Riggle was also strong on the volleyball court, being named the MVL Player of the Year as a senior. She received several league and district accolades during her playing career.

Amy Stiltner, Philo, 2009

Stitlner shined in three sports, earning nine letters between soccer, basketball, and track.

In soccer, Stitlner was a dominating presence as a forward, leading the team in scoring each of her four seasons as she holds the school record with 96 career goals. She was a member of the Division II regional finalist squad as a freshman and helped the team win another district title as a sophomore. She received MVL and East District accolades and was a three-time MVL Player of the Year and two-time district player of the year. She was also an All-Ohioan four times, including three as a first-team selection. Amy also received national attention, being named Adidas "All American" for Region IV by the National Soccer Coaches Association.

In basketball, she made the All-MVL first team four times and the East District first team three times. She helped the Electrics win the league title as a freshman and received All-Ohio recognition several times. She surpassed 1,000 career points as a senior, finishing with 1,043 and broke three assists records: single game (12), season (158) and career (345) during her junior season. She was the District 12 player of the year as a senior.

Stitlner lettered in track as a freshman and was on the 4x400 relay that set the school record with Shalane Moore. She also earned MVL Scholar Athlete honors and was awarded the National Scholar Athlete awards for Academic and Athletic excellence by the United States Army Reserve.

Jessie Swinderman, Sheridan, 2005

Swinderman was a two-time All-Ohio pitcher, leading the Generals as a senior to the Division II regional tournament in 2005.

Her best season came as a junior, where Sheridan was a perfect 16-0 in the MVL. In 165 innings, she struck out 180 and walked just 24. Swinderman posted 10 shutouts in compiling an 18-6 record and a 0.55 ERA. Swinderman also swung a big stick, hitting .464 and scoring 15 runs.

She then pitched for West Liberty in college.

Nicole Blubaugh, New Lexington, 2001

Blubaugh and Rebecca Bryant gave the Panthers plenty of pop during the softball program's success in the early 2000s. She was a four-time MVL and two-time district selection in softball, and helped New Lex win two district titles and four sectional championships.

She also was a member of the 2001 MVL basketball champions and earned all-league honors in basketball and volleyball during her career.

She went on to play softball at Muskingum, helping the Muskies reach three College World Series and becoming a three-time All-American and All-Ohio Athletic Conference athlete.

Greta Barker, Crooksville, 2021

The Ceramics' track standout was the first to qualify to the state meet in four events as a sophomore. She competed in the 100, 200, long jump and 4x100 in 2019, earning All-Ohio honors in the 100.

After losing her junior season of track because of COVID, Barker came back and returned to state in all four events. She picked All-Ohio accolades in all four events, including being the Division III state runner-up in the 100.

She competed for Ashland University at the collegiate level.

Boys

Matt Bromley, Sheridan, 2014

Bromley entered his senior year at Sheridan with high hopes in distance running, and he established himself as the gold standard for future Generals.

He won Division II regional and state titles in cross country in consecutive weeks, becoming the first in MVL history to do so. Seven months later, he dominated in the 1,600 and 3,200 in track, then won the 3,200 at the Division II state meet.

He eventually signed a scholarship offer from Miami University and spent his entire career there. As a senior, he received the Phillip Shriver Graduating Champions Medal of Honor, a school leadership award.

He remains the only cross country champion in league history. He joined the Sheridan Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019.

Drew Carpenter, Sheridan, 2010

Like Bromley, Carpenter was another history maker.

The heavyweight wrestler, a three-time Muskingum Valley League champion and two-time state qualifier in Division II, was known for his defensive style and counter-attacks. It helped him become the league’s first state champion in 2010 — the title his older brother Mike, also standout heavyweight, failed to capture in a fourth-place finish five years prior.

Carpenter's wrestling only told part of the story.

A few months earlier, he was named Southeast District Defensive Player of the Year in Division III as a nose guard for an 8-2 playoff team. That was good for first-team All-Ohio, something he credited at the time largely to his wrestling background.

That came after he pulled the feat as a junior, just like his teammate, running back Brian Crader, during a 10-0 season that saw Sheridan finish 10-0 and named Associated Press Poll champs for the first time.

He joined the Sheridan Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.

Josh Agin, Rosecrans, 2009

In a program rich in golf tradition, Agin left as arguably the best individual the school has produced.

He holds school records of single-season average (70.2), individual medalist honors (31) and single-round score (65). He won the Zanesville District Golf Association Amateur, around since 1977, in 2008 —.at 17, he was the youngest champion in tournament history.

He earned All-Ohio four times in golf for the Bishops, including finishes of second, third and fifth in his first three years in Division III. He led the Bishops to a runner-up finish in 2005 and a fifth-place finish in 2008.

His Picasso was a runner-up finish in 2007, when he had the lead with one group remaining. He turned that into a scholarship with Toledo.

In basketball, he was a 6-1 post man who averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds per game to earn first-team All-East District pick in Division IV as a senior. He also earned All-East District as a junior.

Dylan Van Fossen, John Glenn, 2017

Perhaps no MVL golfer has accomplished as much as Van Fossen, who parlayed three MVL Player of the Year awards and three Division II district medals into a spot on the team at Toledo.

Van Fossen finished his final campaign with a fourth-place finish in the Division II state tournament at Ohio State's Scarlet Course. He finished with three district titles as an individual.

He also became the youngest player in its 38-year history to win the ZDGA Amateur and parlayed that into a dominant senior season.

In 2014, his 3-under-par 69 in the district at Apple Valley helped the Muskies advance to the state, where they eventually finished fourth. He finished as a four-time state qualifier.

His torrid played continued after his school days.

He shot 9-under 62 to set the course record at Zanesville Country Club during the 2021 Genesis Pro-Am. That came on the heels of a win at the Ohio Publinx two months prior.

Alex Bobb, Maysville, 2024

It was the 6-1 Bobb's all-around play, particularly his shooting, that led the Panthers to their first state basketball tournament since 1971 in 2023-24.

He earned Division II East District Player of the Year honors by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association and District 12 Player of the Year as a senior, while being named a Mr. Basketball candidate. He boasted averages of 25.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists, enough to land a spot on the All-Ohio first team. It came a year after being snubbed with a 20-point scoring average as a junior.

He also started at quarterback for two years in football before focusing on basketball as a senior. He will join former All-Ohio teammate Hayden Jarrett, whom he surpassed for the school's all-time scoring record, as another two-sport star at Marietta College.

Bobb led the state in 3-point shooting at 50 percent as a junior. It was that shooting that fans will remember most.

His game-winning, banked-in 3-pointer as time expired in the regional semifinals against Columbus Hartley will long be revered. So will his two 3s in the final minute of a comeback win before a packed house in Southtown against Tri-Valley.

A.J. Clayton, Philo, 2021

How good was A.J. Clayton? Good enough to graduate a year early, overcome a lost AAU season due to COVID-19 restrictions and earn a full ride to Ohio to play basketball.

Clayton, a 6-8 forward with inside-out skills, averaged 23.3 points, 16.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in his final season, which was good for second-team All-Ohio by the OPSWA. He put up 18.1 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 53 percent from the floor as a sophomore.

While his Philo teams struggled with little supporting cast around him — it won only one game his sophomore year — Clayton was often a force.

None were bigger than a 44-point effort against East Liverpool in a Division II sectional tournament game, part of a 10-game stretch in his final season that saw him average 27.9 points per game.

He has played in at least 33 games in each of his three seasons with the Bobcats, posting 12.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in 26.3 minutes per game in 2023-24. He had five Division I offers out of high school.

Kolby LaCrone, Tri-Valley, 2005

Many consider LaCrone to be the best soccer talent to play in the Zanesville area.

He was a first-team All-Ohioan with the Scotties who, at the time, set the state record for career goals (108) and assists (109). He played collegiately at West Virginia and Marshall before embarking on a professional career. He was the first area player to earn a Division I soccer scholarship.

LaCrone and teammate Kasey Waaland, a three-sport star who played track at Cincinnati, combined for 213 goals — 61 as seniors. As a junior, LaCrone kicked 46 goals and assisted on 34 others.

LaCrone and Waaland were part of teams that won four straight MVL titles and reached three Division II regionals from 2001-03.

After college, LaCrone played in the United Soccer League with Cleveland and Dayton.

Aaron Gehlken, Rosecrans, 2017

Some are three-sport standouts. Gehlken did it in four.

A 6-2 combo guard, Gehlken twice was East District Player of the Year and first-team All-Ohioan in Division IV by the Associated Press after setting the school's all-time scoring mark in basketball at 1,650 points. It was a mark surpassed this past season by another scoring ace in Grady Labishak.

It was on the hardwood where he was best known, but he also played football, soccer and baseball and excelled in each during a time when the Bishops played in the East Central Ohio League.

He joined the football program, in part, because of a dire need for players. He parlayed that into a stellar two-year career where he caught 48 passes for 918 yards with 13 TDs and intercepted four passes for a playoff team as a senior. He was a second-team All-Ohio pick.

He played both sports as a junior, helping the soccer team reach the Division III Final Four as a midfielder while still averaging 20 yards per catch at receiver.

Thomas Wibbeler, Zanesville, 2014

The trigger man of Chad Grandstaff's teams that turned the Blue Devils into elite status passed for more than 6,000 yards in two years as a starter. In basketball, he helped Scott Aronhalt's teams win 42 games in two years as a key outside shooter.

The Blue Devils outscored the opposition, 48-11, on average during their Division II regional championship football season in 2013, when they won the AP poll title. The 5-11, 170-pound Wibbeler was the driving force, passing for 3,577 yards with 47 touchdowns and ran 70 times for 400 more markers. It came after he passed for 2,697 yards and 34 TDs as a junior during a 9-2 playoff campaign.

Wibbler, a two-time All-Ohio selection by the AP, still owns myriad school records, including completions, yards and touchdowns. He was 22-3 as a starter.

His basketball team reached a final in the rugged Division I Central District tournament after the Blue Devils finished 21-1 in the regular season and finished ranked second in the final AP poll. They won consecutive East Central Ohio League-Scarlet Division titles in his two years as a starter.

Wibbeler signed with Division II Ohio Dominican and eventually transferred to Capital, where he set multiple school records with former ZHS teammate Dar Stanford his top target. Stanford, one of two All-Ohio receivers at Wibbeler's disposal, also played at ODU.

Rashid SeSay, West Muskingum, 2024

SeSay’s gridiron exploits were enough to land a spot as a preferred walk-on at Ohio State following a senior season in which he was named Division V Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Ohio by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association.

That only told part of his story.

SeSay also starred as a sprinter, winning a pair MVL titles while anchoring the best 4x200 relay team in school history as a junior. As a senior, he was the Tornadoes’ most dangerous baseball player who excelled as a center fielder with his superior speed.

But football was his meal ticket, with good reason. He ran for nearly 1,300 yards and caught more 30 passes as a senior, as coach Nathan Brownrigg moved him between running back and receiver to maximize his talents. He also starred on defense, where played linebacker and defensive back for a Tornadoes squad that won the MVL-Small School Division and a first-round playoff game in Region 19.

SeSay, who set several school records, chose OSU over multiple Division II scholarship offers.

sblackbu@gannett.com; X: @SamBlackburnTR

bhannahs@gannett.com; X: @brandonhannahs

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Best of the rest: These athletes just missed the cut for Times Recorder's Top 25 lists