Fairfield Local Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2025 announced

Fairfield Athletic Director James Barnett and Tom Purtell, Co-Chairmen, of the Fairfield Local Athletic Hall of Fame Committee announced the Class of 2025 inductees to the Fairfield Local High School Athletic Hall of Fame: Heather Cox Storer, Michael Mangus, Blake Hildebrant, Kaitlin Evans and the 1986 Fairfield High School Lady Lions softball team.

The induction ceremony will be held Sunday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. at Fairfield Local Schools in Leesburg.  

The inductees will also be introduced and presented with their Hall of Fame plaques prior to the varsity game with the Whiteoak High School on Friday, Feb. 7.

The Hall of Fame is organized as a way of maintaining the rich heritage and tradition of the successful athletic programs at Fairfield Local High School (including Leesburg High School, Highland High School and Samantha High School). This Class of 2025 is the seventh Hall of Fame Class and has truly made outstanding contributions to the athletic programs at Fairfield.

Below is a biography of each of the inductees.

• Heather Cox Storer graduated from Fairfield Local High School in 2014. She was born to Fred and Amy Cox and raised in Leesburg. She has one younger sister, Brittany. Storer showed much promise in athletics at a young age, playing soccer, cross-country and softball, but basketball was where she carved her name in the record books and represented her school with class and honor.

Storer played a minimal role on her varsity team as a freshman, contributing only 45 points that season, and that was the pivotal time she decided that she would have to work much harder in the offseason and hone her skill set to prepare herself to pursue her dreams of being the best basketball player she could be. Her parents helped connect her with the boys assistant coach and eventual FHS girls head coach, Chad Hamilton, to begin working with her weekly on developing her game. This decision would become pivotal toward her future basketball success.

Storer was the most dominant post player in Lady Lions history, averaging a double-double (points and rebounds) for most of her varsity career. Although she never played on the most talented teams at FHS, her teams improved in record each season. 

Storer became Fairfield’s all-time leading scorer Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014 in Peebles. Her 17 points against the Lady Indians gave her a current career total of 1,057. Those points moved her past the former record of 1,054 points, which stood for almost 32 years and was achieved by Kay Cummings in 1982. Storer ended her career as the program's top scorer with 1,199 points and an amazing 982 rebounds.

Storer earned several postseason accolades: She was the first Lady Lion to earn three All-SHAC team awards in 2012, 2013 and 2014. She was voted to second-team Southeast District Division IV by the Coaches Association as a sophomore and then first-team her junior and senior seasons. She was also named third-team All-District by the Associated Press as a sophomore and then first-team as a junior and senior. She was twice named to All-Ohio Special Mention in 2013 and 2014.

After graduating from Fairfield, she attended Wilmington College, graduating early in 2017 with a double major in Ag Business/Accounting. She was a member of the Lady Quakers women’s basketball team her freshman season before her career was cut short due to lingering injuries.  

Storer currently lives on a farm in New Vienna with her husband, Austin Storer, and their daughter, Sadie Louise. She also serves as Senior Project Manager at Fillmore Construction in Cobbtown.

• Michael William Mangus is the son of William “Bill” Mangus and Deborah “Debbie” Mangus (deceased) and brother of Matthew Mangus.  

An esteemed alumnus of Fairfield Local School District, Mangus is renowned for his exceptional achievements in both athletics and academics. Throughout his career, Mangus has been a role model for hard work, perseverance and excellence, leaving a legacy as one of the most decorated athletes in Fairfield’s history.

Mangus’s high school years were marked by unparalleled success in both track and field and cross-country. As a standout runner for the Fairfield Lions, he achieved numerous accolades, including a second-place finish in the 3200 meters at the 2014 State Track & Field Championships and two consecutive appearances at the state meet in this event.

Mangus also won the regional championship in the 3200 meters in 2014, cementing his dominance in distance running. That same year, he competed at the Indoor State Track Championships, finishing second in the 3200 meters and fourth in the 1600 meters.

Over his career, Mangus became a 15-time SHAC Track champion across various events, including the 800, 1600 and 3200 meters, as well as relay events. He was also a two-time district champion in the 3200 meters, further showcasing his prowess on the track.

In cross-country, Mangus was equally accomplished, qualifying for the state championships three times during his high school career. In 2013, he led Fairfield’s first-ever team to qualify for the State Cross-Country Championships, where he placed fourth individually and set a school record. His performances earned him All-Ohio honors twice and established him as a dominant force in the sport. Mangus also became the only athlete in school history to win the SHAC Cross-Country Conference title every year from seventh through 12th grade.

Beyond his athletic achievements, Mangus excelled academically, earning Academic All-Ohio honors five times and setting school records in the 1600 meters, 3200 meters and cross-country.

Mangus’s success on the track and in the classroom earned him a Division I athletic scholarship to Northern Kentucky University. As a member of NKU’s cross-country and track & field teams, he continued to excel, setting personal bests of 14:38.64 in the 5000 meters and 31:44.94 in the 10,000 meters. He earned recognition as a First -eam All-Horizon League athlete in cross country and received Second-Team All-Atlantic Sun Conference honors.

In 2018, Mangus graduated from NKU with a degree in mathematics and statistics, further demonstrating his commitment to excellence in all areas of life.

Mangus’s story is one of dedication, resilience and achievement. His historic high school career, highlighted by leading Fairfield to new athletic milestones and his continued success at the collegiate level, serve as an enduring inspiration for young athletes and students in his community. Today, as he resides in Dayton, Ky., Mangus remains a testament to the power of perseverance and the pursuit of excellence.

• Blake Hildebrant is the son of Brian and Donella Hildebrant and brother to Austin Hildebrant.  

Hildebrant, a 2014 graduate of Fairfield High School, is thought of by many as the best all-around male athlete in the school’s history. His extraordinary versatility, athletic achievements and leadership set a standard of excellence that continues to inspire future generations of Fairfield athletes.

Hildebrant earned an unprecedented 12 Southern Hills Athletic Conference All-League awards across five different sports: cross-country, soccer, track & field, baseball and basketball. His dominance in athletics was evident from the start, as he consistently excelled in every sport in which he participated.

In cross-country, Hildebrant was a four-time First Team All-District selection and a three-time state tournament participant. He also earned Academic All-Ohio honors for three consecutive years, showcasing his commitment to both academics and athletics.

On the soccer field, Blake’s impact was legendary — he was a two-time First-Team All-District honoree, a Second-Team All-District selection and earned Second Team All-State recognition in one of his seasons. He remains the school’s record-holder in several categories for boys soccer, including career goals (71), career assists (46), most goals in a season (26) and most goals in a game (5).

Hildebrant’s talent extended to the baseball diamond, where he was a two-time Second-Team All-District selection, and the basketball court, earning Third-Team All-District honors in one season.

Hildebrant had an outstanding athletic career, contributing to numerous championship teams across multiple sports. He was a member of the 2014 Southern Hills Athletic Conference, Sectional and District Championship basketball team and played on championship baseball teams, including the 2011 Southern Hills Athletic Conference Champions and 2011 Sectional Champions and the 2014 Sectional Champions.

In soccer, Hildebrant was part of the Sectional Championship teams in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Additionally, he excelled in cross-country, helping his teams win Southern Hills Athletic Conference and District Championships and achieve state tournament appearances in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Hildebrant also earned the title of Southern Hills Athletic Conference Champion in track and field.

Beyond his athletic achievements, Hildebrant excelled academically and as a leader in the Fairfield High School community. He graduated with a 3.67 GPA while serving as Class President, National Honor Society President, a member of the Academy of Scholars and the FFA Executive Committee. His ability to balance academics, athletics and leadership roles set him apart as a truly remarkable individual.

After high school, Hildebrant went on to Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, where he graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

Hildebrant’s induction into the Fairfield High School Athletic Hall of Fame celebrates his incredible legacy. He exemplifies what it means to be a student-athlete, leaving behind a record of accomplishments that will inspire the Fairfield community for years to come.

• Kaitlin Evans is the daughter of Cammie Spargur and stepfather Sam Spargur, with sister Brianna Evans Lamb, brother Garrett Spargur and sister Lyndee Spargur.   
 
Evans, a 2014 graduate of Fairfield Local High School, is arguably the best all-around female athlete to ever graduate from Fairfield.  Her hard work, dedication, drive to compete and will to win made herself and her teammates better. She was very coachable, picking up new skills with very little repetition. Her extraordinary athletic skills, versatility, athletic achievements and leadership elevated the sports she played to a new level that continues 10 years later.  

Evans is the only Fairfield athlete to be named First-Team All-Ohio in two sports (softball and soccer) her senior year, setting Fairfield school records in both sports. Kaitlin earned nine All-Southern Hills Athletic Conference team awards in four different sports: soccer (three), basketball (three), cross-country (two) and softball (one).  

Evans’ first memory of playing organized sports came at age 5 or 6 playing soccer in West Union. The team was coached by Sam Spargur. Although there were Little League programs in place in Leesburg in the other sports, Evans did not participate until later.  She started playing softball at age 9 or 10, but did not start running cross-country or playing basketball until seventh grade.  

Evans was a very good student academically, but playing sports in high school is what she would look forward to every day at school. She enjoyed practices just as much as games, and that explains her success. She reveled in the joy of competition. Evans enjoyed all four sports but liked softball the best because they won. She was a team leader and captain on her soccer team, basketball team and softball team.

Evans led the girls soccer team to a sectional championship in 2015. Although the girls basketball team did not win championships, her hard work and drive to be better lifted the basketball program to win a sectional championship the year after she graduated in 2016 and won Fairfield’s first Southern Hills Athletic Conference championship in 2018.

It was the Fairfield Lady Lions Softball program where Evans left her biggest mark. Evans joined this successful program and helped elevate it to yet another higher level, as the starting varsity shortstop for four years from 2012-15. During that four-year period, Fairfield won two SHAC championships and two second-place finishes, four sectional titles, one district championship and one district runner-up trophy. In 2015, the Fairfield Lady Lions were voted the No. 1 Division IV Team in Ohio in the final Coaches Poll.

All Fairfield varsity coaches impress upon their veteran players to strive to make their teams better and to leave their varsity sports program better after they graduate.  Evans epitomized this to the utmost.

In her freshman year in 2012, Evans batted .247 and struck out 30 times. She picked up skills and techniques very quickly in the summer of 2012. She got better every year and batted .415 in her junior year, and in her senior year when she was named First-Team All-Ohio, Evans batted .583 with an on-base percentage of .617, 32 runs, 45 hits and 21 stolen bases.

Evans definitely left the softball program better after she graduated. The Fairfield Lady Lions softball program in the years immediately following Evans’ graduation 2015-22 won six consecutive SHAC championships, including four undefeated seasons, seven consecutive sectional championships and an amazing five consecutive district championships.   

Evans graduated with a BS degree in physical therapy in 2019 from Wilmington College, where she was a four-year starting player for the women’s soccer team and captain her senior year. She continued her studies at Mount St. Joseph University and graduated in 2023 with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy.

Evans works as a physical therapist at the Mercy Fairfield Hospitals and lives in greater Cincinnati.

• The 1986 Fairfield Lady Lions Softball team continued the tradition of Lady Lions softball teams of the 1980s with their fifth consecutive Southern Hills Athletic Conference championship and their second undefeated (11-0) Gold Softball under the direction of Coach Jim D. Cook (1981-1993).

The team included Jill Burgess, Lori Campbell, Julie Carson, Jennifer Cook, Angel Fleming, Judy Grooms, Kathy Hattan, Rhonda Hattan, Missy Holmes, Tracey Lawwell, Meri Magee, Jill Miller, Sandy Myers, Shari Shell, Andrea Stewart, Alicia Stroup, Michelle Williams, Kelly Wilson and Kris Winters, with coach Jim Cook, assistant coach Tim Cook and bat girl Debi Hattan.

The undefeated 1986 season extended the Fairfield Lady Lions softball winning streak to 20 games and marked their fifth consecutive SHAC championship.    

The Fairfield Lady Lions defeated the Lynchburg Clay Lady Mustangs 16-7 in the first round of the sectional tournament and clinched their sixth sectional championship with a 10-1 victory over the Western Latham Lady Indians.

The Lady Lions won their third district championship with a high-scoring 21-20 victory over the Lucasville Valley Lady Indians, as they advanced to the regional Tturnament at Waverly High School.

The Fairfield Lady Lions had an impressive victory in the regional semifinal game as they blasted the Reedsville Eastern Lady Eagles 24-8 to become the second Lady Lions softball team to reach the “Elite Eight.”

Fairfield faced the perennial powerhouse Portsmouth Clay Land Panthers in the regional championship game.  The game was filled with uncharacteristic walks and fielding errors by the Lady Lions and led to a 30-6 loss. The Fairfield Lady Lions finished as the regional runners-up.

The 1986 Lady Lions were the first Fairfield softball team to finish with 19 wins, an overall 19-7 record and an undefeated 11-0 Southern Hills Athletic Conference championship. Their great season helped propel the Fairfield Lady Lions softball program into the winningest team sport at Fairfield.  

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