KC point guard Kusick joins Hall
This is the fi rst in a series of seven articles profi ling the 2013 inductees into the Butler County Sports Hall of FameKarissa Kusick Dominick is taking a trip down memory lane — again.The point guard on the 2000 Karns City girls basketball state championship team will be inducted into the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame at the organization’s annual banquet April 27 at the Butler Days Inn.The entire Gremlins’ team was recognized for its achievements at the HOF fete two years ago.“That was the first time all of us had gotten together in years,” Kusick recalled. “It was a special night. Only one girl from that team was unable to be there.“Hopefully, we’ll all get the chance to see each other again.”Kusick becomes the second individual player from that team to be inducted. Courtnay Rattigan, the team’s center, entered the Hall in 2011.Both scored more than 1,000 points in their prep careers as four-year starters. Kusick netted 1,351 points.Karns City won 95 of 110 games during their four-year careers.“You don’t realize it when it’s happening, but two players on the same team getting well over 1,000 was a great accomplishment,” Kusick said. “The fact we both played a lot as freshmen helped us in that regard.”But Kusick remembers the tightness of the team — 13 girls coached by five men. Larry Deal was the head coach, Chris Bellis, Steve Andreassi, Chris Barnes and Dave Kerschbaumer the assistants. All but Barnes eventually became a head coach of either varsity boys or girls basketball at Karns City.“Coach Deal was like a second dad to us,” Kusick said, “There were days when we loved him, days when we hated him. He was strict with us.“It’s a lot easier to accept and appreciate that discipline now, looking back on it.”Kusick went on to play at Division III Baldwin-Wallace College, where she ranks seventh on the all-time career assist list with 284.B-W reached the Elite Eight in Division III during her freshman season.“That was fun, winning a state title and going to the Elite Eight in back to back years,” Kusick said.Now a clinical pharmacist at the Cleveland Clinic, Kusick is married with two children — a 2-year-old son and four and a half month old daughter. While in pharmacy school at Ohio State, she competed in a competitive women’s recreational basketball league and played volleyball.“That rec league had a lot of former Division I, II and III players in it,” Kusick said. “Eventually, my work schedule became too intense to continue playing and once the kids came around, my life totally changed.”But she fondly remembers her days of playing basketball — and volleyball — at Karns City and B-W.“The biggest thing I miss is the relationships with my teammates and coaches,” she said. “Some of the girls I played with became my closest friends.“My family is friends with Coach Deal and his family to this day.“I miss the competition, too. ... I’m a very competitive person,” she added.Kusick and her husband are already shooting baskets with their son.“My husband played football, baseball and basketball in high school,” she said. “We are both very sports oriented.“The two main things I got from playing sports are work ethic and discipline. I learned that you have to work to succeed and it’s important to be regimented.”The memory of winning a state championship will never fade, either.“That whole group — we will be forever bonded for that experience,” Kusick said.
