Beaverton hall of fame to induct three new members Maxwell, Longstreth, Oard to be recognized Feb. 13
By Fred Kelly, Sportswriter of the Midland Daily News
The Beaverton Athletic Hall of Fame will induct three new members during a ceremony in the Beaverton High School gym on Thursday, February 13.
Peter Maxwell (Class of 2003, track and basketball), Ryan Longstreth (Class of 2008, baseball, basketball), and Jake Oard (Class of 2008, baseball, football) will be recognized publicly between the Beavers’ junior varsity and varsity boys’ basketball games against Shepherd.
Maxwell won a state championship in the discus during his senior track and field season and is still Beaverton’s school-record-holder in the shot put. He went on to compete at Albion College and finished seventh in the shot put at the NCAA Division III Championships.
Maxwell was also a key member of the Beavers’ 2001-02 boys’ basketball team which notched a perfect regular-season, then won district and regional championships before suffering its first and only loss in the state quarterfinals.
As a pitcher, Longstreth led Beaverton to two of the school’s best baseball seasons ever, as BHS reached the state semifinals in two consecutive years and finished as state runner-up in 2007. He earned All-State status in both seasons and went on to win an American Legion World Series championship with Berryhill Post 165 and have a successful collegiate career at Central Michigan University, while being drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2012.
Longstreth was also a standout in basketball, twice earning all-conference honors and setting a school record for 3-pointers made.
As a teammate of Longstreth’s, Oard was the top hitter on Beaverton’s back-to-back state semifinalist teams in baseball, earning All-State honors both seasons while playing multiple positions and contributing in multiple ways with his athleticism and speed. He went on to become a four-year starter and all-conference outfielder for Northwood University.
Oard also earned all-area honors in football while playing multiple positions, and he led his league in goal-scoring in back-to-back seasons as a Junior hockey player.
Family, friends, and fans are invited to arrive early on Feb. 13 for pictures and a meet-and-greet session with this year’s inductees.