You need to save your best for last. You need to peak at the right time. These are two sports clichés that are often repeated. For coach, Bob Mayberry those two clichés described his 1972 cross country team.
Team members were Robert West, Dale Hamilton, Bob Bradford, Larry Hunter, Benny Perry, Bill Faber, David Short, Randy Bird, Harold Steinnette, Don Graves, Doug Tipton, Chris Terrell, Bob Pollard, Chris Clark, Tom Lute and Gerald Meunier. They made an end of the season run that put Stivers in the state cross country meet in Columbus.
The team started off the season finishing 8th at the Fairview Invitational. As the season progressed they managed to win four meets and finish 2nd in three others, including the prestigious Brookville Invitational.
Their big meets were now just beginning. The city meet started their push to the state. They won the city meet with Chris Terrell finishing 3rd with a time of 10:18. He was joined by Ben Perry at 10:19 and Doug Tipton at 10:31.
Led by Benny Perr, Doug Tipton and Chris Terrell, the Stivers squad started their tournament push by winning the sectional meet. Stivers had 48 points and their closest competitor was National Trail with 84 points. Benny Perry finished in first place with a time of 10:16 for the two mile course.
Next up came the districts where the top four teams would advance to the state.
Stivers won their district with a total of 64 points. Tipp City was a distant second with 97 points. Stivers had two runners in the topo ten with Benny Perry at 10:21 and Doug Tipton at 10:33.
Stivers had a great state meet with a third place finish. Chris Terrell was third at 10:19, followed by Doug Tipton at 10:30 and Benny Perry at 10:32.
Where are they today? Faber, Short, Graves, Steinette, Tipton, Clark and Lute are still living in the area. We have no information on Mennier, Terrell, Hamilton, Bird and Pollard. West lives in Georgia and Hunter lives in Akron. Sadly, Perry and Bradford are deceased.