The 2024 West Union Athletic Hall of Fame inductees. From left, Carl Schneider, Eli Fuller, Jacob Pell, Tyler Fowler, Craig Horton, Elijah McCarty, Dean Schneider and Clay Hamrick. (Photo by Kiersten Rowe)
By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
In ceremonies held on January 12 between the JV and varsity game with Southeastern, West Union High School inducted the latest members of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees included Clay Hamrick, Dean Schneider, Elijah McCarty,Carl Schneider, and the 2015 and 2016 Boys Golf teams.
Clay Hamrick was a 1988 graduate of West Union High School. During high school, Clay participated in baseball, basketball, and golf. As member of the baseball team, he helped to lead the team to a SHL championship in 1987. As a basketball player, Hamrick was a member of the team that won the SHL and sectional in 1987 and 1988 and were District Champions in 1988. Clay is best remembered as a member of the WUHS golf team. Clay was All-SHL in 1985, 1986, and 1987 and he helped to lead the golf team to four SHL championships. The 1986 golf team won the sectional and district and were regional qualifiers.
Hamrick attended Eastern Kentucky University and was a member of their men’s golf team for four years and played in 33 Division I matches which is an EKU record. He was Kentucky State Amateur Champion and was a United States amateur qualifier in 1992 and has been a PGA professional for 32 years and is a 25-year member of PGA America. Clay is currently the CEO and General Manager of the Frankfort Country Club in Frankfort, Kentucky and a Stack and Tilt Authorized Golf instructor.
Dean Schneider was a 2008 graduate of West Union High School. During high school he participated in basketball and golf and was a Tim Potts Award recipient. Schneider was a member of the 2006 and 2007 Sectional championship teams and is best remembered as a member of the golf team. Dean was All-SHL all four years and player of the year in the SHL and Southeast District his senior year. He helped to lead the WUHS golf team to four SHL championships. The team was a District qualifier all four years and state qualifiers in 2006 and 2007. Dean participated in the Junior Masters in 2006 and 2007, was a participant in the USA Jr Olympics in 2006 and a member of the Plantation All-American High School Team in 2007.
Dean attended Morehead State University and earned a degree in Sports Management. He was a member of their men’s golf team for four years, team captain in 2011 and 2012 and an assistant coach for two years. Dean was named Outstanding Eagle Men’s athlete and won the Young Achievers Award.
Since graduating from Morehead Dean Schneider has worked in the golf and sports industry for 10 years, first working for the LPGA as Tournament Business Affairs for the Women’s Golf Tour and Tournament Director for the Symetra Tour. Dean is currently working for Group 1001 as the Associate Director of Sponsorship, Strategy, and Activation- Sports Division.
Elijah McCarty was a 2018 graduate of West Union High School. During high school, Elijah participated in baseball, basketball and golf. He played baseball his freshman and senior years. He had a .308 career batting average as a Dragon and helped the team win a SHAC title his senior year. As a basketball player, he was All-SHAC and Second Team All-Southeast District his senior year. He was a three-year varsity starter scoring 602 varsity basketball points with 312 of them coming his senior year. Elijah was a key member of the “Gold Rush” under Coach Greg Himes. helping to lead the team to an SHAC championship in 2018.
Elijah is best remembered as a member of the golf team. He was All-SHAC four years and SHAC Player of the Year three times. His golf teams won the SHAC all four years, were sectional and district champions and state qualifiers in 2015 and 2016. As a senior, McCarty was medalist 15 times, was named Southeast District Player of the Year, and returned to the state as an individual State Qualifier. Elijah attended Shawnee State where he was a four-year member of the men’s golf team. Elijah is currently a Financial analyst with First State Bank.
Carl Schneider has been a music teacher at WUHS for the last 40 years and has created a musical legacy that is unmatched. “Coach” Schneider has also made a huge impact on WUHS sports as he helped to put 82 numbers on the championship banners.
Carl coached basketball at WUHS at several levels. As a Junior High coach, he won back-to-back SHL regular season titles and one tournament title. He assisted with the 2006 and 2007 Sectional Champion varsitybasketball teams and spent one year as varsity boys coach. Carl also served as CoAthletic Director at WUHS for four years.
Carl Schneider is best known as a golf coach. Carl has spent 25 summers teaching the sport of golf in the Adams County Junior league and started the girls program at West Union. As varsity girls golf coach Carl won three SHAC and three sectional titles and was named the SHAC Girls Golf Coach of the Year three times. As boys coach, Carl has 16 SHAC titles, nine sectional titles, four district titles, six state qualifying teams and three state qualifying individuals. He has been named SHAC Coach of the Year 16 times and has been named OHSGCA Coach of the Year twice. Over the last 20 years, Carl has coached approximately 100 All-SHAC athletes with many of those playing golf at the next level and beyond.
The 2015 team Boys Varsity Golf team were Adams County Cup champions, SHAC champions, sectional champions, district champions, and finished 10th at the Division 3 State Meet. Team members were Craig Horton, Tyler Fowler, Elijah McCarty, Jacob Pell and Eli Fuller. They were coached by Carl Schneider who was assisted by Arianna Bowles.
The 2016 Boys Varsity Golf team were Adams County Cup champions, SHAC champions, sectional champions, district champions and finished ninth at the Division 3 State Meet. Team members were Craig Horton, Tyler Fowler, Elijah McCarty, Jacob Pel, and Eli Fuller. They were coached by Carl Schneider who was assisted by Arianna Bowles.
