Tianna Madison grateful to be home, part of 50th anniversary of Elyria Sports Hall of Fame

ELYRIA — As Tianna Madison received her latest in a long list of athletic accomplishments, she said much of her life she dreamed of getting out of Elyria — until she did. Now all the Olympic gold medalist can think about is coming home. Madison, a track and field star at Elyria High School and beyond, was warmly welcomed home with a standing ovation from a sellout crowd as she was inducted into the Elyria Sports Hall of Fame along with five other individuals and one team Saturday at Lorain County Community College's Spitzer Conference Center. "During my years at Elyria High School, all I wanted to do was leave. That was it," Madison said during the enshrinement ceremony. "Now all I want to do is come back. "I've lived in the Netherlands, South Africa and all these places, and the ticket I spend the most money on is getting to Cleveland airport so I can get back to Elyria, Ohio." Madison was introduced by Cleveland Cavaliers radio play-by-play announcer Tim Alcorn. He said as a broadcaster it's his job to come up with words to describe athletes but in Madison's case he struggles to find the words for what she means to Elyria, Northeast Ohio and the country as a decorated world champion. "She has shone the light on Elyria and that spotlight has shined very, very brightly because of Tianna Madison," Alcorn said. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Elyria Sports Hall of Fame, and along with inducting a three-time Olympic gold medalist, the committee celebrated the occasion with several new features to the ceremony. Tess (Sito) Herchler (Elyria softball), Steve Mitcheff (Elyria wrestling), John Walker (Elyria Catholic football and wrestling), Darrell Mayne (Elyria West football), Linda Schuster (Elyria Catholic distinguished service) and the 1992 Elyria baseball team, along with Madison, were introduced with video presentations featuring highlights from their athletic careers, newspaper clips and appearances from family, friends and teammates before taking the stage to give remarks. The Hall of Fame committee also awarded its annual scholarships, but this year upped the amount, granting four scholarships of $750 rather than the usual $500 to honor the occasion. This year's recipients were Kayla Bender (Elyria), Annika Bredel (Elyria Catholic), Jacqueline Kaminski (Elyria) and Andrew Palos (Elyria). The newest inductees all opened their remarks by thanking their families, friends, coaches and teammates. Most were awestruck by the turnout and the caliber of athletes recognized in the golden class. Walker even joked the only reason the committee proceeded with his induction was because it had already been printed in the paper. "When I first got the call that I was being inducted, my first emotion was excitement, then I kind of puffed up (thinking), 'Hey, that's pretty cool.' Then I read these people's bios," Walker said. "All kidding aside, with so many great athletes and coaches that have come from Elyria, to be named as one of the most memorable is simply very humbling." All the inductees were present except Herchler, who was out of the country for a prior commitment. Even the 1992 Elyria baseball team was well-represented, with 17 of the 18 members of the team taking the stage. It was a ceremony inductees and attendees agreed was worthy of its golden anniversary, and Madison said she hopes the milestone event is a starting point for athletes like herself to engage with their hometown communities and foster pride in where you call home. "I'm really, really proud to be here," she said. "My final wish is that we make it easier for me to come home and give back to the same community. I wish I could be in front of you and engaging with you more. I will fly back from California anytime to do anything with these students, especially if it means that I can drill into them that where you start is not where you finish. "You can leave and you can come back and you can be of service, you can be great, you can do all those things. It doesn't matter what you start with. … I'm just so happy that after all these years of grinding in silence, because track is a very painful sport to train for, that I get to not only have a career acknowledged, but celebrated."