ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú

Krista attended ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University starting in 2002, spending the first couple years on the Hamilton campus and finishing up in Oxford culminating in a Bachelor of Science degree in Education in December of 2006. While at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú she played both softball and basketball for the Harriers….playing softball from 2003-2005 and basketball from 2002-2005. While Krista was a standout first baseman on the MUH softball team, basketball was where she left her mark for ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Hamilton.

She led the Harriers to their first Ohio Regional Campus state tournament championship in school history in 2004 and to their first ORCC conference championship in school history in 2005.  Krista averaged just over 20 points per game and led the team in double-doubles during her years on the basketball court. Although she was part of very talented squads at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Hamilton, Coach Ed McCoy (a MUH hall of famer himself) said “The team would not have had the successes that it did without Krista, she was the straw that stirred the drink”.

After graduation, Krista stayed in the sports world with several coaching jobs. In 2008-2009 she was the varsity assistant softball coach at Monroe High School before taking over as the head coach at Monroe in 2009-2010. She also served as the girls’ varsity head basketball coach at Monroe from 2008-2010.

In 2012 she joined one of the premier high school coaching staff in the area with the girl’s basketball team at Lakota West. Krista was the Varsity Assistant coach for the Firebirds from 2012 through 2016, and like Kurtis, her team won the state championship in 2015.

Krista began teaching a Monroe Junior High school in 2008 and is currently a 7th and 8th-grade intervention specialist at Monroe.  While she is still involved in many programs at junior high, she recently retired from coaching to travel and spend more time with her loving spouse.

 

Kurtis had one of the most decorated careers of any Harrier pitcher in history. He first stepped on campus in the fall of 2010 and graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition. Kurtis played baseball all four years while at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Hamilton earning plenty of awards along the way. His teams won the Ohio Regional Campus Conference in 2012, 2013, and 2014. He was 1st team all-conference in 2012 and was named the Harrier’s top pitcher at their end-of-year awards banquet that season. In 2014 Kurtis was named 2nd team all-conference, earned Academic All-Conference, and was named Ohio Regional Campus Tournament MVP in leading ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Hamilton to the Championship that year.

Kurtis sits high atop ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Hamilton’s all-time records for pitchers as well, which says something about the talent that has been through the program over the years. Kurtis has the school record for….

-Most Career Innings Pitched with 274.1

-Most Career Strikeouts with 236

-Most Career Appearances with 50

-Lowest WHIP (Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched) in a season with 1.08

In addition, he has the 5th lowest batting average given up to an opposing hitter (.248) and has the 2nd most wins all-time in program history with 24….broken just last year by future hall of famer Nick Stewart.

Kurtis has moved from playing baseball to coaching baseball over the last couple of years. He is currently in his second year as the Varsity Assistant/Pitching Coach at Fort Loramie High School. He obviously transitioned his winning ways from ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Hamilton to Fort Loramie because, in his first year coaching there, the Redskins won the Division 4 State Title.

Kurtis is the son of Ron and Beth Watkins and currently works at Dannon Yogurt Company as a Project Manager. He is married and lives in Fort Loramie with his wife Kara who is also a former Harrier athlete having started for 2 years on the women’s basketball team here, winning the conference and state titles in 2013 on what may have been one of the most talented ORCC teams in history. The two have been married for 2 years and have a daughter Nora Sue, who is 7 months old.

Dr. Bob as he is affectionately known by generations of college students began his ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Hamilton career in 1990 as the Director of Student Services and spent the next 26 years here at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú until he retired in 2016 as the Regional Senior Associate Dean of Students. During his time at the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, Bob is most proud of his involvement and impact with the Student Government Association for which he was the advisor for many years, his support of Chief/Harrier Athletics, his work with Racial Legacies and Learning, Project Civility, the Campus PRIDE Initiative, Veterans Services and Diversity Services. He fostered an amazing campus-community connection through all of these beneficial programs that will last for years to come. His positivity, inclusion, perseverance, and hope helped make ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Hamilton what it is today….and will be in the future.

Outside of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Hamilton, Bob has a lengthy athletic resume. He is still an avid sportsman. In fact, he’s been a member of the Booker T. Washington Sharks National Senior Olympic basketball team since 2003. His squads make regular appearances in the National Tournament every year. In 2017, he was selected as a Game Changer by Humana at the National Senior Games in Birmingham, Alabama.

Bob also spent many years on the sidelines coaching and overseeing various athletic teams and programs. 1980 he became the head coach of the girls’ basketball team at the American School in Milan, Italy where he went on to become the athletic director and boys’ coach from 1981-83. When he returned to the States, Bob took over as Athletic Director/Women’s Basketball Head Coach at Mt. Aloysius Junior College in Pennsylvania. After moving to Ohio he spent over a decade assisting various CYO teams that his daughter and son played on…no doubt riding the coat-tales of his children’s talent to earn plenty of trophies along the way. More recently Bob has served as volunteer golf coordinator for the Venice Newcomers Club and as a volunteer coach for the Sarasota County Special Olympics basketball team.

Bob and his wife Sharon, who was also a longtime ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Hamilton instructor and supporter, currently live in Venice, Florida where they can enjoy their favorite past times like basketball, golf, tennis, cycling, and hiking year-round along the Gulf Coast. Bob’s daughter Anna was recently married to her husband Terrence and currently lives in Chicago, while his son Nate currently lives in Winter Park, Florida with his wife Maddy.  While Bob may physically be miles away from campus, his legacy will forever live on. In fact, we have the Bob Rusbosin room in Schwarm Hall dedicated to him which student organizations can utilize throughout the day as well as the Rusbosin ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúhip Award given to a Student Leader on the Hamilton campus that demonstrates academic merit and financial need.

Bob’s ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Hamilton days began in 1971 and culminated in 1974 with an associate of arts degree. During his time on campus, Bob was a standout on the men’s basketball team helping lead the Chiefs to the Ohio Regional Campus tournament finals in 1972 but just falling short in the championship game to Bowling Green Firelands campus. The following season Bob earned the Most Efficient Player Award for ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Hamilton. For his career, he averaged just over 10 points per game and chipped in 5 assists and 5 steals per game as well….it’s no wonder he earned the Most Efficient Player award with that stat-stuffing collection.

In 1978 Bob began what would be a 34-year career working at General Electric Aircraft Engines until he finally retired in 2012. While that may have been his job, Bob left an even greater mark on the area with an outstanding coaching resume over the years. After coaching youth basketball for a few years, Bob led his Bobcats AAU team to multiple National Tournaments including a National Runner-up in 1999 and a 3rd place finish in 2000. From there he spent time as an assistant coach at Purcell Marian and Seven Hills before taking over the Head Coach position for the girl's basketball team at Seven High School in 2006 and eventually went on to be the head coach at Reading High School as well.

However, it was at Seven Hills where he had the most success. His Lady Stingers were District Runners up in 2008 and State Regional Runners up in 2007 and 2009. His overall Head Coaching record was 151-108. Bob earned many awards during his coaching days….

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Valley Conference Coach of the Year 2007

District 16 Coach of the Year in 2007, 2008, and 2009

Greater Cincinnati Basketball High School Hall of Fame Coach of the Year 2007, 2008 and 2009

Bob is currently enjoying retirement while coaching his grandson’s youth basketball team. He is married to his wife Tomi, and has children Rob (wife Jen) and daughter Mary…..in addition, he has 3 stepchildren Richard (wife Anne), Elizabeth (husband Stephen), and Stephanie (husband Noah) as well as 10 grandkids.