STRUTHERS, Ohio – The Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame recently announced the posthumous induction of Bonnie Beachy as part of its 2025 class.
The induction ceremony will take place April 12 at the Hilton Polaris in Columbus.
Often referred to as “Struthers’ version of Wonder Woman,” Beachy established herself as a basketball legend through her achievements at both Struthers High School and Kent State University in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
At Struthers High School, Beachy led her team to the 1978 State AAA Championship while collecting a list of individual honors, including state MVP, AP Player of the Year, and unanimous First Team All-Ohio selections by both AP and UPI. As the school’s career leading scorer, she demonstrated versatility beyond basketball by earning a total of 11 varsity letters across basketball, tennis and track and field.
At Kent State University, she set 23 school records and became the university’s all-time leading scorer among both men and women with 2,071 points. Her jersey number, 13, is permanently retired in the MAC Center at KSU, honoring her contributions that included an NCAA tournament appearance in 1982.
“Bonnie Beachy exemplified excellence in Ohio basketball at every level,” said Jeanne Arnzen Gulick, president of the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame board. “Her records speak for themselves, but it was her competitive spirit and dedication that truly set her apart. We’re honored to recognize her tremendous impact on the game.”
Following her athletic career, Beachy devoted herself to education, teaching at-risk children before becoming a middle school principal. After a 12-year battle with ovarian cancer, she died Oct. 13, 2017, at age 57.