Gregory Joseph (Joey) Cunningham, II

          Gregory Joseph (Joey) Cunningham, II was born on February 20, 1974 in Cincinnati, Ohio and is a life time Warrior. Joey attended Goshen for all 13 years, with the exception of a few months of Kindergarten and First grade. Joey’s parents are Gale & Velinda Wood and Greg & Martha Cunningham. He resided at 1875 Main St, across from the former Dave’s Carry Out for the last several years of school at Goshen. His sisters Kathi Wood Bailey and Rikki Wood Hardoerfer also graduated from Goshen in 1996 and 1998 respectively. Alex Cunningham, Elizabeth Cunningham Benjamin, Christian Cunningham graduated from Clermont Northeastern in 2001, 2004, & 2006 respectively.

          Joe played Goshen youth football, basketball and baseball all thru his elementary years. During middle school, Joe played football & basketball and was on the track team. He was a member of the National Honor Society. As a high school student Joe addressed the Goshen Community at a Bon-fire Pep Rally describing the value of his education from Goshen Schools. During his high school years, Joe was a running back and defensive back for four years while on the football team. During his Junior season (90-910) he played in the OHSAA Div. II SW Regional playoff game vs. Dayton Dunbar. Joe also played two years on the Goshen High School Basketball team. However, he excelled at track and set school records which still stand today. Joe was on the track team for four years and set numerous records such as:

Set school record for POLE VAULT 14’ 9’’ in 1992, which still stands.

3 X OHSAA District CHAMPION: 1990, ‘91 & ‘92

3 X OHSAA Regional PV Qualifier: 1990,’91 & ‘92

OHSAA Regional CHAMPION 1992

2 X OHSAA State Qualifier: 1991 & 1992

OHSAA State Championship Pole Vault 3^rd Place 1992

"Mid-West Meet of Champions": a regional senior select track meet at IUPUI, Joe competed for the Ohio Team 1992 finishing 5^th.

Cincinnati Enquirer Track All Star 1991 1992

1991 & 1992 Track Season competed both INDOOR & OUTDOOR.

During 1992 season Joe went undefeated until the final meet, the OHSAA State Championship Track & Field Meet at The Ohio State University, where Joe finished 3^rdplace.

During the course of the season Joe set the school record, the league record and several stadium records in the greater Cincinnati area. Several of the stadium records still hold.

Joe’s league and district D II record stood for over 20 years.

         After graduating in 1992, Joe attended Cedarville University majoring in Criminal Justice and a minor in Bible Studies. While on Cedarville’s track team, Joe Cunningham’s outdoor vault of 15’ 11.75" on 5/28/1994 at NAIA Outdoor Championship Meet ties for 4th best "all time" outdoor mark at Cedarville University. Joe broke the 16’ barrier indoors at OSU Feb. 1995 setting a CU Indoor record. Joe regularly competed at the 16’ 4’’ height and had an unofficial personal best jump of 17’-4". Joe was also named among Cedarville University’s "Athletes of Honor’ and is on the CU "Yellow Jacket Track & Field Honor Roll".

Joe’s colligate awards and achievements include:

Wheeler Award Recipient 1996 (NCCAA Track & Field Athlete of the Year)

NAIA Indoor All American 1995 PV

NAIA Outdoor All American 1994 PV

NCCAA All American 1994 PV & Javelin

NCCAA All American 1996 PV

Mid Ohio Conference Champion Team 1994

         After college, Joe competed in professional rodeo, bull riding & and bareback bronc riding. During the 1997-98 season Joe earned his professional card for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). He has competed in several famous rodeos such as, The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, The National Western Stock Show (Denver, CO), The Grand National Livestock Expo, Horse Show and Rodeo (San Francisco, CA) to name a few. Joe has competed as an amateur adult in track meets, mud obstacle course races, and a few golf matches including the Cincinnati Metropolitan Amateur Golf Tournament in 2005.

        On September 29, 2001, Joey married Adrianna Kassner. They have 5 children: Joseph (GJ III) 13, Olivia 12, Jack 9, Liam 6 and Mary 4. Joe owns TRUE LINE CONSTRUCTION, LLC; a small commercial & residential masonry contracting firm that employs 4 full time employees and 1 part time employee.

        Since he was a small boy, Joey has always loved the great outdoors, wildlife, and animals. Hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding and a few of the interests that he still pursues with family and friends. Joe and his family are active members of Faith Church, in Milford, Ohio, where Joe and Adriana are also Sunday school teachers. Joe is an instructor for Clermont County 4-H Shooting Sports in the shotgun discipline. His 3 oldest children, Joseph, Olivia, and Jack are members of the club. He has been a Boy Scout Den Leader, as well as a youth basketball coach at the Clermont County YMCA and the Batavia youth program.

        Joe's personal creed is "Be a Soul on Fire." It is inspired by the song Soul on Fire, Copyright 2015 Third Day.

         It is with great pride that we induct Gregory Joseph (Joey) Cunningham, II into the Goshen High School Hall of Fame. Joey was nominated by Gary Rutter.