Telich Talks

Dave Rastoka is a 1990 graduate of John Carroll University and a former multiple time all American football player. He played high school football at Lake Catholic high school in Mentor, Ohio. Rastoka has owned and operated several companies that help people with disabilities live better lives. Recently, John Carroll University renamed their athletic Hall of Fame, the Dave Rastoka Sports Hall of Fame.

Marc Bona is an author of 4 books, including Not Your Average Joe, the Joe Thomas story, co-written with Dan Murphy. Our conversation centers about some sports nuggets found in another book, The Hidden History of Cleveland Sports. Bona is a features writer for Cleveland.com and the Plain Dealer. Marc is a proud graduate of the University of Iowa .

Tianna Madison is a three time Olympic gold medalist in track and field. She won Olympic gold as part of the 4 x 100 relay team in both 2012 and 2016. She won Olympic gold in the long jump in 2016. She is an Elyria, Ohio high school product, who was wildly successful in high school. In 2005, at age 19, she won the world championships in the long jump. Our discussion was about navigating the downtime in her career, the feelings of life not being worth living, and how she not only rebounded, but sees it as her life‘s mission to help others be their best. She will be inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame on December 2.

Harvey Lewis, a high school teacher from Cincinnati, Ohio, is recognized as one of the greatest ultramarathoners in the world. The unassuming 49 year-old set a world backyard ultra last man standing record of 450 miles in 2023. He is back this October to compete once again in Tennessee. Lewis excels in a lot of different type races , either , 24 hour competitions or 100 milers or grueling , punishing events like the Badwater 135 where he has won twice. Lewis came up to Brunswick Ohio to help crew for his wife Kelly who was running in the NEO24 ultra marathon.

This episode looks into the greatness of college basketball stand out Wanda Ford, who played years before the WNBA started and who is one of many elite athletes from East Tech high school in Cleveland Ohio. East Tech has sent the likes of Jesse Owens to greatness and many others. This December, Wanda Ford will be inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame on a night where the Hall of Fame itself will debut. The first physical structure housing Sports greatness in Cleveland, Ohio.

Josh Fenick Is a sophomore football standout & multiple-sport athlete at Eastlake North high school in suburban Cleveland, Ohio. At age 6, a case of strep throat became much more ominous. Josh was dealing with chronic kidney disease. There was a point where he might not have been able to play sports again. He was on a walker. But he recovered and has proven to be one of the strongest high school football players around.He’s an honors student, and a team leader at a very young age. The conversation is about family, faith and keeping a positive mindset.

Alec Cline is an ultra runner who has achieved a great deal of success in Ohio and the Midwest.

Cline has notched several wins at the 100 mile and 50 mile level in 2025 alone. The 29 year old from Canton won Burning River 100, Eagle Up 100, Mohican 100, Tuscazoar 100 , and High Lea .He notched a 2nd at Eastern States and 3rd at the Georgia Death Race. He served with the United States Marines.

This weeks episode examines some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of one of the most successful high school football programs, not just in the state of Ohio, but in the country. Small Kirtland high school in Lake County Ohio. Their head coach , Tiger Laverde has posted a 246 and 21 record with 7 state titles in 20 seasons. Sportswriter John Kampf from the Willoughby News-Herald knows this program inside and out. Search archives for 2019 interview with Tiger LaVerde as well as

This episode harkens back to the day I was able to fly with the Navy’s Blue Angels here in Cleveland, Ohio. It was one of the highlights of my nearly 50 years as a television sportscaster. On that day, one of the other individuals to get a ride was NASA Legend Gene Kranz. This is my recollection of the day and the significance of just who and what Gene Krantz represents.

Stacey Bell Lynn spent more than 20 years in local news from New York City to Cleveland, Ohio and beyond. She has won multiple Emmy awards and a prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award. Married to NFL assistant coach and one time head coach Anthony Lynn, Stacey hosts a podcast, Super wives of the NFL. She is the co founder of the Lynn Family Foundation.