Meronk Field hosts first game action as West honors legend during Homecoming halftime
Photo from Oshkosh Northwestern
The sharp, crisp blades of turf shine brightly under the new lights as Wildcat nation gathers together for a true home game, one with a larger than life dedication. The new turf was put in over the summer and everybody has been gleaming with joy since, culminating with the Homecoming game on Saturday night.
Activity Director Brad Jodarski has already spotted the many ways this new turf will contribute to the school.
“It will benefit a lot of different students,” he said. “It’s going to benefit fall and spring sports as well as Physical Education classes. If band decides to use it for marching, it will benefit them too.”
The recent homecoming game marked the first time West has hosted a varsity football game on school ground’s. Jodarski recognized this and made plans early on to make it a special night.
“We got some portable bleachers that did not accommodate the need, but we've had a high school football game on the field before and lots of people brought a chair and sat down and watched the game,” he said. “There's a ton of space around the track and on the outside of the fence for fans.”
Head Football Coach Joseph Ray is grateful for the opportunity to compete at home but also wishes this was more of a regular thing.
“We have a beautiful field now,” he said. “We need to get more people in the bleachers, but I like the pride of having our logo in the middle of the field and having blue on the sidelines. It's a historical thing as well.”
Besides Homecoming action, Saturday night marked a special moment as the field was officially named after Robert Meronk. During halftime, there was a dedication to the former educator and coach at West. Jodarski has a deep respect for Robert Meronk and what he did for the Oshkosh community.
“He was here before I was and he had a fabulous track record as a teacher and coach,” he said.“The girls track team won many conference championships in a row under his leadership, and the football team had a couple of playoff runs. He was Football Coach of the Year at least once, if not twice; an extremely hard worker and a very student-centered individual.”
Ray thought this was well deserved and a great way to show appreciation.
“I think it’s special that we look back and honor those people who have gotten us to where we are now,” he said. “Recognizing that teaching and coaching is a lot of work, and for him to put in all those years and to do all the things he did is amazing.”
Junior running back Jaiden Fronczak understood the reasoning behind the dedication.
“I knew they were honoring an educator and coach at halftime,” he said. “I think it’s good that we take the time to appreciate those who have helped us and dedicated time to our school.”
There was a sign that was hung on the scoreboard, and a list of his accomplishments was read at halftime. The family was also presented with a Wildcat football jersey in honor of Robert Meronk. Unlike Jodarski, math teacher Kenneth Levine was able to experience his mentoring and personality to the fullest extent.
“I could tell you thousands of things about him,” he said. “I have known Robert Meronk since I was in fifth grade. He taught me at the little kids camps I went to, and then in high school, he was our defense coordinator for the football team, and I played for him.”
The two had a bond that survived through the thick of corn fields.
“All the girls on the track team loved him because he was this sweet, gentle track coach,” Levine said. “But I personally got to see him outside of all that. We would go on farms together, and he was an awesome guy who would do anything for anybody at any time.”
Robert Meronk’s daughter Connie Meronk looks back on her childhood with nothing but happiness.
“When I think of a lot of my childhood memories, they’re at the West gym or they’re at the track and field,” she said. “He was very into making those smaller memories. It’s the little things he did that we treasure the most.”
Robert Meronk would occasionally dedicate his weekends to West, and Connie Meronk fondly remembers tagging along.
“He would go in on the weekends, and when he was working, I would play in the gym,” she said. “I had the opportunity for him to be my coach, and when we went to school at West, I would pop into the office.”
The dedication was a wonderful moment for Connie Meronk and her family.
“It means a great deal,” she said. “We all know the time and the dedication that he put into his career as an educator and as a coach, and he truly cared about his athletes and his students. It means a lot to see that his hard work that he put in inside the classroom and in athletics is being recognized.”
Connie Meronk admires her father’s character and bases her life off of it.
“He saw the good in everyone and I can honestly say that I never heard him say a bad word about anyone,” she said. “He was as honest as they come and I try to live by how he lived.”
by Sophie Carlin
Published October 2 2023
Oshkosh West Index Volume 120 Issue I