Garfield alum Edie Svonavec has never been one to brag about her multiple athletic accomplishments, such as being the first female state champion in school history. But her accomplishments still have been recognized by many, resulting in her being one of four new inductees into the Garfield Hall of Fame on Jan. 20.
“It is an honor,” the 2015 Garfield graduate told The Weekly Villager. “My Coach, Jim Pfleger, used to say that I would get inducted whenever I became eligible. It is 10 years after you graduate, you become eligible for the Hall of Fame. It came a lot faster than I thought it would.”
Svonavec was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside girls’ basketball Coach Aaron Gilbert, football Coach Mike Moser and 2006 graduate Vinny Sisson.
In addition to becoming the first Garfield female state champion, Svonavec’s athletic accomplishments include being a four-year state qualifier in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division III outdoor shot put, earning All-Ohio honors in all four years including a pair of state titles as well two indoor state championships in the shot put, a three-time outdoor national qualifier and the school record holder for farthest distance ever thrown in the shot put.
For Svonavec, competing in the shot put was a matter of her following in her family’s footsteps, as her older brother Jesse and older sister Elizabeth were also shot put throwers during their time at Garfield.
She acknowledged that shot put was not a family tradition but once Jesse started throwing, it quickly caught on.
“We are competitive,” she said. “It’s just something about the strength and technique behind it. Our genes are tough in the family. When you mix muscle and technique, it is something about the throws that stands out compared to all other sports, especially having to be strong behind it.”
According to Svonavec, although she did not start competing in the shot put until 8th grade, she was always practicing shot put from a young age when no one was watching, drawing inspiration from watching her siblings compete.
“When they were throwing the shot put, whenever they would have meets, when nobody was paying attention, I would throw the shot put around so they knew that I would succeed in the sport.,” she noted.
In her freshmen year, Svonavec not only earned a Division III state berth in the outdoor shot put but also eclipsed the school record for farthest distance thrown, surpassing school great C.J. Carlisle, who previously set the benchmark of 41 feet, 0.5 inches.
Svonavec credited her rapid ascent in the shot put to her throwing coach, Athletic Director Jim Pflger, for elevating her game to new heights.
“He upped the game for me,” she added. “When we got in the weight room, hitting weights really heavy, I started gaining a lot of muscle and I started getting good with the technique. My freshman year, it was just I am going to do what I can. I didn’t really think about the state meet; it was in my head, but I did not know if I was going to make it because there were a lot of big shots I was going up against at the time.”
Svonavec not only advanced to the state meet but she also captured fourth place in her state debut, setting a high standard of excellence for her next three years of competition.
She returned to the state meet in her sophomore year and improved upon her previous finish by taking second place. She achieved the highest honors in her junior season, as she first won an indoor state shot put title and followed up with her first career outdoor state championship and defended both titles in her senior year.
In the process, Svonavec also earned three berths at the national outdoor meet. When it was all said and done, she left behind a school record of throwing a distance of 49 feet.
She also relished the honor of being the first female athlete to ever win a state title in school history.
“It is cool that I did make history for the school not only to be the first state champion but also the first national qualifier across all boards,” she said. “I think it is awesome to be part of the school’s history.”
Svonavec’s Garfield athletic career may have concluded 11 years ago, but her time with Garfield has not, and she is forever etched into the school’s Hall of Fame.
“If anyone is going to follow in my legacy, I would hope that it would be one of my nephews or nieces, but I think it is cool still living nearby,” she said. “I am in Garrettsville often, so it is kind of nostalgic.”
