A State Championship Is But One Achievement That Put Her In The SHS Hall Of Distinction
Ellen Lawrence was a pioneer. Early in her career she didn’t see herself as a trail blazer, but that’s exactly what she became – and a highly successful one.
A 1962 graduate of Chillicothe High School, she earned a bachelor’s degree at Ohio University and a master’s degree from Bowling Green State University.
From 1966-1969 she taught physical education at Mt. Logan High School while also coaching tennis and cheerleading and created the girls track team.
In 1970 she arrived at SHS. Early on she was given the challenge of launching a girls basketball program. In 1973 her first varsity team took to the court. This basketball novice was a fast learner. Her 1983 team won the state championship over #1-ranked Barberton, and her 1992 team was state runner-up. Ellen coached SHS girls teams for 23 years, compiling a career W-L record of 338-117.
In addition to founding girls basketball, while serving 12 years as SHS athletic director, she was instrumental in starting three other girls sports – volleyball, tennis, track.
Says one of her former players, “Ellen was a great leader, teacher, coach, mentor and friend. Hundreds of girls are grateful for the opportunities we now have because of her relentlessness in lobbying for girls rights and interscholastic sports. I am blessed to have called her Coach and even more so to have called her my friend.”
Ellen died in February 2025. Posthumously, she was inducted into the Ohio High School Hall of Fame.