Lori Lafollette Shiets paved the way for many female athletes who followed in her footsteps. The 1981 graduate of Bellevue Senior High School earned seven varsity letters during her four years of high school, including two in volleyball, three in basketball, and two in track and field.
Her junior year in 1979, Lori was first team All-Northern Ohio League in volleyball, and was team MVP and captain her senior year, and earned second team All-NOL honors.
In track and field, Lori lettered in both her sophomore and junior seasons, participating in the long jump, high jump, and relays. During her sophomore season, she was second on the team in scoring. She placed fifth at the league meet in the long jump. As a junior, she missed the first half of the season with an injury, but then managed to take fourth overall in the long jump at the league meet, and was also a regional qualifier in the same event at 15-feet, 1 ¾-inches.
But all true Redmen fans know that Lori’s best athletic work came on the basketball court. As a sophomore, she averaged 10.4 points per game and 6 rebounds per game while earning second team All-NOL honors and All-Northwest District honors.
As a junior, Lori was team MVP, averaged 17.9 points per game and 8 rebounds per game, was first team All-NOL, and second team All-Northwest District.
Then, during the 1980-81 season, Lafollette averaged 22.4 points per game, was team captain and MVP, first team All-NOL, first team All-Northwest District, and was third team All-Ohio (Associated Press) and special mention All-Ohio (United Press International).
At the time of graduation, Lori held 10 basketball records, including points in one game (41), season average (22.4), season points (492), season assists (46), career point average (16.9), career assists (87), career steals (176), career rebounds (437), and career blocked shots (45). In addition, she became the first female to score over 1,000 career points, ending her career with 1,067.
Today, she still holds the single game, season average, and season points records at BSHS, is third all-time in career points, eighth all-time in career rebounds, and is just one of three females to score over 1,000 career points.
Lori played college basketball at Ashland College, was named to numerous all-tournament and all-district teams, led her team in scoring throughout her career, and graduated in 1985 with a degree in Recreation and Physical Education.
Lori resides in Clyde, OH with her husband Eric, and four children, Bree (12), twin boys Will and Gabe (9) and Katie (4). She works full-time and in her spare time she is a volunteer coach for a CYO volleyball team and a traveling basketball team