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MARTINS FERRY — A pair of runners who had ’em seeing double and a multi-sport athlete who made his biggest impact on the football field kick off the selections for the Martins Ferry Athletic Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025.
The first three individuals in the Class of 2024 are Ken Sokolowski and Kevin Sokolowski (MFHS Class of 1983) and Nick Yourkovich (MFHS Class of 1998).
Those three and six other selections will be inducted on Friday, August 29 with an afternoon luncheon at the MFHS cafeteria and they will be introduced at halftime of the Purple Riders’ home football game against Malvern.
Two more Hall of Fame announcements will follow in the coming weeks. After that, this year’s “Wall of Honor” choices (individuals who’ve supported or impacted Purple Rider athletics in a variety of ways) and this year’s additions to the “Teams of Distinction” (MFHS teams deserving of special recognition for their accomplishments) will be announced.
Unified Bank is now the Presenting Sponsor of the Martins Ferry Athletic Hall of Fame.
Here’s a look at the bios of the first three Hall of Fame selections:
Ken Sokolowski
One half of the terrific twins of distance running from the early 1980s, Ken Sokolowski made his biggest impact at the longest distance in track – the 3200-meter run.
As a junior, he placed first in the 3200 (9:45) and second in the 1600 (4:33) at the Class AA District; took the top spot in the Class AA Regional (9:48) and just missed All-Ohio honors by placing seventh at the OHSAA Class AA State Championships (9:42).
He also won the OVAC Class 3A title in the 3200 (9:49.7, setting the meet record), took second in the 1600 (4:33) and placed second in the 4×800 relay (8:23); and at the Belmont County Relays he was first in the 3200 (9:48), third in the 1600 (4:44) and on the winning 4×800 relay team (8:15).
He joined his brother Kevin as well as Dennis Swearingen and Bruce Woods on the school record-setting 4×800 relay team (8:16.6), a mark that stood until 2017.
As a senior, Sokolowski was first in the Class AA District in the 3200 (9:51) and fourth on the 4×800 relay team (2:05); and third in the Class AA Regional in the 3200 (9:42) to earn a second trip to the state meet. At the OVAC 3A Championships, he was third in the 3200 (9:59), fourth in the 800 (2:05) and on the third place 4×800 relay team (8:41).
During his senior season, Ferry won every dual meet and finished first in the Belmont County Relays as well as invitationals at Wintersville and Martins Ferry. The Riders were OVAC champions during his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons under Hall of Fame coach Gordon Downie.
He was also a four-year letterman in cross country, serving as a team captain as a senior of the Purple Rider squad that captured the OVAC Class AAA championship, went undefeated in duals, finished first or second in every team event all year long until placing third at the OHSAA Class AA District Meet. The Riders also took the top spot in the OVAC Class 3A Championships, the Belmont County Championships and the Ohio Valley Cross Country League Championships.
As a senior, he finished second behind Kevin in the Belmont County Meet (15:50); third in the OVCCL (15:53) and just outside the top 10 in the Class AA District Meet.
He won the Belmont County Meet as a junior (15:53) and finished second in the OVCCL.
Kevin Sokolowski
A four-year letterman in track, he was the Ferry High record holder in the 800-meter run (1:59.0) and 1600-meter run (4:22.4) until both were broken by Jacob Bishop in 2017, and a member of the 4×800-relay team (with Dennis Swearingen, Bruce Woods and his twin brother, Ken/8:16.6) which also stood until 2017.
During his senior season, Ferry won every dual meet and finished first in the Belmont County Relays as well as invitationals at Wintersville and Martins Ferry. The Riders were OVAC champions during his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons under Hall of Fame coach Gordon Downie.
As a junior, he was first in the OVAC Class 3A Championships in the 3200 (9:48, a meet record), second in the 1600 (4:33) and on the second place 4×800 relay team (8:23); finished first in the 800 at the Belmont County Relays (2:02, a meet record) and first in the 4×800 relay; placed second in the Class AA District in the 4×800 relay (8:19) and first in the Class AA Regional in the 3200 (8:18) to qualify for the OHSAA Class AA State Meet
As a senior, at the OVAC Class 3A Championships’ he was first in the 1600 (4:34), second in the 800 (2:06.6) and second in the 3200 relay (8:41) and fourth in the OVAC Cal Giffin Track Classic in the 1600; at the Belmont County Relays, he was second in the 1600 (4:30) and fourth in the 3200 relay; at the Class AA District, he was second in the 1600 (4:28) and fourth in the 3200 relay (8:41); at the Class AA Regional, he was fourth in the 1600 (4:24) and qualifier to the OHSAA Class AA State Meet where he finished seventh. Sokolowski also placed second in the prestigious Bellaire Relays in the 1600 in what was a valley record time of 4:22.4.
He was also a four-year letterman in cross country and team captain as a senior of the Purple Rider squad that captured the OVAC Class AAA championship, went undefeated in duals, finished first or second in every team event all year long until placing third at the OHSAA Class AA District Meet. The Riders also took the top spot in the OVAC Class 3A Championships, the Belmont County Championships and the Ohio Valley Cross Country League Championships.
Sokolowski finished first in the Belmont County Championships (15:42) as a senior after a runner-up finish to his brother as a junior; fourth in the OVCCL (15:54) and ninth in the OHSAA Class AA District Meet.
Nick Yourkovich
While he was a talented receiver on offense, it was as a defensive back where Yourkovich shined the brightest for the Purple Riders’ football team.
A multi-year letterman, he enjoyed a strong junior season with nine pass interceptions from his spot in the secondary, earning honorable mention All-Ohio Division IV, first team All-Eastern District Division IV and first team All-OVAC Class 3A recognition.
He followed that up with a strong senior campaign, serving as a co-captain and posting seven more pass thefts while also contributing offensively with 23 catches for 502 yards and a TD to help the Riders to an 8-2 record and a No. 13 ranking in the AP Division IV state poll.
Yourkovich was selected to the first team on the AP All-Ohio Division IV squad at defensive back and he was also named first team All-Eastern District Division IV, first team All-OVAC Class 3A and first team All-Valley.
In basketball, Yourkovich was a two-year letterman who was sixth man for the Riders. He averaged seven points per game and did the “dirty work” on the 1998-99 team coached by Hall of Famer Jeff Sabatino that posted an overall 21-4 record, winning the OVAC Class 3A title and OHSAA Division III Sectional and District championships and advancing to the Regional semifinals where they lost to Chesapeake in Athens.
He also participated in track, primarily competing in relay events.
Yourkovich has spent the better part of two decades in coaching, including two years as a girls’ varsity assistant at Martins Ferry, two years as head boys’ varsity coach at St. John Central, 13 years as head girls’ coach Harrison Central where he led the Lady Huskies to two OVAC championships (2013-14, 2014-15) and two OHSAA Sectional championships while receiving several coaching honors, including AP Eastern District Division III Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2021, District V Coach of the Year in 2014, and as the OVAC Ohio All-Star Coach in 2015.
He was named boys’ coach at Harrison Central for the 2025-26 school year.
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