SPORTS
Erlanger Recorder
January 6, 2011
HIGH SCHOOL | YOUTH | Editor Melanie Laughman | mlaughman@communitypress.com | 513-248-7573
RECREATIONAL
Your Community Recorder newspaper serving Elsmere and Erlanger
N K Y. c o m
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RECORDER
Kenton County sports hit highs in ’10
By James Weber jweber@nky.com
A school year, of course, is August through June, but in this space the Recorder likes to take time to review the highlights of the traditional January to December calendar in the high school and college worlds in Northern Kentucky. • St. Henry won the state championship in girls soccer, rallying to beat Lexington Christian 2-1 Nov. 6 in Georgetown. Melissa Spare scored the winning goal with seven minutes left in regulation. Libby Leedom scored the tying goal, her 35th of the year. She was the tournament’s most valuable player. Abby Janszen, Jill Leedom and senior forward Natalie Vaught were also all-tournament picks. Jill Leedom also won the National Guard Leadership Award. Seniors are Taylor Gamm, Abby Janszen, Jill Leedom, Shannon O’Daniel, Kelsey O’Daniel, Avery Robinson, Natalie Vaught, and Sarah Wheeler. St. Henry finished 24-2-1. • St. Henry won its ninth straight team state championship in boys cross country, winning the 1A title Nov. 13 in Lexington. Brendan Dooley, Daniel Wolfer and Cameron
St. Henry senior Abby Janszen (standing) comforts senior teammate Sarah Wheeler after St. Henry’s 2-1 win over Lexington Christian in the girls’ soccer state championship game Nov. 6 at Georgetown College. Wheeler and sister/teammate Heather had lost their mother to cancer months earlier.
St. Henry 2010 graduate Ben Bessler goes up for a shot against Covington Catholic 2010 graduates Trevor Wellbrock (25) and Alex Connelly (20) March 3 in the Ninth Region Tournament at NKU. This was a fun picture because Bessler and Connelly were defending state high jump champions in track in their respective classes.
Dixie won six total medals in the meet. Notre Dame had three and Villa Madonna two. • St. Henry’s Ben Bessler won his third state track title in the Class 1A high jump June 5. The St. Henry boys team won the 4x800 relay with Ryan Anderson, Nathan Mark, Cameron Rohmann and Zach Haacke. Rohmann won a photo finish for the title. Taylor Gamm, Marissa Vujnovich, Ashley Svec and
Lindsey Hinken won the girls 4x800, with Vujnovich also pulling out a close win on the anchor leg. The boys team won 12 total medals and the girls team 15. • Eight members of Notre Dame Academy’s Class of 2010 were involved in an automobile accident April 16 in Alabama. Maria Schaffstein, who had run track and played soccer at the school, died in the crash. Jessie Russo suf-
Rohmann won individual medals. Senior Nathan Lentz and junior Frank Bruni also scored, as the top five out of seven starters are counted in the team score. Harrison Davis and Nathan Mark also finished in the top 37. St. Henry was second in girls. Ashley Svec was fourth. • Dixie Heights 2010 graduate Hillary Jamison won the 3A state title in the high jump of 5-foot-4, her first state title.
THE YEAR IN QUOTES “I love everything about the game. Hearing the swish and the crowd go wild when you hit that last shot to pick up everybody’s game. I love the intensity of it.” Lloyd 2010 graduate Brittnie Sharbono on her love of basketball. “The team wanted to do it as a unity thing. The coaching staff went and surprised the kids and got on board with that. I’m 44 years old. I have bad hair days all the time anyway, so what difference does it make? Nothing creates team unity like bad hair.” Dixie Heights boys basketball coach Ken Chevalier, who got a Mohawk haircut along with his players for the postseason. “It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had. It feels great. It took a lot of heart, but I knew I could do it. I did it for my family and my school. We go to state, but we don’t get many state champs.”
Lloyd sophomore Niko Carter passes around Conner senior Jacob Flesch during Lloyd’s 55-52 win over Conner in the second round of the Lloyd Memorial Invitational Tournament Dec. 28.
Dixie Heights 2010 graduate Hillary Jamison on winning the 3A state title in the high jump. “The community at large has been so wonderful in reaching out to the families. It has strengthened our own spirits. It’s a reminder we’re not in it alone.” Notre Dame athletic director Kim Gunning on the eight NDA students who were in a car crash April 16, including Maria Schaffstein, who died in the accident. “It felt good to play. He always played soccer and we played it together. It still feels like he’s out there with me...He always could put a smile on anyone’s face at any time, lighten the mood.” Scott sophomore Logan Batson on his brother Cameron, a 2010 graduate who died Oct. 6. Logan and the Eagles played
a game three days later and the school retired Cameron’s No. 11. “This was so much fun. I am really looking forward to next year. We’re going to play so hard because we know what it’s like and what we have to do. We can close the gap if we play our best game.” St. Henry sophomore Rachel Fortner on the team’s run to the state semifinals in volleyball. “When we were little, we always played with each other. To be able to share this moment with them, I couldn’t ask for anything more. The seniors, we’re all close and we really do play for each other and that’s what makes us special. It’s not who we have and how skilled people are; it’s how we play for the person next to us.” St. Henry senior Jill Leedom on the Crusaders’ state soccer title in November.
fered a serious brain injury and is still facing a long recovery process at home. Katie Russo, Catie Ammerman, Megan Downing, Krista Noll, Megan Berberich and Jordan Zumdick also were involved. • St. Henry played in the state tournament in volleyball for the first time since 2006. The Crusaders lost to Assumption in the semifinals to end the season 24-11. • Lloyd sent three 2010 graduate runners to colleges. Courtney Siefert signed with NCAA Division II Mount Olive College. Joey Landrum signed with NAIA Union. Elisha Overpeck signed with NAIA Georgetown. Landrum finished third at state in the 1,600. He broke a 35-year old school record in that event earlier in the year with 4:27.99. The girls track team won nine total medals at state. Football player David Carroll signed with Union College. • Lloyd junior Torey Duncan won the cross country regional championship this fall and medalled at state. • Dixie Heights senior Matt Reekers won the individual regional title in Class 3A. Notre Dame won the team title in girls. Senior Mary List won her second career state medal, finishing 15th at state. • Northern Kentucky University won the NCAA Division II men’s soccer championship with a 3-2 win over Rollins Dec. 5 in
St. Henry volleyball players celebrate their 9th Region championship win over Notre Dame Oct. 23 at Scott High School. It was St. Henry’s first regional title since 2006.
St. Henry senior Jill Leedom raises the state championship trophy after St. Henry’s 2-1 win over Lexington Christian in the girls’ soccer state championship game Nov. 6 at Georgetown College. Louisville. NKU finished 202-3. • The Kentucky High School Athletic Association decided to sanction bowling as a championship sport beginning with the 2011-12 school year. Bowling has been a club sport in the area for nearly a decade. • Julian Tackett took over as KHSAA commissioner this summer.
Dixie Heights head basketball coach Ken Chevalier and the Colonels got mohawk haircuts for the postseason in February.
Ending the year on the court Lloyd Memorial High School hosted its fourth annual Lloyd Memorial Invitational Tournament for boys basketball Dec. 27-30. The Juggernauts finished fourth in the tournament, including an upset of Conner in the second round.
PHOTOS BY JAMES WEBER/STAFF
JAMES WEBER/STAFF
Lloyd junior Justin Moore guards Conner senior Clay Robinson during Lloyd’s 55-52 win over Conner in the second round of the Lloyd Memorial Invitational Tournament Dec. 28.
Lloyd senior Donnie Cheatum scores two points during Lloyd’s 55-52 win over Conner in the second round of the Lloyd Memorial Invitational Tournament Dec. 28.
Lloyd junior Niko Hall scores two points during Lloyd’s 55-52 win over Conner in the second round of the Lloyd Memorial Invitational Tournament Dec. 28.
BRIEFLY The week at Dixie Heights
The Dixie Heights girls basketball team beat Ludlow 60-21, Dec. 28. Dixie’s Meredith Hartfiel led her team in scoring with 23 points.
The week at Lloyd
• The Newport Central Catholic boys basketball team beat Lloyd 70-50 in the
Lloyd Memorial Invitational, Dec. 27. Lloyd’s Dalton McGue was the team’s topscorer with 15 points. On Dec. 28, Lloyd beat Conner 55-52 in the Lloyd Memorial Invitational. Lloyd was led on the scoreboard by Donnie Cheatum with 21 points.
The week at Simon
• The Simon Kenton boys basketball team beat Rusell
66-45, Dec. 27. Simon’s topscorer as Andrew Sampson with 21 points. On Dec. 28, Simon Kenton beat Knott County Central 6758 in overtime in the Ashland Invitational. Simon’s leading scorer was Cody Chambers with 19 points. • In wrestling, Simon Kenton placed 23rd with a score of 45 in the GMVWA Holiday Tournament, Dec. 28. Simon’s Cooper beat Butler’s Hafer in
a 10-3 decision; Herald beat Centerville’s Duffy in an 11-5 decision.
The week at Scott
• The Scott boys basketball team beat Knox Central 70-56, Dec. 27. Scott’s topscorer was Kellen Smith with 22 points. On Dec. 28, Scott lost 6362 in the Republic Bank Classic. Scott’s top-scorer was
Smith with 16 points. • In girls basketball on Dec. 29, Scott beat West Greene (Tenn.) 61-49, in the Greenbank Ladies Classic. Scott’s top-scorer was Lauren Tibbs with 36 points.
The week at St. Henry
• The St. Henry girls basketball team beat Lexington Catholic 39-37, Dec. 27, in the Mercer County Titans Christ-
mas Clash. St. Henry’s lead scorer was Abby Janszen with 14 points. On Dec. 28, St. Henry beat Taylor County 66-49, in the clash. St. Henry’s top-scorer was Shannon O’Daniel with 20 points. • In boys basketball, St. Henry beat Dayton 70-38, Dec. 28. St. Henry’s top-scorer was John Patula with 13 points.