SPORTS BRIEFLY
Thomas More names coach
Thomas More College recently named Ryan Meyer as the new head women’s tennis coach at Thomas More. Meyer comes to Thomas More from the University of Cincinnati where he was a volunteer assistant coach for the Bearcats’ women’s tennis team for the past year. Before Cincinnati he was an assistant men’s and women’s tennis coach at Franklin College from 2007 to 2009. Meyer earned his undergraduate degree from Franklin College in 2008 and his master’s degree from Concordia University in California. He played four years of tennis at Franklin and served as the team captain in 2007 and was conference champion in 2005. Meyer is in his four year as a staff professional and director of stringing at Five Seasons Sports Club in Crestview Hills. The Saints were 3-11 and finished fifth at the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships and return all seven student-athletes from last year’s squad.
Conference honor roll
Chelsea Tolliver, a freshman basketball player for Thomas More College and a Simon Kenton High School graduate, was recently named to the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Academic Honor Roll for the spring semester. The PAC Academic Honor Roll honors student-athletes on winter and spring varsity sports teams who have earned a grade-point average (GPA) of 3.6 or higher on a 4.0 scale during their semester of competition.
Thomas More ranks high
Thomas More College earned its highest ever finish in the Learfield Sports NCAA Division III Directors’ Cup Standings as it finished 57th out of 410 eligible Division III schools in the 2009-2010 academic year. The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in up to 18 sports - nine women’s and nine men’s, but the Saints finished in the top 14 percent in the nation with 13 sponsored sports. The Saints had seven of their 13 teams advance to NCAA Championships during the 2009-2010 academic year as football, men’s soccer, volleyball, women’s basketball, men’s golf, softball and baseball all represent Thomas More in their respective national championships and earned the school 279.5 points in the standings. Thomas More was the topranked Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) school as Grove City College (139), Thiel College (160), Washington & Jefferson College (177) and Westminster College (190) also finished in the top 50 percent of NCAA Division III eligible schools.
Follow Northern Kentucky sports on Twitter twitter.com/crkysports
July 8, 2010
HIGH SCHOOL | YOUTH | Editor Melanie Laughman | mlaughman@nky.com | 513-248-7573
RECREATIONAL
N K Y. c o m
Kenton Recorder
A7
COMMUNITY RECORDER
Grant alums relive 50-year history By James Weber jweber@nky.com
While the fate of the former William Grant High School in Covington is up in the air, its legacy remains solid. Grant, open from 193065, was an all-black school necessitated by the segregation laws of the time. Its boys’ basketball team played in an all-black conference before the school was admitted to the Kentucky High School Athletic Association in 1956. In 1957, the Grant boys’ basketball team played a district tournament game at Dixie Heights High School, the first racially integrated game in Northern Kentucky history. In 1958, Grant made its first of four appearances in the Sweet 16. On June 30, a few members of that Grant team gathered at the Skyline Chili in Erlanger, just a few blocks from Dixie Heights. They joined friends for lunch. Two of the Grant alumni got their first chance to see their pictures on one wall of the restaurant. Eddie Brock and Tom Thacker are recent additions to the wall, which honors three members of the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame, including Holmes graduate Donna
JAMES WEBER/STAFF
James Brock and Tom Thacker gathered with friends at the Erlanger Skyline Chili June 30 to see their Hall of Fame pictures (background). From left are Thacker and Brock.
JAMES WEBER/STAFF
James Brock and Tom Thacker gathered with friends at the Erlanger Skyline Chili June 30 to see their Hall of Fame pictures (background). Sitting, from left: George Wilson (Thacker’s UC teammate), Brock, Covington Mayor Denny Bowman. Back: Skyline co-owner Mike Zang, Thacker. Wolfe. The pictures are part of a collection of sports memorabilia displayed by the Zang family at their four Skyline locations in the area, including Highland Heights and Florence (two). Brock, the former Grant head coach, and standout player Thacker enjoyed the atmosphere at Skyline, a new site for their regular reunions. Thacker is the only basketball player to win national championships in the NCAA, National Basketball
JAMES WEBER/STAFF
James Brock and Tom Thacker gathered with friends at the Erlanger Skyline Chili June 30 to see their Hall of Fame pictures (background).
Association and American Basketball Association. He was on the University of Cincinnati’s national title teams in 1961-62. A former UC teammate from those title teams, George Wilson, was with the group June 30. “Some of the happiest years of my life were in high school, all the good memories we had,” Thacker said. “We were beginning to learn everything about life. Coach Brock was not only a coach, but a father, a brother, an adviser to us. He got us young guys to do everything and steered us in the right direction.” Brock, 83, came to Covington from Alabama in 1955. He led Grant to four regional championships and had a 185-84 career record before finishing his career in Cincinnati. He lives in Glendale, Ohio. He enjoyed the camaraderie and the pictures. “I am impressed with this,” he said. “I am impressed that people
remember us. A lot of the guys I coached are now getting older. I enjoy seeing them. I come back to Covington from time to time. I don’t know many of the people anymore, but they say ‘My dad talked about you or my granddad talked about you.’” He said in the late 1950s, while black players generally still received harsh prejudice in the South, they didn’t have as many problems in Northern Kentucky. “There was prejudice then, but people seemed to get along,” Brock said. “Things were under control. Everyone treated me very good. When we were playing basketball and winning games, everything was good.” Grant closed in 1965 and merged with Holmes High School. Now its former tenants hope to preserve the former Grant High School building, which is now called the Northern Kentucky Community Center.
JAMES WEBER/STAFF
James Brock’s picture and information at the Erlanger Skyline. The building, at Eighth and Greenup streets, has sat unused the past two years after being claimed in auction, said Covington mayor Denny Bowman. Bowman said the city loaned the money for the sale and is trying to reclaim the deed at the loan’s face value. He expects that process to begin in earnest within the next two to three months. If successful, the building could eventually be designated as a historic landmark and rehabilitated for other purposes. Thacker said if he had the money, he would do all that himself. “I’m getting ready to go in my wallet and buy the building,” Thacker said. “I’d like to preserve it and make it a community center. It’s historic.”
Kenton teams pick up spring honors By James Weber jweber@nky.com
Dixie Heights 2010 graduate Brice Smallwood was named player of the year in Northern Kentucky by the Kentucky Enquirer in that paper’s list of spring all-stars. Smallwood, a left-handed pitcher, was 11-0 with a 1.21 ERA this season, striking out nearly two batters per inning - 112 in 58 IP. Dixie Heights’ Tyler Sexton was also one of the paper’s 13 first team allNorthern Kentucky picks. Matt Klein of Covington Catholic and Zach Sowder of Scott were other area firstteam selections. Several area players were honorable mention by the Enquirer. Beechwood had two in Josh Bertke and Brad Leeke. Calvary had two in Mitch Davenport and Andrew Moran. Covington Catholic had Brett Stayton and Adam Warning. Dixie had three in Corey Klei, Luis Leon and Brett Stansberry. Holmes’ Tommy Courtney was honorable mention, as was St. Henry’s Travis Miller and Simon Kenton’s Chad Lawrence. Three Holy Cross players were honorable mention in Rob Broering, Nick Ritter and Andy Roenker.
JAMES WEBER/STAFF
Simon Kenton senior Kody Hutchins (left) takes the baton from sophomore Bain Fisk June 5 at the University of Louisville. The Enquirer takes recommendations from local coaches for its all-star teams. The coaches also
compile the official Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference honors, which have not been released because
several schools have not submitted nominations. Kenton County had three first-team picks in softball. St. Henry’s Mamee Salzer and Jen Hoff made the first team, as did Scott’s Tara Wells. Holmes had one honorable mention pick in Megan Bohman. Holy Cross had two in Brooke Crail and Madyson Moran. Simon Kenton had two in Lindsey Bridges and Courtney Morgan. Ludlow’s Miranda Ladanyi was honorable mention, as was Jordan Wesley of Notre Dame and Roma Maloney of Scott. St. Henry head boys’ coach Ernie Brooks was the boys’ track coach of the year after leading the Crusaders to the regional title and second place in the state meet. Three-time state high jump champ Ben Bessler was first team for St. Henry. St. Henry had two honorable mention picks in Ross Emerson and Justin Ziegler. Simon Kenton thrower Jordan Hansel and jumper Sage Powell were first team picks. Brayson Smith, 1A state champ in the 200, was first team, as was Dixie Heights’ distance runner Ryan Smith, who was second in 3A in the 1,600. Covington Catholic had
eight honorable mention picks including Michael Bowdy, Ryan Cahill, Alex Connelly, Paul Cusick, Alex Flynn, Austin Hudepohl, Steven Schwab, and James Simms. Dixie had two in Nathan McKinney and Chris Sikra. Lloyd had two in Charles Johnson and Joey Landrum. Villa Madonna had one in Pete Miller. In girls’, Dixie Heights’ Hillary Jamison was first team after winning the 3A state title in high jump. Beechwood’s Brianna McCarthy was first team after winning the Class 1A discus, beating all the 2A and 3A throwers as well. SK’s Allison Ponzer was first team after winning the 3A state title in the long jump. Lloyd had five honorable mention picks in Jessica Crabtree, Torey Duncan, Lashawn Ford, Tati Jouett, and Elisha Overpeck. Ludlow had one in Jade Stansberry. Notre Dame had two in Leah Bramlage and Sullivan Culbertson. SK had two in Sarah Austin and Christina Cook. Scott’s Jenna Lekhamp was honorable mention as well The St. Henry quartet of Katie Addler, Paige Dooley, Maria Frigo and Meghan Helmer were all honorable mention.