Tag: Brian Conaster

OHSAA’s Latest High School Sports Announcements and Updates!

Fortress Obetz, a 50-acre multi-purpose complex on the Southeast side of Columbus, committed to hosting the OHSAA Cross Country Championships for the next five years.

by Cassie Mattia

Columbus, Ohio – Over the past several weeks many Ohio High School athletes and coaches have been awaiting updates on when they can start up team instruction and competitions again. Last week OHSAA provided several updates on both future competitions and the no-contact ban for Ohio’s High Schools giving hope to many dedicated coaches and athletes across the state.

Loveland High School Athletic Director Brian Conaster said that he received the up-date from OHSAA but is proceeding cautiously before making decisions or announcements to his coaches and athletes. “I am waiting for more clarification and guidance from the OHSAA and other state and local bodies later this week. Once I have this, I can then make a more informed statement,” he said.

New venue for State CC Championships

Fortress Obetz is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment complex in Obetz, Ohio. Its bleacher system holds 6,500 people. Including standing room for events such as concerts, Fortress Obetz can hold nearly 20,000 people. It opened in 2017 on the site of the former Columbus Motor Speedway. Google image of Fortress Obetz

On April 29th, OHSAA announced that Fortress Obetz, a 50-acre multi-purpose complex on the Southeast side of Columbus, committed to hosting the OHSAA Cross Country Championships for the next five years. Last Wednesday, Director of Communications, Tim Stried sent out a press release describing the Fortress Obetz facility.

“The Ohio High School Athletic Association cross country state championships are moving to Fortress Obetz, a 50-acre multi-purpose sports complex with a 6,500-seat grandstand located in Obetz on the southeast side of Columbus, OHSAA Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass announced Wednesday.

Fortress Obetz opened in 2017 on the former site of the Columbus Motor Speedway. The racing that will now take place there in early November represents one of the largest high school cross country events in the country, with more than 11,000 fans.

Jerry Snodgrass gives the State Champion Div. I Women’s Soccer trophy to Loveland in this 2017 Loveland Magazine file photo

Of significance, much of the course will be visible from the 6,500-seat grandstands, which will lead to a greater experience for fans and participants.

‘We can’t wait for our student-athletes and Ohio’s entire cross country community to experience the state championships at Fortress Obetz,’ said Snodgrass. ‘This facility is so impressive, from the course layout for the competitors to be more spectator-friendly for the fans and we are thrilled to sign a five-year agreement. We would like to thank National Trail Raceway for hosting the state championships for the last nine years and doing an outstanding job as our host.’

Fortress Obetz was built to host sporting events, concerts, festivals, and more. It was the home of the Ohio Machine professional lacrosse team from 2017-19. The facility has five video boards, concessions, restrooms, and a huge parking lot.

‘The Village of Obetz is extremely proud and excited to partner with the OHSAA,’ said Steve Adams, National Director of Athletic Operations and Facilities Promotion. ‘We feel our Memorial Park and the Fortress is perfectly suited for the OHSAA Cross Country State Tournament. We have created a safe and challenging course for the runners and kept the spectator experience in mind as well.’

The grandstand includes 1,100 flip-down seats, 2,000 bench-back seats, and 3,400 bleacher seats.

OHSAA Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass

Scioto Downs, located just south of Columbus, hosted the OHSAA cross country state championships from 1985 through 2010 before the facility added a casino. National Trail Raceway in Hebron, 20 miles east of Columbus, hosted the state championships from 2011 through 2019.”

#howicompete campaign

On May 5th, OHSAA released that they would be launching a campaign in collaboration with Allied Organizations called #howicompete. This campaign is meant to encourage student-athletes to train on their own at home while school facilities are closed. The #howicompete campaign will collect and promote messages and videos posted by OHSAA members, media, and allied organizations in hopes that both the messages and videos will inspire athletes to train as hard as they can during the remainder of the COVID-19 pandemic. The press release below from OHSAA goes more in-depth as to what the #howicompete campaign is and how it will benefit student-athletes.

“With school facilities shuttered, student-athletes are not permitted to gather together, therefore the #howicompete campaign encourages training on their own at home and with instructions sent electronically by their school coaches.

Student-athletes and teams are encouraged to set goals and compete against themselves and others while complying with social distancing guidelines. Content will be promoted through the OHSAA’s social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram) on its handle @OHSAASports.

‘The health and safety of all Ohioans is our top priority, but we also want student-athletes to stay focused and motivated to pick up where they left off when school sports return,’ said OHSAA Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass. ‘There are so many things that kids can do on their own or with their parents and siblings. Especially something like running and walking, which is a habit that can stay with them for a long time and keep them healthy as adults.’

Organizations such as the Ohio high school coaches associations, Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (OIAAA), and many more are asked to help encourage and promote content from student-athletes and tag the OHSAA using #howicompete. The OHSAA is also excited to share this campaign in support of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, which is encouraging stories from competitors whose resilience is helping them Live Forward during this unprecedented health crisis.”

UD to host OHSAA women’s basketball tournaments

The recently renovated University of Dayton Arena.

On May 12th, OHSAA made the announcement that the Ohio High School Women’s Basketball State Tournament would be hosted at the recently renovated University of Dayton for the next three years. In the past, UD has not only hosted 125 NCAA Basketball Tournament games but the state of the art facility has also been the home court for March Madness more than any other athletic facility in the country! The Arena itself can seat up to 13,000 fans. OHSAA’s Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass expressed his excitement for the UD venue in the press release below.

“We are very excited to sign a three-year agreement for our member schools to experience UD Arena,’ Snodgrass said. ‘Southwest Ohio loves and supports basketball and the people at the University of Dayton have made it clear that they really want this state tournament on their campus. We believe that we have found a great home for the Women’s basketball state tournament.’

Photo by the University of Dayton

UD Arena recently completed a transformation project that was the largest construction effort in the University’s history. It is regarded as one of the nation’s premier basketball facilities to go along with fan support that consistently ranks among the best in college basketball.

‘We’re very proud that the OHSAA has entrusted us to host the women’s basketball state tournament at the University of Dayton Arena for the next three years,’ said Scott DeBolt, Senior Associate Athletics Director at the University of Dayton and Executive Director of UD Arena. ‘The same ingredients that make UD Arena the ideal place for the NCAA First Four – community support and excitement for the game of basketball, our facilities, staff, and tournament hosting experience – will help create lifelong memories for the young women who come to Dayton to play in the state tournament and their school communities.’

In the 45 years of the OHSAA girls basketball state tournament, it has been hosted at The Ohio State University 44 times (all but 1986 when it was hosted at the University of Akron). However, there are now a limited number of dates available to use OSU’s Jerome Schottenstein Center or St. John Arena in March.

The 2021 girls basketball state tournament is scheduled for March 11-13. The 2021 OHSAA boys basketball state tournament will be played at St. John Arena March 18-20. There is currently no host site in place for the men’s basketball state tournament in 2022.”

Loveland Magazine readers stay tuned for more of the latest 411 for both Loveland and Ohio sports!

May 20, 2020
LHS Honors the top Winter Sport Student-Athletes!

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – Over the past couple of months many Loveland High School student-athletes have been patiently waiting for an answer as to if and when school and sports would start back up. Unfortunately, it was announced last week by Governor Dewine that Ohio students would not be attending school for the remainder of the school year meaning there would be no continuation of sports for the time being as well.

Due to the Stay At Home Order stipulations LHS wasn’t able to host their annual Winter Athletics Awards Ceremony, where the top student-athletes are honored for their Winter sports achievements. Here at Loveland Magazine, we couldn’t bear the thought of LHS student-athletes not being honored and recognized by the Loveland community for their fantastic sports seasons so we reached out to LHS’s Athletic Director, Brian Conatser to get a list of all the LHS Winter Sport Athletes that were recognized for their outstanding achievements.

Without much further ado here are your 2019-2020 LHS Winter Athletics award winners! Please don’t hesitate to give these student-athletes a virtual pat on the back or congratulations for amazing achievements!

Eastern Cincinnati All-Conference Awards

Honorable Mention

– Men’s Basketball – Collin Hedgepeth

– Women’s Basketball – Sophia Raby

– Wrestling – Jarod Mendoza

– Men’s Swim 100 Yard Butterfly – Evan Lucas

– Women’s Swim 100 Yard Breaststroke – Sarah Lolli

– Men’s Bowling – Ben Westley

– Women’s Bowling – Annelise Dartnall

– Academic Team – Clare Daumeyer

Second Team

– Men’s Swim 200 Yard Medley Relay – Brandon Day, Colin Blackburn, Evan Lucas, and Cade Jenkins

– Men’s Swim 500 Yard Freestyle – Brandon Day

– Men’s Swim 100 Yard Breaststroke – Colin Blackburn

– Men’s Basketball – Brenton Foust

– Academic Team – Ben Rupe

– Women’s Basketball – Tess Broermann and Kate Garry

– Wrestling – Michael Soupene, Kobi-D Milam, Jonah Rubio, and Semi Ozarslan

– Men’s Bowling – Alton French

– Women’s Bowling – Ashley George

– Dive – Riley Bullock

First Team

– Men’s Swim 200 Yard Freestyle – Brandon Day

– Men’s Basketball – Ian Cox

– Academic Team – Simon Grome and Alex Laman

– Women’s Basketball – Jenna Batsch and Jillian Hayes

– Wrestling – Brett Hogan and Jake Cotsonas

– Men’s Bowling – Matthew Rychlik and Jeffrey Scott

– Women’s Bowling – Ashley Gilker, Yanni Kahrs and Grady Pettit

4 YEAR VARSITY-WINTER SEASON 2019-2020

Men’s Basketball – Collin Hedgepeth and Alec Soth

Swim – Brandon Day, Nami Cannon, Audrey Lund, and Amy Deem

Women’s Basketball – Kate Garry and Jillian Hayes

Wrestling – Jacob Cotsonas and Kobi-D Milam

Dive – Riley Bullock

SPORTSPERSON OF THE SEASON-WINTER 2019-2020

“Every year one Varsity Student-Athlete from each Winter program is chosen as the Sportsperson of the Season by their Coach. This award goes to athletes who demonstrate respect and responsibility for their community, school, team, and above all their character.”

Jeffrey Scott (M Bowl)

Riley Bullock (Dive)

Kayla Adkins (Cheer)

Ashley Gilker (W Bowl)

Jacob Cotsonas (Wrestling)

Kate Garry (W Basketball)

Joey Jeffcott (Academic Team)

Collin Hedgepeth (M Basketball)

Cade Jenkins (Swim)

EDWARD JONES – COMMUNITY STUDENT-ATHLETE AWARD

“We have a business in our community who has partnered with LHS to honor not just the outstanding athletic contributions but also good character and leadership within their sports team and school. Edward Jones, located in the business district of Old Loveland and owner Jeff Atkinson is honoring student-athletes for the fall, winter, and spring seasons. The LHS Athletic Department submits accomplishments for many of LHS’s student-athletes based on the criteria of LHS’s 4 CORE VALUES. Those 4 CORE VALUES are Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, and PRIDE. 1 female and 1 male athlete are chosen to represent Loveland High School Athletics as the Outstanding Student-Athlete for the 2019-2020 Winter Season.”

Jaden Walton (Swim Team) and Emma Christian (W Basketball / Athletic Photography)

STUDENT-ATHLETES and Teams who were ECC Champs and STATE QUALIFIERS FOR THE 2019-2020 WINTER SEASON

Dive State Placers:

Riley Bullock – 5th place

Swim State Placers:

Brandon Day – 2nd in the 200 Freestyle and the 6th 100 Backstroke

Wrestling State Qualifier:

Liam Hamill

ECC 2019-2020 CHAMPIONS

Women’s Bowling Team

Women’s Basketball Team (OHSAA SECTIONAL CHAMPS)

2019-2020 ECC Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Year

Jillian Hayes

2019-2020 ECC Women’s Varsity Basketball Coach of the Year

Darnell Parker

Stay tuned for your latest Loveland Sports news with me, Cassie Mattia!

Apr 25, 2020
LHS Softball Coach Tells us What his Athletes are Doing to Stay in Shape!

Fastpitch Head Coach Mike Rapp explaining the ground rules to the ump before the start of the Senior Night Game in 2017

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – As the COVID-19 outbreak continues students and teachers will now not be returning back to school until May 4th. So what does that mean for LHS’s athletes?

Here at Loveland Magazine, we have made it our mission to talk to both LHS’s coaches and athletes to see just what they are doing to stay in shape in order to prepare for their potential seasons! This week we chatted with LHS’s Head Women’s Softball Coach, Michael Rapp, and LHS’s Strength Coach, Derek Berry, to see just what their athletes are up to.

Coach Rapp said that although it’s been tough for all of the LHS athletic programs, Strength Coach Derek Barry has really come through with some excellent workouts for the athletes.

Photo of Derek Berry from IGNITION ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE GROUP, LLC

“Our strength coach, Derek Berry, has created some training programs for our athletes,” Rapp said, “He just rolled out an App for the athletes to use on their phones from home!”

Coach Rapp added that although the new workout App that Berry rolled out has been primarily what the Women’s Softball Team has been using to stay in shape, Rapp has also been giving his Lady Tigers a few softball related workouts of his own.

“I told my softball players they could do 100 reps a day (3,000) for April including swings, and band work or our ab routines to stay in shape. Some are throwing with family members and some are doing the program that our Coach Berry sent out. I even promised them that I would do 100 reps a day plus walk the local park,” Rapp added.

Derek Berry, who is the Director of Sports Performance, is head of the LHS weight room. Berry stated that during these times he has been forced to get a little creative, but has received a lot of great feedback on the new workout app he has launched with LHS’s Athletic Director, Brian Conaster.

LHS Fastpitch Softball Coach, Mike Rapp recieved the prestigious 2019 Southwest District; Sportsmanship, Ethic & Integrity Coaches Award.

“We have partnered with a company called Teambuildr that provides an online Athlete Management System. Once the athletes register with their teams, they have full access to any workouts I put on there,” Berry explained, “Some features of the app include videos for all the exercises, a leaderboard for kids to compete with each other, and options to either check off the exercise as completed or how many reps you did. Coaches can then have a master account which shows them the progress of their team. On the app, I have only been releasing bodyweight workouts for the time being, but outside of that, I have been sending coaches two other options for athletes that may have a more advanced setup, which is a dumbbell workout, and a home gym workout,” Berry added.

Strength Coach Berry is apart of a contracted sports performance company called Ignition APG. Ignition APG was ultimately responsible for the partnership with Teambuildr. Ignition APG also offers a similar app to Teambuildr to the public for a small monthly fee.

Berry has also been releasing informative videos on social media that display creative ways to exercise.

“On @lovelandstrength I have been releasing informative videos on how to get creative with limited exercise options, and we’ve been having the kids post time-lapses of their workouts,” Berry explained, “I have also begun a wall sit competition for the month of April. Whoever can hold a wall sit for the longest time receives a prize!”

Thank you to the coaches and athletes that have been sharing their at-home workouts with Loveland Magazine and all of our readers! Stay tuned for the next “What are LHS’s Athletes Doing to Stay in Shape?” segment!

Shoes from the 2015 Fastpitch Senior day

Former Loveland High School Softball Player Stacye Toups is on Front…

RP Diamond is currently taking online orders. Retail Store is closed

RP Diamond Printing & Embroidery is located in the Loveland Plaza at 368 Loveland Madeira Road. Senior 2020 shirts available now! Free delivery…

Apr 7, 2020
One Tiger Makes it to State, Another Tiger Team Heads to Nationals!

In the photo above Liam Hamill (2nd from left) is with his family for a Senior Day photo. Liam Hamill will be competing in the State Championship for Wrestling

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – Loveland High School Athletics has yet again seen several Tiger teams reach their peak as the Winter Sports season comes to an end! Loveland’s Athletic Director, Brian Conaster, made the announcement Monday that Liam Hamill will be competing in the State Championship for Wrestling and the Women’s Indoor Track Team will be competing in the National Championship.

Senior Liam Hamill wrestled his heart out on Saturday lending him the opportunity to advance to the State Championship Tournament which will take place in Columbus on Friday, March 13th through Sunday, March 15th. Liam finished at the top of the 170 weight class in the ECC with 34 wins, 9 losses, and 23 pins. Check out these photos from over the weekend of Hamill pre and post-victory!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9cNpkvgREj/

Congratulations to our 170 Liam Hamill….he is heading to OHSAA State Tournament. Go Tigers! pic.twitter.com/3ChApy63Ga

— LovelandAthletics (@LovTigers_AD) March 7, 2020

Loveland’s Women’s Indoor Track Team also made some noise this weekend at the State Tournament placing 13th as a team! Several Lady Tigers competed at the chance to make it to the National Tournament, which will be held in Harlem, New York beginning on Friday, March 13th. Individually Kaitlyn Andrews competed in the 60m dash and the 200m dash, Miya Brines competed in the 60m hurdles and the long jump, Sarah Hallock competed in the 400m dash, Emmy Sager competed in the 3200m run, Megan Korniak competed in the high jump, and Sophia Horrigan competed in the pole vault. The Tigers also competed in the 4x200m relay, which included Miya Brines, Kaitlyn Andrews, Reagan Brunett, and Sarah Hallock, the 4x400m relay, which consisted of Ellie Carr, Ava Westfall, Chloe Smeller, and Sarah Hallock, and the 4x800m relay, which included Ellie Carr, Jessie Gibbins, Sarah Madix, and Ansley Richards.

After competing like Tigers over the weekend Miya Brines advanced to Nationals in the 60m hurdles and the 4x800m relay team advanced as well! Brines will be racing on Saturday, March 14th while the 4x800m relay squad will compete on Friday, March 13th. Check out the podium shot that was captured of our Lady Tigers on Sunday!

https://twitter.com/CoachLbrant/status/1236661419594170369

Conaster was so proud of the Tigers that advanced to the State and National Tournaments that he decided to host a send-off parade at LHS on Wednesday, March 11th, at 2 pm. Conaster reminded teachers to, “Please have your class step into the hallway, outside of your classroom, for the send-off parade. Our student-athletes, their coaches and the drumline will come to every floor starting at 2:00 pm. Please have your class, out in the hallway, to cheer them on! We appreciate your support for these athletes!”

The following students will get the privilege to be in the send-off parade:

Liam Hamill

Sarah Hallock

Megan Korniak

Nadia Trombley

Kaitlyn Andrews

Miya Brines

Makaela Feldman

Chloe Smeller

Regan Brunett

Ellie Carr

Jessie Gibbons

Sarah Madix

Ansley Richards

Emmy Sager

Sophia Horrigan

Ryan Hetzel

To check both the Tigers’ progress and the results as they compete in the State and National Tournaments this weekend you can visit www.ohsaa.org. GO TIGERS!!

Mar 10, 2020

[Photo Album] Tigers fall in close game vs. Mount Notre Dame

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – It was a packed gym Saturday afternoon at Princeton High School filled with many spirited fans rooting on Loveland’s Women’s Basketball Team as they pushed to win their first District Championship. Although the Lady Tigers didn’t pull off the win, the game itself was still both competitive and exciting!

The Lady Tigers took on Mount Notre Dame, who were not only ranked number 1 in Ohio’s Division 1 High School Women’s basketball poll they were also ranked #3 in the nation by MaxPreps, as well as being both undefeated and the reigning Ohio Champs!

Loveland began the 1st quarter focused on shutting down MND’s top scorers and creating opportunities for Jillian Hayes inside the paint. The Tigers managed to achieve their first-quarter goals ending the quarter with a 19-17 lead, a field goal percentage of 40 percent, and they kept MND’s top scorers to single digits.

In the 2nd quarter, the Tigers kicked up their defense allowing MND to score only 7 points. Although MND beat Loveland 7-6 in the 2nd quarter, the Lady Tigers capitalized on their free throws, going 6 for 6. Senior Jillian Hayes led the Tigers at the half in points with 8 followed by Freshman Josie Early who tallied up 6 points. Junior Tess Broermann contributed heavily adding on 4 points, 4 assists, and 1 steal. Senior Kate Garry was the top rebounder at the half with 3 and collected 2 assists.

After the half, both Loveland and MND turned up the heat! The 3rd quarter seemed to be all about the fast break as most of Loveland’s baskets were either scored on a fast break or a v-cut pass to the basket. With 5:33 left on the clock in the 3rd quarter, the Lady Tigers led by 7 points. MND mirrored Loveland’s effort going 42 percent from the 3 point line and 82 percent from the free-throw line. MND outscored Loveland in the 3rd quarter 18-13, but the score did not reflect Loveland’s tenacity as they not only hustled for every loose ball they also capitalized on the defensive end.

Going into the 4th quarter the Loveland Tigers had everything to gain and nothing to lose. Loveland pushed until the very last second of the game but unfortunately did not collect the District title. MND outscored the Tigers 19-10 in the 4th quarter making the final score of the game 61-48.

Loveland fans at the game and at home all agreed that although the Tigers did not win it was still an exciting game and such an honor to see such a great group of women compete. The top performer for Loveland was Jillian Hayes who put up 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Following close behind Hayes was Josie Early who collected 11 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. The ECC champs ended their season with an impressive 22-4 record.

Emotions ran high as Loveland lined up to receive their District runner-up medals after the game ended. ECC Coach of the Year Coach Darnell Parker and Loveland’s Athletic Director Brian Conaster handed out the school history-changing medals with a smile and a huge hug to each Lady Tiger. After medals were handed out many of the Lady Tigers ran up to their friends and families to express to them how much they appreciated their support throughout the season. It’s safe to say that the season this particular Loveland High School Women’s Basketball Team had will go down as the best season ever in LHS Women’s Basketball history.

Loveland Magazine would like to congratulate the LHS Women’s Basketball Team and the LHS Athletic Department for having such an incredible year! We could not be more proud of everything everyone on the team and staff accomplished. We are truly touched to have had the opportunity to cover such a great basketball program! We wish the women moving on to the play at the college level the best of luck and of course those that still have a couple more years to play for Coach Parker we can’t wait to see what next year brings. GO TIGERS! #OURWAY!

Read the complete game stats below the photos.

Saturday, February 29, 2020

	61
Mount Notre Dame

	1	2	3	4	T
MND	17	7	18	19	61
LVL	19	6	13	10	48

48
Loveland

Mount Notre Dame
PLAYERS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Crockett, Autumn	2-2	0-0	4-5	2	4	6	1	1	2	2	3	8
Stanley, Taylor	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
Stainton, Cassie	0-2	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Wolterman, Abby	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	3	0
Cook, Makira	5-15	3-7	4-4	1	3	4	4	3	0	3	2	17
Centrulla, Grace	1-2	0-0	2-2	1	4	5	0	0	1	1	1	4
Phelia, Laila	5-7	1-3	6-6	1	5	6	2	1	0	3	4	17
Bransford, K.K.	5-19	0-1	5-9	4	3	7	2	1	0	0	3	15

TOTALS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
	18-47	4-12	21-26	9	21	30	9	7	3	9	16	61
	38.3%	33.3%	80.8%

Loveland
PLAYERS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Kate Garry	0-6	0-4	1-2	1	4	5	1	0	0	0	3	1
Josie Early	3-6	0-0	3-4	0	4	4	0	1	0	1	0	9
Tess Broermann	2-8	0-3	3-3	2	1	3	8	1	0	2	2	7
Jillian Hayes	7-11	0-0	6-7	1	3	4	3	1	0	2	4	20
Olivia Raby	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	0	2	4	0
Sophia Kapszukiewicz	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Jenna Batsch	3-8	0-0	0-0	0	2	2	0	0	1	2	1	6
Sophia Raby	2-3	1-2	0-0	1	1	2	0	0	0	2	3	5

TOTALS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
	17-43	1-9	13-16	5	16	21	12	3	1	11	18	48
	39.5%	11.1%	81.3%

Mar 5, 2020

[Loveland Magazine TV] Eleven Outstanding Loveland High School Student-Athletes Sign National Letters of Intent

Columnist Cassie Mattia is a resident of Historic Downtown Loveland

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – Eleven Tigers made the community of Loveland proud on Wednesday each committing to playing athletics at the collegiate level. Loveland High School invited the community to attend its annual 2019 Fall Sports Signing Day ceremony where each athlete was able to sign their National Letter of Intent with their coaches, friends, and families present!

Loveland High School Athletic Director, Brian Conaster, in front of a packed LHS gym, first presented each athlete along with their accolades and then proceeded in asking that athlete to officially sign their letter of intent. Loveland Magazine TV was lucky enough to capture the memorable ceremony on camera! Experience the Tiger ceremony for yourselves and click below to see the full 2019 National Letter of Intent Signing Day at Loveland High School! GO TIGERS!

Loveland Magazine congratulates the following, on committing to play their sport at the collegiate level:

Kate Garry – Basketball – University of Akron
Jillian Hayes – Basketball – University of Cincinnati
Brandon Day – Swim – University of Utah
Kristin Thomas – XC/Track – Georgetown
Kaitlyn Andrews – Soccer – University of Cincinnati
Claire Massey – Soccer – Taylor University
Maria Bashardoust – Soccer – Cleveland State University
Caitlin Elam – Soccer – University of Louisville
Carson Deer – Baseball – University of Tennessee-Martin
Allison Rountree – Golf – Ohio Northern University
Riley Bullock – Dive – Ball State University

LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV IS SPONSORED BY MOVE2LOVELAND

Nov 15, 2019
Loveland Tigers place 6th in Women’s State Division I Cross Country Championships

Hebron, Ohio – The Loveland Women’s Cross Country Team made school history Saturday as they competed for the first time in years as a team for the Women’s State Division 1 Cross Country Championship. The race included 183 runners and took place at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday at National Trail Raceway 5K Course. The Lady Loveland Tigers earned 212 points placing 6th out 20 of teams. Finishtiming.com provided the unofficial race results, which are listed below. OHSAA has yet to post the official final race results.

30 Jessie Gibbins – 18:53

41 Sarah Madix – 19:06.

56 Ellie Carl – 19:18

60 Emmy Sager – 19:20

132 Ansley Richards – 20:15

148 Audrey O’Keefe – 20:35

150 Ally Colegate – 20:36

148 Audrey O’Keefe – 20:35

150 Ally Colegate – 20:36

*Un-official results from FinishTiming.com

We would like to give out a HUGE congratulations to the Loveland High School Women’s Cross Country Team! Thank you so much for representing the City of Loveland and Loveland High School Athletics with such pride and honor. We are excited to see what comes next for these amazing female athletes! Congratulations on being 6th in the state of Ohio!

Stay tuned for the freshest 411 on Loveland Sports with Cassie Mattia!

Nov 4, 2019
It’s True Loveland, The NFHS has Announced Basketball Rule Changes!
“As the game has become more physical there may be times when tempers flare and cooler heads must prevail. Having more Coaches to help facilitate that In a timely fashion is a win in my book!” – Loveland High School Varsity Women’s Basketball Coach, Darnell Parker

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – Do you know someone who plays high school basketball? If so, you may want to continue reading as the National Federation of State High School Associations announced on June 13th, 7 rules changes, 6 that will go into effect for the 2019-2020 basketball season.

During an April NFHS committee meeting, all 7 recommended rule revisions were approved by the NFHS Board of Directors. The NFHS decided to wait until 2024-2025 to implement one of the 7 rule revisions. This particular revision now states the number on a basketball player’s jersey can no longer be the same color as the jersey itself. Before the NFHS made this change the number on a jersey could be the same color as the jersey if it was bordered by a contrasting color. The NFHS Board of Directors implemented a 5-year plan on this particular revision so that schools are allowed time to budget for new uniforms. Below is the official rule revision:

3-4-3e (2): The team jersey color itself when bordered with not more than two ¼ inch solid border(s) contrasting with the team jersey color.

The remaining 6 rule revisions going into effect for 2019-2020 are as follows:

3-5-4b: A headband is any item that goes around the entire head. It must be a circular design without extensions. If worn, only one headband is permitted, it must be worn on the forehead/crown. It must be nonabrasive and unadorned, and it must be no more than 3 inches wide.

3-5-4d: Add to (d) – Hair control devices are not required to meet color restrictions

3-5-5: Add Note: NOTE: Provided the shorts are not in conflict with 3-4-5, no drawstring or other part of the shorts intended to maintain them in a normal position causes potential harm to the player or others and wearing of the shorts is not objectionable in exposing the anatomy, there is no restriction on folding or rolling the shorts at the natural waistband seam.

3-5-8 NEW: MOUTHGUARD
1. 1. A tooth and mouth protector (intraoral), if worn shall:
    
    include an occlusal (protecting and separating the biting surfaces) portion;
    
    include a labial (protecting the teeth and supporting structures) portion;
    
    cover the posterior teeth with adequate thickness;
    
    It is recommended that the protector be properly fitted, protecting the anterior (leading) dental arch and:
    
    constructed from a model made from an impression of the individual’s teeth, or
    
    constructed and fitted to the individual by impressing the teeth into the tooth and mouth protector itself.
    
    State associations may deem a tooth and mouth protector required equipment.
Change section 6 to 7; change section 7 to 8.

9-9-1: Exception: A ball in team control of Team A in the frontcourt that is deflected by a defensive player, which causes the ball to go into the backcourt, may be recovered by either team unless the offense was the last to touch the ball before it went into the backcourt. If the offense was last to touch the ball in its frontcourt, only the defense can legally recover the basketball.

10-5-5 Note: The head coach and any number of assistant coaches may enter the court in the situation where a fight may break out – or has broken out – to prevent the situation from escalating.

Stop Clock for Jump/Held Ball-Part 3 of the NFHS Basketball Officials Manual-#3: When a held ball occurs, covering official(s) shall stop the clock using signal #2 (straight arm, open palm extended) while simultaneously sounding their whistle. Then both arms are extended straight out, at chest level, with fist clenched. Thumbs are displayed as a part of the signal. The signal is given with both arms moving in an upward motion. Should be followed with a directional signal (See #6) indicating team possession.

*Occurs when opponents both have their hands on the ball and neither can gain control

*When an opponent places their hand on the ball and prevents an airborne shooter from passing or releasing the try.

So you may be one of the many parents or spectators of high school basketball that are asking why revise these rules now? Theresia Wynns, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Basketball Rules Committee, made sure she acknowledged any revisions that could be controversial or misunderstood at the committee meeting in April. One of the revisions Wynns commented on was Rule 3-5-5, a revision that now allows athletes to roll their uniform shorts. According to Wynns, this new change to the original rule “modernizes the rule and allows players to adjust their shorts in a manner that serves no harm to the game or its integrity.”

The NFHS released a rationale on Rule 3-5-5 saying that “rolling of the shorts is only illegal by interpretation, not by the current rule.” The NFHS also stated in the rationale that changing the rule, is an attempt to modernize the rule and allow what players seem to want and what serves as no harm to the game or its integrity. The interpretation was made because allegedly manufacturers did not intend on the shorts to be rolled when in fact many manufacturer reps will tell you that the seams are intentionally made to offer options in the way they are worn.

A significant Change to control outbreak of fights

Another revision that is sure to stir up a conversation is assistant coaches now will be able to go onto the court with the head coach

Loveland Head Coach Darnell Parker

in an effort to restore order when a fight breaks out among players. Wynns gave a very good rationale as to why the NFHS revised this rule stating that “it can be difficult for officials to separate players involved in a fight on the court.” Wynns added that “this change will allow assistant coaches to enter the court with the head coach to assist officials in regaining control of the situation and restoring player safety.” There has been an outbreak of fights in high school basketball over the past couple of years so the revision of this rule now keeps the players’ safety and the integrity of the game of basketball intact according to the NFHS’s rationale to the rule change.

The NFHS said that “it is difficult in our society for officials to be able to help to separate players involved in a fight since our society has become very litigious. Changing the rule to allow the head coach and assistant coaches to assist in these types of situations will help the officials to regain control of the entire situation more quickly and especially in regard to player safety.”

Loveland Magazine asked Loveland High School Varsity Women’s Basketball Coach, Darnell Parker, what his insight was on the 7 high school basketball rule revisions.

“One rule in particular that I am a fan of is 10-5-5. In my opinion, this rule is all about establishing order as quickly as possible!” – Loveland High School Varsity Women’s Basketball Coach, Darnell Parker

“I’m always excited when the NHFS is making changes that are for the betterment of our game! When I look at these changes, the word that comes to my mind is consistency,” Parker said, “Making our game more uniform and safer should always be a top priority and that is what this batch of rule changes does. One rule in particular that I am a fan of is 10-5-5. In my opinion, this rule is all about establishing order as quickly as possible! As the game has become more physical there may be times when tempers flare and cooler heads must prevail. Having more Coaches to help facilitate that In a timely fashion is a win in my book!”

If you would like to learn more about the NFHS visit www.nfhs.org. If you would like to see what Loveland athletics are up to check out www.lovelandtigers.org or @LovTigers_AD on twitter. Loveland Magazine will always keep you up to date on the latest Loveland sports! Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LovelandMagazine/ or Twitter at https://twitter.com/lovelandmagazin.

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Jun 28, 2019
Loveland High School’s Hanna Wenger and Zach Segal Grab Top Post-Season Awards

Editor’s Note: The photos in the original version of this story were not of Hanna Wenger. The story was corrected on 6/12/19

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Tigers have developed quite the reputation in the world of athletics this year, grabbing once again several post-season honors. Now Junior, Hanna Wenger, one of Loveland’s top Women’s Lacrosse players, received The OSLA Division 1 First Team All-State Honors and 2019 Loveland High School grad Zach Segal, a member of the Tigers Baseball Team, received Honorable Mention, SWOBCA All-City Honors. Below are a few tweets from the Eastern Cincinnati Conference congratulating Wenger and Segal on their honors.

@ECC_Sports

(1 of 2) POSTSEASON AWARDS: OSLA DI awards recipients in girls’ lacrosse: ALL-STATE: Loveland’s Hanna Wenger (1st Team)…

@ECC_Sports

(3 of 3) West Clermont’s Gavin Pitts (Second Team) and Bailey Bravo and Trevor Conley (Honorable Mention); and Loveland’s Zach Segal (Honorable Mention). Congratulations!

Segal ended his senior season as a Loveland Tiger with a bang placing very high in the ECC with his individual statistics. Segal pitched 9 games with a 3 and 5 win-loss record, a 46.1 IP, which earned him 3rd place in the ECC, and a 1.5 ERA. Segal earned 3rd place in the ECC for strikeouts as well totaling out with 58 for the season. Segal also received First Team All ECC Honors. Other Tigers who grabbed awards were Carson Deer, who earned Second Team All ECC and Matt Westley, who received Honorable Mention Honors.

Wenger had an incredible sophomore season as a Loveland Women’s Lacrosse player as the Tigers came in second in the ECC with a 4-1 record in ECC matches and a 13-3 record overall. On top of Wenger’s First Team All-State Honors, she grabbed ECC Player of the Year and OSLA Division I First Team All-Region Honors along with her teammate Carly Wilhoite. Wenger’s teammates Josey Storm earned All-Region Second Team Honors and Maggie Nance received All-Region Honorable Mention.

Loveland Lacrosse head coach Ryan Hanson

“Hanna is a phenomenal athlete and has a tremendous passion for the game. The number one thing that everyone always notices about Hanna is that she always has a smile on her face while playing lacrosse. This isn’t an I am goofing off smile, or I am just out here to have fun and not try hard smile. This is the most genuine I love this sport smile,” Loveland head coach Ryan Hanson told Loveland Magazine.

Wenger was ranked among the top Women’s Lacrosse athletes in the ECC with her offensive statistics. Wenger totaled 44 goals and 26 assists for the season averaging 3.67 goals per game and 2.17 assists per game. Wenger ranked 3rd in the ECC in assists.

Head coach Hanson also said that Hanna Wenger is the ultimate competitor and whenever given the option at practice she wants to continue playing. He said that the coaching staff jokes that although the practice is “only” 2 hours a night, they don’t think Hanna would complain if they practiced four hours each night. He added that her love for the sport and desire to always want to improve herself shows every moment she steps on the field. “She isn’t just talented in one facet, Hanna is one of the most complete lacrosse players we have ever coached. She doesn’t work to be good in just one area, she wants to master every skill. When you have natural talent, a drive to be the best, and a passion for the game, you get Hanna Wenger.” He said it was no surprise that she was named ECC Women’s Lacrosse MVP, 1st Team All-Conference, 1st Team All-District, and 1st Team All-State both her Freshman and Sophomore years.

Last December, Zach Segal, signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball at the University of Cincinnati.

Here are photos of Hanna Wenger in her game against Mason on May 20.

If you would like to see just what the Loveland Tigers Baseball team is up to you can visit https://lovelandtigers.org/index.aspx?path=base or visit the team twitter page at https://twitter.com/LHSTigersBase.

To learn how you can follow the Loveland Women’s Lacrosse team success visit https://lovelandtigers.org/archives.aspx?path=glax or visit the team twitter page at https://twitter.com/LovelandLax.

Jun 11, 2019
Former Loveland Baseball Stand-Out Luke Waddell Drafted by the Diamondbacks

Loveland Magazine file photo of Luke Waddell playing for the Loveland Tigers – ©2017 by David Miller

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – It’s no secret that here in Loveland there is no shortage of phenomenal athletes. A 2017 Loveland High School grad and nationally recognized baseball player, Luke Waddell, received the news on June 5th that he was drafted in the 32nd round of the MLB Draft to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Many celebrated the news voicing how excited they were for Waddell on twitter and facebook, but no one celebrated more than the Loveland Tiger supporters! Below were some of the tweets posted after the 32nd round draft results were released.

The Assistant Principal at Loveland High School said…

Matthew Buis

@LHS_MrBuis

Congrats Luke! @lucas_wadd07

The Georgia Tech Baseball Team said…

Georgia Tech Baseball

@GTBaseball

DRAFTED! Congratulations on Luke Waddell hearing his name in the 32nd round of the @MLBDraft by the @Dbacks

The Loveland High School Tigers Baseball Team said…

LHSTigersBaseball

@LHSTigersBase

Always knew this day was coming since he was 8, but bigger and better things always on Luke’s horizon.

Luke Waddell as a Loveland Tiger in 2017. Loveland Magazine © File Photo by David Miller

Waddell, who was born and raised in Loveland, excelled in baseball, football, and basketball at Loveland High School. Waddell racked up a number of accolades with the Tigers some of the most prominent being baseball honors. In 2017, Perfect Game rated Waddell as the number 3 shortstop and the number 11 overall prospect in Ohio. Waddell also received an All-American Honorable Mention nod in 2017 in addition to becoming the ECC Baseball Athlete of the Year. Waddell, a 4 time ECC first team all-conference selection and 2-time all-state selection, still holds the Loveland High School Baseball record for career games played, hits and doubles.

Waddell did not shy away from other sports in high school just because he was so gifted in one sport, which in his case was baseball. He also lettered in football and basketball at Loveland. In 2013 when the Loveland Tigers Football team grabbed the state championship title, district title, and the ECC conference title, Waddell aided in the Tiger’s success tremendously setting records in career rushing yards, receiving yards, touchdowns, points scored, and the most rushing yards and touchdowns in a single season. In fact the day Waddell broke Loveland High School’s 49-year-old, single-game rushing record he didn’t even realize he did it until record keeper and facilities manager, Kevin Taylor told him after the game. He told Loveland Magazine at the time, “I was honestly shocked. I knew I had a good game, but didn’t know I broke any records. So, it was pretty exciting.”

Luke Waddell as a Loveland Football Tiger. Photo by David Burig © 2015

Waddell was also named by MaxPreps, second-team freshman All-American in 2013 and first team all-conference by the ECC for all for 4 years of his high school football career.

The Midland Redskins summer baseball team got the pleasure of having Waddell for 3 seasons before he took off to play collegiate baseball at Georiga Tech. In Waddell’s freshman season with GT in 2018 he played in 42 games starting in 31 of those games. Waddell had quite the impressive stat sheet as a freshman hitting a .283 batting average and posting an on-base percentage of .348. In 2019 Waddell had an even more successful year playing in 57 games hitting a .328 batting average. Waddell’s on-base percentage also improved to a .442. The 2019 results Waddell brought in for the Yellow Jackets earned him 20th best batting average in the entire ACC.

After years of hard work and dedication to improving his craft, Luke Waddell was selected last Wednesday in the 32nd round of the MLB draft to join the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Although Waddell is thrilled with being drafted he has made the decision to return to Georgia Tech for his junior year season. Waddell’s former coaches, teammates, and classmates are still very excited to hear about Waddell being drafted. Included below are thoughts from Brian Conaster, Loveland High School Athletic Director, and Ken Reed, Waddell’s former high school baseball coach, about Luke Waddell.

“Luke is an incredibly talented player who was a pleasure to coach at LHS. Not only was he one of the most productive players in the state of Ohio, but he was also a great teammate. The Loveland community should be very proud of how well Luke has represented the town,” Ken Reed said.

“Luke Waddell was not only a record-breaking high school stand out multiple sport athlete, but a person of high character in and out of the classroom. Luke always embodies the Loveland core values of respect, responsibility, integrity, and pride,” Brian Conaster said.

If you would like to follow Luke Waddell’s journey with the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets you can go to the Georgia Tech’s baseball twitter page at https://twitter.com/GTBaseball, their website at https://ramblinwreck.com/sports/m-basebl/, their FB page or Loveland Athletic’s twitter page at https://twitter.com/LovTigers_AD. The Loveland Magazine team will also be following Waddell’s progress if you would like to check out our Facebook page or Twitter page at https://twitter.com/lovelandmagazin.

Jun 10, 2019