Loveland Magazine

LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

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Since 2004

Tag: cross country

  • LHS Women’s Cross Country Team Brings Home the OHSAA Silver!

    LHS Women’s Cross Country Team Brings Home the OHSAA Silver!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – What a fantastic day it was to be a Loveland Tiger! On Saturday both the Loveland High School (LHS) Women’s and Men’s Cross Country Teams for the first time ever in LHS history competed together for the OHSAA Division 1 title at Fortress Obetz and Memorial Park in Columbus. Both Teams went into the race having record-breaking years so many die-hard Tiger fans knew that they would come back with some impressive accolades!

    The LHS Women’s Cross Country Team broke several school records this year but the most important one came in the form of a 2nd place OHSAA Division 1 Women’s Cross Country trophy on Saturday! The Tigers finished right behind Perrysburg (101) with a score of 109 and an impressive runners average of 18:59. Senior Jesse Gibbins was the top finisher for the Tigers crossing the line in 7th place with a time of 18:25.2, Senior Sarah Madix was next placing 19th at 18:55.2, Senior Emmy Sager finished in 26th place with a time of 19:09, Junior Madison Conatser finished in 28th with a time of 19:10.5, Junior Ally Colegate placed 29th with a time of 19:10.8, Sophomore Lauren Gard finished next in 82nd place with a time of 20:03 and rounding out the team score was Senior Maaike Snider in 102nd place with a time of 20:17.9. 

    The winning time for the Women’s Division 1 race (unscored) was 17:32.1 ran by Senior Alyssa Shope from Gahanna Lincoln. For the full OHSAA Division 1 Women’s Cross Country meet results click here.

    Shortly after the LHS Women’s Cross Country milestone win, the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) released the team conference awards naming LHS’s Steve Nester ECC Coach of the Year and Senior Emmy Sager ECC Runner of the Year! Seniors Jesse Gibbins, Sarah Madix, and Emmy Sager all received 1st Team All-ECC honors while Juniors Ally Colegate and Madison Conatser grabbed 2nd Team All-ECC honors. Senior Maaike Snider also received ECC honors with Honorable Mention.

    The LHS Men’s Cross Country Team had a season full of monumental moments including their trip to the OHSAA Division 1 Men’s Cross Country meet on Saturday! The Tigers placed 12th among a very talented field of athletes with a score of 313 and a runners average of 16:33. Senior Ryan Chevalier was the top finisher for the Tigers placing 6th with a time of 15:37.3, Junior Brady Steiner finished next in 48th place with a time of 16:23.2, Freshman Nick Huff finished in 84th place with a time of 16:51.7, Junior Cayden Dyer placed 85th with a time of 16:52, Senior Sam Neiger finished 90th with a time of 16:57.5, Junior Grant Hanson placed 98th with a time of 17:04.3, and Senior JP Tew rounded out the Tigers placing 134th with a time of 17:58.2.

    Mason took the OHSAA Division 1 Men’s Cross Country title with a score of 106 and the winning runner (unscored) was Senior William Zegarski from Little Miami with a time of 14:39.9. Zegarski broke the previous Ohio State All-Time Meet record. For the full OHSAA Division 1 Men’s Cross Country meet results click here.

    The ECC All-Conference awards were also announced for the Men’s Cross Country Teams post the State meet awarding Steve Nester with the ECC Coach of the Year! Senior Ryan Chevalier, and Juniors Cayden Dyer and Brady Steiner were awarded 1st Team All-ECC honors while Junior Grant Hanson and Freshman Nick Huff received 2nd Team All-ECC honors. Senior Sam Neiger also received ECC honors in the form of Honorable Mention.

    Check out the photo album from Saturday’s meet brought to you by Loveland Magazine Editor, David Miller!

    Congratulations to both the LHS Women’s and Men’s Cross Country Teams on an unbelievable season! It has been a joy watching school history happen right in front of our eyes! We can’t wait to see where the future takes all these wonderful Tiger student-athletes!

    For more sports updates stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With ME, Cassie Mattia!

  • LHS send-off Cross Country teams to State Championship

    LHS send-off Cross Country teams to State Championship

    by David Miller

    Loveland, Ohio – The Women’s and Men’s Loveland High School Cross Country Teams got an electrifying send-off on Friday as they left town heading to the Village of Obetz. They compete at the Fortress Obetz sports complex Saturday afternoon in the OHSAA Championship. Go HERE to read tournament info from the Ohio High Schoo Athletic Association.

    It’s not too late to make plans to make the trip to cheer on our Tigers.

    Read this story we published yesterday and watch the interview Cassie Mattia conducted with the teams.

    LHS Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams go Down in School…

    Cassie Mattia –  Nov 4, 2021

    Here are some photos the Athletic Department published today of the teams on their Twitter feed.

  • LHS Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams go Down in School History…Again!

    LHS Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams go Down in School History…Again!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland High School (LHS) Women’s and Men’s Cross Country Teams are re-writing school history one broken record at a time!

    In addition to being the 2021-2021 Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) Champs, last Saturday at Troy High School the LHS Women’s Cross Country Team captured the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division 1 Regional Title with a score of 69 for the first time ever in Tiger history. This qualified the entire team to compete in the OHSAA State Division 1 Women’s Championship set to go down this Saturday at Fortress Obetz and Memorial Park at 3 PM. This will be the Women’s 3rd trip to State as a team since the conception of the cross country program (2007, 2019, and 2021).

    Senior Jesse Gibbins took the top time at Regionals for the Tigers placing 4th with a time of 19:15.7. To see the official results from the OHSAA Regional Division 1 Women’s 5k click here.

    Earlier this season the LHS Women’s Cross Country Team broke another school record at the Loveland Sunset Invitational having 5 women in the same race run under 19 minutes! That race and the OHSAA District Division 1 Women’s 5k put 5 Tigers in the top 8 in the ECC for their individual 5k times. 

    The Women’s Team is still currently sitting in the top spot in the State of Ohio according to the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches (OATCCC) poll.

    The LHS Men’s Cross Country Team has also made a name for themselves this year grabbing their first ECC title in 15 years! Building off that history-changing title, the Men collected a 4th place finish with a score of 143 at the OHSAA Division 1 Regional Men’s Championships, allowing them to qualify as a team for the State Tournament. With that accomplishment, the LHS Cross Country Teams again broke a school record, as it is the first time ever in LHS history that both Cross Country squads qualified for the State Tournament in the same year! This will also be the Men’s 3rd trip to the State Tournament as a team (1971, 2020, and 2021).

    Senior Ryan Chevalier was the top finisher for the Tigers at the Regional Tournament race finishing in 15th place with a time of 17:12.8. To see the official results from the OHSAA Regional Division 1 Men’s 5k click here.  

    After all of the impressive running by the Men, 4 Tigers are in the top 9 in the ECC for their individual 5k times. 

    The Men’s Cross Country Team is in 7th place in the State of Ohio per the OATCCC poll.

    Before both Tiger teams head off to Fortress Obetz on Saturday in Columbus for the OHSAA Division 1 State Cross Country Championships, here at Loveland Magazine we decided to take a trip to LHS to chat with both history-changing teams! We are so proud of both teams and thought it was necessary to showcase all their accomplishments to the community so that we could all root them on before the big race!

    Introducing the LHS Women’s and Men’s Cross Country Team, brought to you by Loveland Magazine TV! Click below to watch the exclusive interview now!

    The following athletes are in the video interview: Ryan Chevalier, Cayden Dyer, Grant Hanson, Nick Huff, Sam Neiger, Alex Saletta, Brady Steiner, JP Tew, Ally Colegate, Madison Conatser, Lauren Gard, Jessie Gibbins, Sarah Madix, Emmy Sager, and Maaike Snider.

    (Photos taken by Loveland XC, Loveland Athletic Department, and Cassie Mattia.)

    Both the Women’s and Men’s Cross Country Teams will be celebrated tomorrow at 10:35 AM at LHS! The High School asks that you have your class step into the hallway, outside of your classroom for the send-off parade. The Cross Country athletes, coaches, and the drumline will come to every floor beginning promptly at 10:35 AM.

    If you would like to show your support for the LHS Cross Country Teams on Saturday in Columbus at Fortress Obetz and Memorial Park click here to purchase tickets. Students can purchase tickets for $10 while General Admission tickets are $13. Division 1 Women will race at 3 PM and the Men will race at 4 PM. 

    For more of your latest local sports updates stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With ME, Cassie Mattia!

  • [Video] LHS and LMS Cross Country Teams all Secure the 2021 ECC Championship Title!

    [Video] LHS and LMS Cross Country Teams all Secure the 2021 ECC Championship Title!

    The Loveland Women remain the #1 team in Ohio and have claimed the ECC Championship Title!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Symmes Township, Ohio – Overnight rain did not slow down these Tigers as the LHS Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams took home the 2021 ECC Championship Trophies! 

    On Saturday at 9 AM at LHS’s home course, The Home of the Brave Park, both Men’s and Women’s Teams prepared for one of the coldest races thus far! The cold temperatures certainly didn’t phase the Tigers as the Loveland’s Women’s Team won with a score of 33 and the Men’s Team won with a score of 43.

    The LHS Women’s Cross Country Team had several top 10 finishes with Senior Emmy Sager grabbing the 1st place spot with a time of 19:07.93. Sager was also named ECC’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week. Senior Jessie Gibbins took the 4th place position with a time of 19:25.76, Senior Sarah Madix placed 5th with a time of 19:31.75, Junior Madison Conatser placed 11th with a time of 19:48.76, Junior Ally Colegate finished 12th with a time of 19.51.76, Senior Maaike Snider finished 21st with a time of 20:19.81, and Sophomore Lauren Gard rounded out the team score placing 27th with a time of 21:02.66.

    Lebanon women placed 2nd and Walnut Hills claimed 3rd place. This ECC win will mark the 2nd ECC Championship in Loveland Women’s Cross Country history (2021 and 2019).

    For the full ECC Women’s Meet Results click here.

    Week # 7 State High School D-1 Women’s Cross Country Poll

    1. Loveland
    2. Shaker Heights
    3. Centerville
    4. Hilliard Davidson
    5. Perrysburg
    6. Mason
    7. Beavercreek
    8. Massillon Jackson
    9. Brunswick
    10. Medina
    Loveland High School ECC Champions Ohio’s 7th State ranked team

    The LHS Men’s Cross Country Team collected their first ECC Championship in school history on Saturday! Senior Ryan Chevalier finished in 3rd place with a time of 16:20.98, Junior Brady Steiner placed 7th with a time of 16:44.60, Junior Cayden Dyer finished in the 8th spot with a time of 16:49.45, Freshman Nick Huff placed 11th with a time of 17:03.48, Junior Grant Hanson finished in 14th place with a time of 17:12.64, Senior Sam Neiger crossed the line in 26th with a time of 17:34.01, and Sophomore Kyle Becker placed 50th with a time of 18:31.46.

    Lebanon placed 2nd and Turpin grabbed the 3rd place spot. Little Miami’s William Zegarski won the ECC Meet with a time of 15:38.48 and Walnut Hill’s Gianni Allwein took 2nd place with a time of 15:59.35.

    For the full ECC Men’s Meet Results click here.

    Week # 7 State High School D-1 Men’s Cross Country Poll

    1. Mason
    2. St. Xavier
    3. Hilliard Davidson
    4. St Ignatius
    5. St Edwards
    6. Massillon Jackson
    7. Loveland
    8. Louisville
    9. North Canton Hoover
    10. Lancaster

    Both the Men’s and Women’s LHS Cross Country Teams will compete on Saturday at the Voice of America Park (7850 VOA Park Dr, West Chester Township, OH 45069) for the OHSAA District Championships. The Women will run at 10 AM and the Men are set to run at 11:30 AM. Tickets are $8 if you purchase online before 6 AM on October 23rd. If you decide to purchase after the pre-sale deadline, tickets will be $10. There will be no gate sales. To purchase tickets click here.

    Middle School Champions

    The Loveland Middle School Cross Country Team’s both took home ECC Championship Trophies as well making Saturday a huge win for Loveland Tigers across the board!

    LMS Cross Country Coach John Waple said, “The middle school cross country teams had an amazing season. Every kid came and worked hard all season and grew as runners. This was just a truly tremendous group of kids to coach. We were very fortunate that all four of our teams won at ECC, which is just a great testament to the depth of this team. Not only did our team win every race, but we had three individual champions and several top finishers.”  

    LMS ECC Champs Coach Jenkins, Evan Colegate, Zach Chevalier, Tyler Schwinn, Michael Piposar, Ronan Wolfer, Luke Zicka, and Coach Waple

    The LMS Boys Cross Country Team secured an ECC title with a score of 43. 8th Grader Ronan Wolfer was the top finisher for the Tigers placing 3rd with a time of 11:12.59, Tyler Schwinn placed 5th with a time of 11:35.98, 7th Grader William Manly grabbed the 9th place spot with a time of 11:38.85, 8th Grader Zach Chevalier finished 12th with a time of 11:47.34, and Evan Colegate placed 14th with a time of 12:10.10.

    For the full Boy’s ECC Meet Results click here.

    LMS ECC Champs Coach Jenkins, Savanna Conliff, Caroline Murnan, Parker Mentzer, Allie Kimnach, Ellie Orth, Tori Elliott, and Coach Waple

    The LMS Girls Cross Country Team took first with a score of 16. 8th Grader Caroline Murnan took the top spot with a time of 12:42.09, Parker Mentzer grabbed 2nd place with a time of 12:44.03, Delaney Cilley finished 3rd with a time of 12:58.36, 7th Grader Tori Elliot placed 4th with a time of 12:59.09, and 8th Grader Ellie Orth placed 6th with a time of 13:06.07.

    Delaney Cilley, Parker Mentzer, and Caroline Murnan

    For the full ECC Girl’s Meet Results click here.

    Congratulations to the LHS Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams as well as the LMS Boy’s and Girl’s Cross Country Teams! We are so proud of your hard work and dedication! We can’t wait to see what the future holds for these FAST Tigers!

    For more Loveland Sports updates stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With ME, Cassie Mattia!

  • ECC Championship hosted by Loveland XC on Saturday

    ECC Championship hosted by Loveland XC on Saturday

    Symmes Township, Ohio – The Loveland High and Middle Schools are hosting the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) championship meet this Saturday at Home of the Brave park. 

    As of last Thursday, the LHS women’s team was still ranked #1 in Ohio and the Men’s team was ranked #5.

    High school runners will compete on a 5K course and the Middle school runners compete on a 2-mile course.

    It is also Senior Day for our high school seniors.

    This is a once in a lifetime chance to see these State ranked student athletes and cheer them to the finish line.

    ECC XC Championships 2021

    Sponsored by:

    ECC Conference

      Hosted by:

    Loveland High School

    When:  Saturday, October 16th 

    Where:  Home of the Brave Park

    11605 North Lebanon Road

    Symmes Township, Ohio

    High School Schedule:

    9:00 AM: Men’s High School Championship Race

    9:35 AM: Women’s High School Championship Race

    10:10 AM: Men’s High School Open Race

    10:45 AM: Women’s High School Open Race

    11:35 AM: Awards Ceremony  

    Middle School Schedule:

    1:00 PM: Men’s JH Championship

    1:30 PM: Women’s JH Championship

    2:00 PM: Men’s JH Open

    2:30 PM: Women’s JH Open

  • [PHOTOS] LHS Men’s Cross Country Team Places 2nd at the 2021 Loveland Invitational!

    [PHOTOS] LHS Men’s Cross Country Team Places 2nd at the 2021 Loveland Invitational!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Symmes Township, Ohio – And the Tigers did it again! On Saturday, September 4th the Loveland High School Men’s Varsity Cross Country Team grabbed a 2nd place finish at their home course, the Home of the Brave Park in Symmes Township. The Tigers placed 2nd out of 17 teams with a score of 50 at the 2021 Loveland Cross Country Invitational.

    Senior Ryan Chevalier ran a season-best crossing the finish line in 2nd place with a time of 15:44.2, Junior Brady Steiner also ran a season-best time finishing in 5th with a time of 15:55.7, Junior Cayden Dyer finished in 8th place with a season-best time of 16:22.8, Freshman Nick Huff placed 17th with a season-best time of 16:45.2, Senior Sam Neiger finished right behind Huff running a season-best time of 16:48.2 placing 18th, Junior Grant Hanson placed 27th with a season-best time of 17:12.7, and Junior Alex Saletta rounded out the Tigers top 7 running another season-best time of 17:43.2 putting him in 39th.

    Not only did nearly every Tiger run a season-best on Saturday, now 6 of the men are officially in the top 10 in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) for their performances!

    The LHS Men’s Cross Country Team is currently ranked #14 in the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches Division 1 Poll.

    A BIG Congratulations to the LHS Men’s Cross Country Team for placing 2nd at the Loveland Invitational on Saturday! We are so proud of you Tigers!

    If you missed all the Tiger action on Saturday click below to watch the Loveland Invitational footage brought to you by Loveland Magazine TV!

    Check out the Loveland Cross Country Invitational Final Team Scores as Well as the top 20 Individual Results Below!

    CLICK HERE for the Complete Loveland Invitational Results Including the Men’s Open.

    Want to watch the LHS Men’s Cross Country Team in action? The Tigers will be competing again on Saturday, September 11th at 9 AM at the Mason Invitational which will be held at Corwin Nixon Park.

    Click below to read and see photos of the LHS Women’s Cross Country Team at the Loveland Invitational

    [PHOTOS] LHS Women’s Cross Country Team Grabs Another 1st Place Finish!

    Cassie Mattia –  Sep 8, 2021

    For the latest LHS updates stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With ME, Cassie Mattia!

  • [PHOTOS] LHS Women’s Cross Country Team Grabs Another 1st Place Finish!

    [PHOTOS] LHS Women’s Cross Country Team Grabs Another 1st Place Finish!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Symmes Township, Ohio – And the Tigers did it again! On Saturday, September 4th the Loveland High School Women’s Varsity Cross Country Team collected another 1st place finish only this time it was at their home course, the Home of the Brave Park in Symmes Township. The Tigers placed 1st out of 13 teams with a score of 31 at the 2021 Loveland Cross Country Invitational.

    Senior Jessie Gibbins ran a season-best crossing the finish line in 2nd place with a time of 18:43.9, Senior Emmy Sager also ran a season-best time finishing in 4th with a time of 18:48.9, Junior Madison Conatser finished right behind Sager in 5th place with a season-best time of 19:08.1, Senior Sarah Madix placed 7th with a season-best time of 19:20.4, Junior Ally Colgate ran a season-best time of 19:48.8 placing 13th, Senior Maaike Snider placed 19th with a season-best time of 20:20.1, and Sophomore Lauren Gard rounded out the Tigers top 7 running another season-best time of 21:16.9 putting her in 31st.

    Not only did nearly every Tiger run a season-best on Saturday, now 6 of the ladies are officially in the top 10 in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) for their performances!

    The LHS Women’s Cross Country Team currently sits in 1st place in the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches Division 1 Poll.

    Here at Loveland Magazine, we are extremely excited to see what the future holds for the LHS Women’s Cross Country Team! Congratulations on grabbing another 1st place finish!

    If you missed all the Tiger action on Saturday click below to watch the Loveland Invitational footage brought to you by Loveland Magazine TV!

    Check out the Loveland Cross Country Invitational Final Team Scores as Well as the top 20 Individual Results Below!

    CLICK HERE for the Complete Loveland Invitational Results Including the Women’s Open.

    Want to watch the LHS Women’s Cross Country Team in action? The Tigers will be competing again on Saturday, September 11th at 9 AM at the Mason Invitational which will be held at Corwin Nixon Park.

    For the latest LHS updates stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With ME, Cassie Mattia!

  • [Photos] LHS XC headed to State Finals this morning

    [Photos] LHS XC headed to State Finals this morning

    Alex Saletta (alternate), Brady Steiner, Sam Neiger, Grant Hanson, Cayden Dyer, Emmy Sager, AJ Stutz, Colin Beran, Alex Salatin (alternate), and Ryan Chevalier

    by David Miller

    Loveland, Ohio – It is a contribution of many factors that sends Loveland High School Cross Country runners to compete in the Ohio State Championship finals. The culture of running in Loveland that began decades ago when Loveland became the mecca of road running for enthusiasts from all over the Tri-State when Loveland became the first trailhead of the Little Miami Scenic Trail. Known forever around these parts as the Loveland Bike Trail. It’s in no small part attributable to excellent coaches over the years that are highly respected throughout Ohio. No doubt, parents who are raising these young men and women. No doubt the culture of running that begins in early grades within the school system with their after-school running clubs. No doubt the numerous road races held in Historic Downtown and along the Loveland Bike Trail. It’s the high school and middle school athletic departments teaching those in their care the right attitude and balance between competition and academic studies as well as hiring the right coaches.

    Thus, LHS sent off the Men’s team and one Woman runner this morning to compete tomorrow at Fortress Obetz in Obetz, Ohio; to participate in the purest of athletic pursuits of running a 5K the fastest.

    No fancy equipment is required. Of course, they will be running in some pretty expensive shoes, but New Balance and Nike aren’t going to determine the outcome tomorrow. It will be thousands of miles of practice that came before. It will be what’s in the runners’ heads tomorrow. It will be what has been in their head for many years; honing their technique, learning what to eat and not to eat, before, after, and in-between. It will be the endless days coping with injuries and resting injured muscles and shins when every constant thought is a painfully, agonizing crave too quickly returning to the pavement to get that next fix of adrenaline and endorphin. It’s the personal self-discipline to balance what the right and left brain are arguing about. It’s a well-developed skill of resolve to know how many or how few miles to put in the days leading to the next starter’s gun.

    An hour before heading to the crowded starting line will be years of muscle memory kicking in knowing how much to run for a warm-up.

    Round or flat laces and how tight to tie them.

    Going to the State Final has been many years of lacing up and heading out the door when your mind plays a tug of war between a daily run or putting it off until tomorrow when you have a running buddy.

    Here are photos of the LHS runners who did all that – and more – and photos from their school when they left this morning escorted through town by the Loveland Police Department. They also went by the Loveland Primary and Elementary School campus and were cheered by future Tiger runners.

    This won’t be the last race they ever run, as every time they head out the door in the future they will still have an imaginary or real finish line ahead. Most have already developed something they will never get out of their system and will become life-long runners. They will never have to find a court or field, or someone to compete against, no one to throw the ball to… they will always have the road just outside their front door. The suburban street. The friendly community trail. A high school or college track. The inter-city block. The rural road. Just themselves and their shoes.

  • OHSAA Announces Shortened HS Football Season Proposal

    OHSAA Announces Shortened HS Football Season Proposal

    OHSAA adjusts high school season if football is approved by Governor

     

    by Cassie Mattia

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Governor’s recommendation to shorten Ohio’s High School Football seasons has been approved! The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) announced Friday that due to concerns COVID-19 may spike in the early winter, all Ohio HS football teams will enter into the playoffs on October 9th. The HS State Championship games would be played no later than November 21st. This is only in the event that the Governor’s Office approves Ohio HS Football being played this year.

    The proposal for a shorter football regular season was approved by the OHSAA Board of Directors with a 9-0 vote. OHSAA released a press release after the vote saying that they considered the proposal a win-win situation for all schools because it would then not matter how many games each team played leading up to the playoffs.

    So how will it be determined which HS football teams qualify for the playoffs you may be asking yourself? Well, instead of using the traditional computer ratings system, coaches in each region will conduct a tournament seed meeting the week of September 28th in order to form the regional brackets. This is very similar to how several other team sports within the OHSAA determine which teams qualify for playoffs.

    Loveland High School is apart of the Eastern Cincinnati Conference.

    The shortened football season guidelines state that schools may keep their first six previously scheduled games, but all regular-season football contracts will be now voidable by either school. This is especially important in the event that conferences redo their league schedules so that games will fit into the first six weeks. The OHSAA will also determine new playoff regions in September. Teams that are eliminated from the playoffs may continue to schedule regular-season games up until November 14.

    MAC Announces Postponement of Fall Sports

    The Mid-American Conference (MAC) has announced the postponement of all scheduled fall contests, as well as MAC championships, due to continuing concerns related to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Read on…

    The Big 10 is expected to announce the cancelation of the Fall football season on Tuesday.

    Those schools that have paused sports due to COVID-19 are still able to begin their season in September or early October as well as compete in the playoffs. If a school finds that they would rather play regular-season games up until November 14th and not compete in playoffs they are able to do so.

    “To both ensure we can offer students the opportunity to participate in education-based athletics but do so with their best interests in mind, we believe this modified plan offers a positive solution by addressing many of the concerns of our member schools,” President of the OHSAA Board of Directors and Athletic Administrator at Mentor High School, Jeff Cassella said, “Those that are able to start their seasons on time will be able to do so. Those that are starting later can still have a season. Add in the option of all schools entering the playoffs and the possibility of schools still being able to play 10 regular-season contests, and this plan is helpful to virtually all of our schools.”

    Here are the most important details in regards to the OHSAA’s modified Ohio HS Football season and changes to the Playoffs process:

    • Regular-season games will begin the week of August 24 (same regular-season starting date).
    • All teams are eligible to enter the OHSAA playoffs. New regions will be determined in September.
    • The number of playoff rounds is dependent upon the number of schools entering the playoffs in each division. Coaches in each region will seed all playoff teams in the region to form a bracket, similar to other OHSAA sports.
    • Schools eliminated from the OHSAA playoffs or those schools that choose not to enter the OHSAA playoffs have the option to schedule additional regular-season contests through Saturday, November 14 (maximum of 10 regular season contests permitted).
    • Playoff seeding will be determined via a vote of the coaches the week of September 28 (Harbin Ratings is suspended for the 2020 season).
    • All playoff contests through the regional semifinals (and possibly the regional finals) will be hosted by the higher-seeded team.
    • Schools must commit to participating in the playoffs by 11:59 PM on Thursday, September 17.
    • Playoff regions will be drawn on Friday, September 18.
    • Schools may withdraw from the playoffs without a penalty until Thursday, September 24.

    Below is what the new modified Ohio HS Football season will look like:

    • Regular season Week 1:  Week of August 24
    • Regular season Week 2:  Week of August 31
    • Regular season Week 3:  Week of September 7
    • Regular season Week 4:  Week of September 14
    • Regular season Week 5:  Week of September 21
    • Regular season Week 6:  Week of September 28
    • Playoffs begin Friday, October 9
    • State Finals end no later than Saturday, Nov. 21

    Still, have questions on OHSAA’s modified football season and the new Playoffs process? Click HERE for all of the Q&A’s!

    Thus far the decision on whether or not spectators will be allowed to be present at contact sports this year has not been made yet. The OHSAA stated that “At a minimum, parents should be permitted to attend.”

    Luckily four of the OHSAA’s Fall sports, golf, tennis, volleyball, and cross country, have been determined to be low-contact by the Governor’s Office which means these particular sports will be permitted to have contests with other schools. The remaining Fall sports, field hockey, soccer, and football, have been determined to be high-contact, so the OHSAA, the Governor’s Office and the Ohio Department of Health are working together to create a safe game plan so that these three sports may participate in contests with other schools as well.

    To get the latest 411 on which of Ohio’s High School sports will be competing this year and the most up to date COVID-19 sports safety protocols stay tuned to the Sports 411 With me, Cassie Mattia!

  • [w/photo album] Loveland Magazine Presents Loveland High School’s 2019 Fall Sports Awards!

    [w/photo album] Loveland Magazine Presents Loveland High School’s 2019 Fall Sports Awards!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – On Wednesday, November 13th, several Tigers were recognized for both their minds and their athletic abilities at the 2019 Annual Fall Sports Awards at Loveland High School! LHS Athletic Director, Brian Conatser invited friends, families, and Fall Tiger student-athletes to celebrate their 2019 sports seasons.

    Loveland High School Athletic Director, Brian Conaster

    Conatser began the heartfelt evening with a tradition of this ceremony at LHS…the senior athletes are announced and led into the gym by their head coach. Conatser invited LHS’s Site Manager and Facilities Coordinator, Jake Elfers to announce the 2019 Fall senior athletes and their coaches.

    Next Conatser took the opportunity to thank everyone who made the athletes and coaches seasons so special! “Thank you, Seniors, for your leadership and laying the groundwork within our programs,” Conatser said, “This evening I would like to introduce the administration and members from the athletic department that have joined me in this celebration. Principal, Peggy Johnson, Assistant Director of Student Athletics, Eric Fry, Site Manager & Facilities Coordinator, Jake Elfers. And Finally…our Administrative Assistant in the Athletic Department, Kristy Brulport. A special thanks to all the individuals who support and assist the athletic department and our student-athletes on a daily basis. Parents, Student-Athletes please give your parents a round of applause for their support, feeding you, driving you to and from practices, and always being a part of your games and competition,” Conatser added, “LAB Team Liaisons please stand and be recognized. We appreciate your time commitment and efforts…as you are the link between our Boosters and our Athletic Programs. Thank you for all you do. Coaches, thank you for the tremendous amount of time you spend with our student-athletes. We appreciate you mentoring our young men and women and teaching them the life skills necessary to be successful both now and in their future. Thank you! We are “Extremely Proud” of our teams and programs this Fall season.  You have all been Very enjoyable to Watch and Cheer on,” Conatser said.

    The Tigers’ 2019 Fall Sports Season marked one of the most successful Fall sports seasons in school history with 5 ECC Champions, 4 ECC Coaches of the Year and 2 ECC Athletes of the Year. With all of these accolades, this puts the Loveland Tigers in the number one spot in running for the All-Sports Trophy. Conatser was sure to give praise to both the coaches and athletes for their designated seasons as he shared the “Coaches Highlights of the Fall Season” told through the coaches’ own words during the ceremony.

    Next on the Fall Sports Awards agenda was the recognition of all of the Fall sports athletes who received top ECC honors. You can read about which Tigers received ECC accolades in the Loveland Sports 411 With Cassie Mattia HERE.

    Next in the ceremony, each student-athlete who participated in a Fall varsity sport for all 4 years were honored. Conatser announced the following Tigers to receive this particular honor.

    Men’s Cross Country

    Sam Dippold, Alex Ditchen, Kyle Griffin and Brady Jeffcott

    Women’s Cross Country

    Sofia Dillhoff, Lexi Duff, Alexi Funk, Sarah Hallock, and Kirstin Thomas

    Women’s Golf

    Allison Rountree

    Women’s Soccer

    Maria Bashardoust and Claire Massey

    Women’s Tennis

    Anna Svitkovich

    Following the announcement of the athletes who played all 4 years varsity in their designated sport, was the presentation of the 2019 Fall “Sportsperson of the Season,” and shortly after the presentation of the “Edward Jones Community Student-Athlete Award.” Loveland Magazine plans on featuring these two very special awards and its winners in a separate article coming soon!

    At the conclusion of the 2019 Fall Sports Awards ceremony, Conatser recognized individual student-athletes that received awards “beyond” the Eastern Cincinnati Conference. Below are the student-athletes who were recognized for these very prestigious awards.

    Women’s Tennis

    All-City (GCTCA) Greater Cincinnati Tennis Coaches Association Award

        • Anna Svitkovich – 1st Team Singles
        • Tess Broermann and Hannah Wenger – Honorable Mention for Doubles
        • The Women’s Volleyball Team were ranked 6th in the city

    Men’s Golf

    District Academic Honors 

    Matt Rychlik and Luke Sence

    Men’s and Women’s Cross Country

    Both teams participated in OHSAA Regionals 

    Women’s Cross Country placed 6th at the State Meet

    Jessie Gibbins was named All-Ohio Runner

    Women’s Volleyball

    All-District Recognition 

    Jillian Hayes – 2nd Team All-district

    Men’s Soccer

    All-Southwest City

    Cole Harter and Connor Patton

    1st Team All-State

    Cole Harter

    All-Southwest City Coach of the Year

    Mike Dunlap 

    Women’s Soccer

    All-Southwest Ohio and All-City

    Kaitlyn Andrews, Lauren Donovan, and Clair Massey

    2nd-Team All-State

    Kaitlyn Andrews

    Women’s Golf

    Adopt-A-Team winner

    Below are the Fall sports teams that received accolades within the ECC and in post-season play.

    Women’s Soccer

    OHSAA District Champions and OHSAA Regional Runner-ups (Elite 8)

    Men’s Golf

    2019 ECC Champs

    Women’s Volleyball

    2019 ECC Champs

    2019 Coach of the Year – Brian Baugh

    Women’s Cross Country

    2019 ECC Champs

    OHSAA District Runner-ups 

    Placed 6th at the State Meet

    2019 Coach of the Year – Steve Nester

    Men’s Soccer 

    2019 ECC Champs

    2019 Coach of the Year – Mike Dunlap

    2019 ECC Player of the Year – Cole Harter

    Women’s Tennis

    ECC Champs

    2019 ECC Coach of the Year – Dara Hudson

    2019 ECC Player of the Year – Anna Svitkovich

     

    Loveland Magazine would like to take the opportunity to congratulate all of the Tiger coaches, student-athletes and their families for all the rightly deserved awards they received for the 2019 Fall sports season. I can say as former high school and collegiate student-athlete that your efforts have not gone unnoticed! The hard work, dedication, and motivation that all of you have put in during the season and off-season have paid off and for that, we are very proud to cheer loud and proud throughout the community of Loveland…..GO TIGERS!!!!

    You can click on the photos below to view them larger. All photos are © protected, however they can be purchased by sending an EMAIL.

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