Loveland Magazine

LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

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Since 2004

Tag: Ryan Chevalier

  • [EXCLUSIVE] Video of LHS’s 2021 Fall National College Signing Day!

    [EXCLUSIVE] Video of LHS’s 2021 Fall National College Signing Day!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – The 2021 Fall National College Signing Day, a day that so many Senior student-athletes look forward to, finally took place Wednesday at Loveland High School’s Gymnasium!

    The yearly ceremony aims to not only celebrate the hard work and dedication that Loveland’s top student-athletes have put in the last 4 years but also brings together the student-athlete’s family members, coaches, teachers, staff, and peers to witness the big “signing” moment.

    Director of Student Athletics, Brian Conatser, introduced the student-athletes, as they sat down at the college signing table surrounded by their biggest supporters and loved ones. We of course couldn’t be prouder of these student-athletes and wish them the best of luck in their future collegiate athletic endeavors!

    The following LHS Senior student-athletes signed to play athletics collegiately in 2022:

    • Sarah Madix – University of Cincinnati, Cross Country, and Track and Field

    • Ryan Chevalier – Virginia Tech, Cross Country and Track and Field

    • Jesse Gibbins – Central Michigan University, Cross Country and Track and Field

    • Emmy Sager – University of Cincinnati, Cross Country, and Track and Field

    • Leiah Goedde – Ashland University, Soccer

    • Jackson Lux – University of the Pacific, Baseball

    Check out the exclusive video shot by David Miller on Loveland Magazine TV of the LHS Fall National College Signing Day Ceremony!

    Congratulations to these OUTSTANDING Tiger student-athletes for getting the opportunity to fine-tune their crafts at the collegiate level! It has been a joy watching each and every one of you thrive as students and excel as athletes. We will be cheering all of you on as you take the next step in your athletic and education journey! LONG LIVE THE LOVELAND TIGERS! GOOD LUCK SENIORS!

    For more Loveland sports updates stay tuned to the Sports 411 With ME, Cassie Mattia!

  • 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!

  • Jessie Gibbins leads her Tigers to Runner-up at State XC Championship

    Jessie Gibbins leads her Tigers to Runner-up at State XC Championship

    Obetz, Ohio – Loveland High School Senior Jessie Gibbins led her Women’s Cross Country Team to the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I Championship’s runner-up trophy Saturday. She was the 12th fastest woman in Ohio today. Gibbons is in the photo hoisting the trophy skyward – that her teammates will all be showing off at the high school Monday. Gibbins finished with a time of 18:25.2.

    The Men’s team Team placed 12th overall and was led by Senior Ryan Chevalier (15:37.3) who was the 14th fastest on the course today.

    Stay tuned to Loveland Magazine. We will publish individual times and our complete photo coverage soon.

    Ryan Chevalier receives his State Tournament medal

  • 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!

  • LHS Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams Continue to Rewrite Tiger History!

    LHS Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams Continue to Rewrite Tiger History!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – Have you ever seen a Tiger this fast? On Saturday, September 25th the LHS Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams competed in the Loveland Sunset Invitational where they both grabbed 1st place finishes! The Women won with a score of 15 and the Men took the top spot with 17.

    The Loveland Women’s Cross Country Team not only secured a 1st place finish as a team but also broke some school records along the way. The Tigers for the first time ever had 4 Women run under 19 minutes in the same 5k race, with the top 7 finishing 1-2-3-4-5-8-9. Previously the Women had only had 2 Tigers in the same race finish under 19 minutes.

    Senior Emmy Sager secured a 1st place finish with a time of 18:32.70, Senior Jessie Gibbins placed 2nd with a time of 18:35, Senior Sarah Madix crossed the line in 3rd with a time of 18:36.7, Junior Madison Conatser finished 4th with a time of 18:57.9, Junior Ally Colegate placed 5th with a time of 19:19.2, Senior Maaike Snider finished in 8th place with a time of 19:44.1, and Sophmore Lauren Gard placed 9th with a time of 19:54. For the complete meet results click here.

    • The LHS Women’s CC Team at the Loveland Sunset Invitational. Photo credited to Eric Colegate.
    • The top 5 finishers running in a pack at the Loveland Sunset Invitational. Photo credited to Eric Colegate.

    The Tigers for the 1st time in school history are not only ranked number 1 in the state according to the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches poll they are also number 1 in the state for their average team time on Ohio MileSplit. In addition to all those impressive team accolades, individually several of the Loveland Women are at the top of the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) with their latest times. Emmy Sager is number 1 in the ECC, Jessie Gibbins is number 2, Sarah Madix is number 3, Madison Conatser is number 5, and Ally Colegate is number 8.

    OATCCC Week 4 Ohio High School Division 1 Women’s Poll

    The Loveland Women’s Cross Country Team will compete again Saturday, October 2nd at Centerville’s Saturday Night Lights.

    The Loveland Men’s Cross Country Team captured a nice win at their home meet last Saturday finishing 1-2-3-5-6-8-9 with a runner’s average of 16:30.

    Senior Ryan Chevalier finished in 1st place with a time of 16:04.2, Junior Brady Steiner placed 2nd with a time of 16:08.2, Junior Cayden Dyer finished in 3rd with a time of 16:30.3, Freshman Nick Huff placed 5th with a time of 16:50.2, Senior Sam Neiger placed 6th with a time of 16:57, Junior Grant Hanson crossed the finish line in 8th place with a time of 17:08.5, and Senior Kyle Becker placed 9th with a time of 17:14.6. For the complete meet results click here.

    The LHS Men’s CC Team at the Loveland Sunset Invitational. Photo credited to Jen Steiner.

    The Tigers are currently ranked 6th in the state according to the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches poll and several individuals are ranked at the top in the ECC. Ryan Chevalier is ranked number 2, Brady Steiner is sitting in 4th place, and Cayden Dyer is in 7th place.

    OATCCC Week 4 Ohio High School Division 1 Men’s Poll

    The Loveland Men’s Cross Country Team will also be competing Saturday, October 2nd at Centerville’s Saturday Night Lights.

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

  • [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!

  • LHS Women’s Cross Country Team Grabs 1st Place at Season Opener!

    LHS Women’s Cross Country Team Grabs 1st Place at Season Opener!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio- LHS Tiger Athletics kicked the Fall sports season off with a bang as the Women’s Cross Country Team collected their first 2021 victory on Saturday at the Ohio High School Athletics Association (OHSAA) Cross Country Season Opener!

    Both Loveland’s Women’s and Men’s Cross Country Teams competed Saturday against 43 (scored) teams from all across Ohio at Fortress Obetz in Columbus, Ohio, which is also where the OHSAA’s 2021 State Cross Country Meet will be run this year.

    Both Tiger teams are being looked at with high expectations this year as they have a squad full of veteran runners returning including 2020 Eastern Cincinnati Conference Runner of the Year Senior Ryan Chevalier and 1st Team All-ECC Jesse Gibbins and Emmy Sager.

    Loveland did not disappoint their supporters at the first meet of the 2021 season as the Women finished in 1st place out of 43 very talented teams and the Men finished in 3rd place. The Women finished with a score of 90 (11-12-18-20-29-108-130), a team time of 1:38:48, a runner average of 19:46, and a mile average of 6:22. The Men finished with a score of 185 (5-13-38-50-79-116-132), a team time of 1:26:04, a runner average of 17:13, and a mile average of 5:33.

    For LHS’s Women’s Cross Country Team, Junior Madison Conatser finished 11th with a time of 19:27.8, Senior Jesse Gibbins finished 12th with a time of 19:33.7, Senior Sarah Madix finished 18th with a time of 19:40.5, Senior Emmy Sager finished 20th with a time of 19:51.5, Junior Ally Colegate finished 29th with a time of 20:13.6, Senior Maaike Snider finished 108th with a time of 22:00.2, and Sophmore Lauren Gard finished 130th with a time of 22:24.8.

    The Men’s Cross Country Team also had some impressive finishes with Senior Ryan Chevalier finishing in 5th with a time of 16:13.6, Junior Brady Steiner finishing in 13th with a time of 16:44.9, Senior Sam Neiger finishing in 38th with a time of 17:26.1, Freshman Nick Huff finishing in 50th with a time of 17:38.1, Junior Grant Hanson finishing in 79th with a time of 18:00.4, Senior Andrew Waple finishing 116th with a time of 18:21.8, and Junior Alex Saletta finishing in 132nd with a time of 18:32.7.

    For the full meet results click here.

    Congratulations to LHS’s Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Team’s on their 1st and 3rd place finishes in their first meet of the 2021 season! We are looking forward to seeing all the Tiger success this year! Thank you to LHS Cross Country parent Paul Madix for providing us with both the stats and photos from the opening meet!

    The Tigers will compete again on Friday, August 27th at Christ Church for the Moeller Prime Time Invitational at 8:45 P.M.

    Tentative 2021 LHS Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Schedule

    8/24 Sat, OHSAA Season Opener, 10:00 a.m. at Fortress Obetz

    8/27 Fri, Moeller Prime Time Invitational, 8:45 p.m. at Christ Church

    9/4 Sat, Loveland Invitational 8:45 a.m. at Home of the Brave

    9/11 Sat, Mason Invitational 9:00 a.m. at Corwin Nixon Park

    9/18 Sat, Asics Woodbridge XC Classic TBD at Irvine, California

    (Top 7 Times from the OHSAA Season Opener & possible wildcard. Pending approval from OHSAA & Loveland Schools)

    9/25 Sat, Loveland Sunset Invite 6:00 p.m. at Loveland High School

    10/2 Sat, Saturday Nights Lights TBA at Centerville HS

    10/16 Sat, ECC Championships TBD at Home of the Brave

    10/21 Thur, Southwest Ohio Championships 5:45 p.m. at Site TBD

    (Based on the ECC Championship results, all remaining non-Top 7 will compete)

    10/23 Sat, District Championships TBD at Voice of America

    (Top Seven will compete)

    10/30 Sat, Regional Championships ** TBD at Troy, Ohio

    11/6 Sat, Ohio State Championships ** TBD at Fortress Obetz

    ** Team or Individuals must qualify for the Regional & State Championships

    *** Start Times will vary due to our participation in multiple races.

    For more LHS sports updates stay tuned to the Sports 411 With ME, Cassie Mattia!

  • Loveland Tigers Excel in Spring ECC Awards

    Loveland Tigers Excel in Spring ECC Awards

    by Grace Nunn

    Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Tigers were not short of achievements this spring sports season, bringing in multiple awards for the school.

    Coach Andrea Setser was named the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) Coach of the Year on her first year of coaching for the lacrosse team. Coach Herb Laughman was named ECC Coach of the Year for women’s track, while Coach Jim Vanatsky was named ECC Coach of the Year for men’s track.

    6 women on the Loveland Women’s Track team made ECC First Team All-Conference, and 8 more women were Second Team All-Conference. 11 men on the Loveland Men’s Track team made ECC First Team All-Conference, and 9 more men were Second Team All-Conference.

    First Team All-Conference winners for the men’s team include Brady Steiner (10), J.P. Tew (11), Ajay Stutz (12), Ryan Chevalier (11), Trey Powell (11), Aaron Morton (12), Max Flanders (12), Dylan Schwinn (10), Aaron Schuetter (11), Jesse Jenkins (12), and Ryan Hetzel (12). First Team All-Conference winners for the women’s team include Madison Conatser (10), Emmy Sager (11), Sarah Madix (11), Jessie Gibbins (11), Nicole Dierling (11), and Mikayla Loomis (11).

    On the baseball team, Jake Zicka (12) received the All-Conference Second Team award, and teammate Connor Wessel (11) received the ECC All-Conference Honorable Mention award.

    Men’s Lacrosse had 8 award winners. Zach Mulligan (11), Scott Phelan (12), Ethan Lund (11), Jackson Noe (11), and Will Westermeyer (11) received the All-Conference First Team awards. Honorable mentions included Breckin Sharkey (12), Weston Manske (12), and Roman Wilburn (11).

    On the softball team, Jerrah Harcourt (12) received the All Conference Second Team award along with Mya Jordan (11). Kaylee Needham (10) received the honorable mention.

    Women’s Lacrosse had many great achievements including Carly Wilhoite (12) being named the ECC Player of the Year. As mentioned, Coach Andrea Setser was named ECC Coach of the Year on her first year of coaching for the lacrosse team. ECC All Conference First Team winners included Hanna Wenger (12), Josey Storm (12), and Maggie Nance (12). Abbie Miller (12), Allie Despotakis (10), and Katie Beasley (11) were all named All-Conference Second Team. Skylar Mosconi (12) won the honorable mention.

    Loveland Men’s Volleyball also received a few awards with Tyler Miller-Bross (12) winning the All-Conference First Team award and Eric Keldsen (12), Stone Thole (12), and Mason Mueller (12) winning honorable mentions.

    Overall, in ending the school year, Loveland was second place behind Turpin in the All Sports Trophy by 1.3 points. Loveland scored a 74 in the fall, 61.5 in the winter, and a 54.5 in the spring for a total of 190. Way to go Tigers!

  • Loveland High School Track Stars flashing medals from State Tournament

    Loveland High School Track Stars flashing medals from State Tournament

    by Grace Nunn

    Columbus (Hilliard High School), Ohio – Saturday, June 5th, 11 members of the Loveland Track and Field team competed in the OHSAA State Championships.

    The 5 women going to state included Sarah Madix (11), Mady Conatser (10), Jessie Gibbins (11), Emmy Sager, (11) and Ally Carpenter (10). While the 6 men going to state included JP Tew (11), Brady Steiner (10), Ajay Stutz (12), Ryan Chevalier (11), Jesse Jenkins (12), and Ethan Smith (12).

    The 4×800 (3600) meter relay resulted in an amazing Division One Runner-Up award for the Men’s team with a time of 7:48.83, less than 2 seconds behind Lakota West’s time of 7:47.48.

    The Women’s team scored an amazing 4th place behind Mentor, Dublin Coffman, and Hilliard Davidson with a time of 9:15.82.

    Along with these amazing group achievements, the team had some incredible individual awards. Ryan Chevalier scored 10th in the 1600 meter run, with a time of 4:17.55. Madison Conatser placed 7th in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:15.64 and Jessie Gibbins placed 12th in the 800 meter with a time of 2:17.50. Go Tigers!

    Soph. Madison Conatser (Far Right) capped off her incredible 1st season of running track finishing 7th at the D1 State Championships. (Photo by OHSAA)
    https://twitter.com/lovelandcc1/status/1400889874505404420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1400889874505404420%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2Flovelandcc12Fstatus2F1400889874505404420widget%3DTweet

    Click here for complete State Championship results.

  • [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.