2011 - Year in Review - Spring

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From the first crack of the bat and muddy rugby match to a record-breaking pole vault and four lacrosse champions, the spring of 2011 featured exciting action.

Baseball

Several local teams were in the hunt at the 2011 KHSAA State Baseball Tournament held in Lexington, Kentucky, in June. Central Hardin emerged as the state champion as they defeated Mercer County 21-2 in the finals, giving Coach Todd Thompson’s Bruins the crown and capping off a 36-4 season. Pleasure Ridge Park and St. Xavier both made it to the semi-finals. In his last season as head coach for St. Xavier, John Jefferson led his Tigers to a 28-11 record.  Pleasure Ridge Park finished the year at 31-8. North Oldham also made the state tournament’s final 16 in Lexington, finishing the season 20-13.

Austin Walters of Central Hardin was the Tournament MVP and the All-Tournament team included Matt Spalding and Shaun Johnston (St.Xavier), Matt Mattingly and Cody Angus (Pleasure Ridge Park), and Russ Morse, Dylan Schoffner and Austin Walters (Central Hardin).

Softball

Jack C. Fischer Park in Owensboro was home for the 2011 KHSAA softball finals. Allen County – Scottsville took the title with a narrow 3-2 win over a strong Ballard club that finished the season 39-6. Ballard actually finished the tournament with the highest team batting average (.406). Pleasure Ridge Park made a strong tournament run, finishing 35-9 on the season, as did Central Hardin who finished 36-6 for the year. The Forcht Group of Kentucky Sportsmanship Award went to Mallory Stein of Ballard. The All-Tournament Team included Savannah Mercer and Samantha Lindsay (Pleasure Ridge Park), and Kayla Fairley, Meghan McCreery and Madison Wise (Ballard).

Boys’ Track

The Male boys’ track team claimed its fifth consecutive KHSAA Class 3A state track title for head coach Jason Neuss. Individual wins for the Bulldogs included Michael Patterson in the triple jump, 4X200 relay team of Mitchell Nelson, Torian Vaughn, Jalon Kemp and Ronjae Morris, 4X100 relay team of John Giddens, Patterson, Nelson and Morris, and 4X400 relay team of Kemp, Vaughn, Patterson and Giddens.  Butler’s team of Jeff Cutrer, Patrick Gregory, Tretez Kinnaird and RaShaun Langdon won the 4X800 relay and Kinnaird won the 800-meter. In July, Kinnaird represented the US in the IAAF World Youth Championships.

In the 100-meter dash, Ballard’s Ronnie Baker and William Kannamore finished 1-2. Baker also won the 400-meter. Trinity’s James Quick took the 200-meter and Andrew Stewart of North Hardin won the 1600. St. Xavier’s Peter McDermott won the 300-meter hurdles and Brad Zolke won in pole vault. Oldham County’s Isaac Bowling won the shot put and discus.

•In Class 2A, Taylor Sanders, Colin Grandon, Alec Horn and Jeremy Rice won the 4X800 relay for North Oldham, as did the 4X400 team of Rice, Jake Evans, Max Steinfeld and Cody Elbert. Rice also won in the 800 and Mustang Zach Evans won the 200-meter dash, making North Oldham the boys’ 2A team champion.

Clayton Patton of Elizabethtown hurdled to a victory in the 110-meter event. Central’s relay team of Keon Scott, Kevon Dunbar, Jaz Hayes and Anthony Wales were state champions in the 4X100. Scott also won the 300-meter hurdles. Trevor Troutman of Bullitt East won the discus.

•Jacob Thomson of Holy Cross won the 1600-meter, 800-meter and 3200-meter events in Class 1A competition as teammate Dominic Perronie finished second in the 3200. Fellow Cougar Greg Johnson won the 300-meter hurdles, giving Holy Cross the boys’ team title.  Whitefield Academy’s Andy Klaassen won the 200-meter dash. The Louisville Collegiate 4X400 relay team of Ezra Griffith, Mohammed Abu Ali, Tucker Kirven and Ryan Perry won that event, and Kentucky Country Day’s Reed Cohen won in discus.

Girls’ Track

Sacred Heart won the KHSAA Class 3A girls’ championship behind Emma Brink’s  800, 1600 and 3200 victories and Kristen Matula’s win in the 300-meter hurdles. Ballard’s Megan Zimlich broke the class 3A state record in girls’ pole vault with a height of 11’9”. Assumption’s team of Caroline McCaslin, Amanda Vokoun, Melanie Strothman and Ellen Marko started the day with a win in the 4X800 relay, Male’s Dominique Edmonds won the 100-meter hurdles. Keisha Chiles of Southern was the long jump winner, and Halie Holloway of Central Hardin took the triple jump.

•Maya Spalding of Central won both the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles in girls’ Class 2A competition. Yellowjacket Cha’Niquia Gore won in high jump. Caterina Karas handily won the 1600- and 3200-meter events for Collins. Freshman Chelsey Slayton of North Bullitt was the 800-meter winner. Denisha Nichols and Brittany Bartelt finished 1-2 in discus for Elizabethtown.

Tennis

In the KHSAA State Tennis Tournament, it was an all-Sacred Heart doubles championship match as Katherine English and Caitlin Hanley defeated Kaelin Roberts and Ashley Williams 7-6, 7-6. Assumption was the team tournament winner. In singles play, Ellie Gerlach of Christian Academy was runner up. For the boys, Sean Donohue and Joseph Siami of St. Xavier were the boys’ doubles champions, and Alex Gornet was runner up in singles competition. St. X captured the boys’ team title as well.

Lacrosse

The Kentucky Lacrosse Association’s three divisions each featured at least one local team in the championship game. In Division III, Oldham County contested Greenwood for the title, falling 6-9. In Division II, Ballard fell to Dunbar in the title game. The Division I championship featured Trinity and St. Xavier, with the Tigers winning their seventh state championship by a score of 9-6. Bobby Schmitt (St. X), Patrick Rhea (Collegiate) and Ryan Scinta (KCD) were named All-American.

In the KLA girls’ championship, Sacred Heart captured the school’s first lacrosse title in a 13-11 overtime win over Kentucky Country Day on May 19th at the University of Louisville. Casey Bariteau of KCD was named a First Team All-American and Sacred Heart goalkeeper Allison Eisner was Honorable Mention.

Rugby

Kentucky Youth Rugby continued its expansion through 2011.  The Middletown Warriors took the State Tournament over previously unbeaten St. Xavier.  Other teams included the Rebel Raiders, Meade County and St. Matthews. 2012 promises more action on the pitch.