District 8 All-Star game
Some of the area’s top talent squared off in the annual District 8 All-Star game held at the Elida Field house Monday.
In the first game, the Division I-III contest, the West came out on top 72-49 win Spencerville’s Emma Leis scoring 16 points.
In game two, the Division IV hoopsters took to the hardwood with the West winning 72-46. Kalida’s Grace Klausing scored 15 points to lead all scorers.
The District 8 boys contests will be played at Elida Field house today beginning at 6:30 p.m. with the Division I-III taking the court first, followed by the Division IV game.
College
Bluffton hires swim coach
BLUFFTON—Bluffton University has selected Ben Rath as its head men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach, an intercollegiate program to start in the 2021-22 academic year.
Rath graduated from the University of Findlay in December 2018 with a bachelor’s in Sports Business Analysis. He also served as the team captain on Findlay’s men’s swimming and diving team for two years and was named the 2018 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Male Athlete of the Year and the 2018 GMAC/MEC Male Swimmer of the Meet.
“My previous experiences as a student-athlete and coach have prepared me to develop a strong team culture, recruit and retain student-athletes and establish a sturdy foundation which will allow Bluffton’s program to become recognizable amongst its peers and surrounding communities,” said Rath. “I look forward to building relationships with and recruiting student-athletes who embody Bluffton’s enduring values, and I want to especially thank Bluffton’s vice president of student affairs and athletics, Phill Talavinia, for the opportunity to do so.”
Rath most recently served as the Assistant Swimming and Diving Coach at the University of Findlay, where he was integral in the recruitment process, helped coach the team to establish 12 new school records, as well as lead eight team members to All-American Honors and 10 to become NCAA qualifiers.
He has also held positions as Lakeview Country Club Summer Swim Team Head Coach and the Lead Senior Coach at Findlay Area Swim Team (FAST). He will start at Bluffton University on March 24, 2021.
The Beavers are an NCAA DIII school and compete as part of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. With Bluffton’s addition of men’s and women’s swimming and diving, seven schools in the HCAC will offer the sport.
Bluffton University will partner with the Lima YMCA as the team’s practice and host site. Bluffton now has 18 intercollegiate athletic teams including men’s and women’s basketball, golf, soccer, cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. Bluffton also offers football and baseball for men and softball and volleyball for women.
Golf
UNOH women linksters finish second
SHEPHERDSVILLE, KY -The University of Northwestern Ohio tee’d off for the first time this season at Heritage Hill Invitational and finished second out of 10 teams at the Heritage Hills Invitational .
Individually for UNOH, Devaki Ganesh (SR/Melaka, Malaysia) finished second out of 54 players shooting 147 over the two days (76-71).
“The ladies did a great job of getting back into tournament mode. We did a lot of good things this weekend. Very proud of our seniors for staying steady throughout the tournament especially the second round. Devaki is to be commended on her 2nd place finish overall with 147 as she was very steady averaging just a little over par with a 73.5 for the weekend. We were very glad to get back out and compete,” said head coach Dawn West.
ONU garners first
ZANESVILLE — Senior Lydia Cranmer (Farmington Hills, Mich./Ladywood) won Medalist honors for the ninth time in her career to lead the Ohio Northern women’s golf team to a victory at the Muskingum Invitational on Monday at the Zanesville Country Club.
Cranmer fired a 77 to lead a 1-2-3-5 finish for the Polar Bears (8-1 overall).
Freshman Grace Honigford (West Chester/Lakota East) was second of 23 golfers with a 79 and sophomore Torrie Smith (Russiaville, Ind./Western) was third with an 84.
Sophomore Meghan Utterdyke (Lebanon/Fenwick) was fifth with an 87 and sophomore Karlee Staugler (Saint Henry) was 14th with a 98.
Ohio Northern won the team title wot a 327. Marietta was second with a 373, Muskingum was third with a 374 and Capital was fourth with a 420.
The Polar Bears will return to action on Saturday at the Capital Invitational.
ONU men finish third
ZANESVILLE — Junior Andrew Slusher (Covington) fired a 74 to lead the Ohio Northern men’s golf team to a third place finish at the Muskingum Invitational on Monday at the Zanesville Country Club.
The Polar Bears (1-7-2 overall) tied for third out of five teams in a tightly contested team battle with 310 strokes.
Slusher tied for second out of 35 golfers.
Junior Nolan Kimberly (Zanesville) tied for sixth with a 77, sophomore Josh Steyer (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) tied for 13th with a 78, junior Jared Hernandez (Van Wert) tied for 25th with an 81 and junior Sam Straker (Zanesville) was 28th with an 84.
Muskingum won the team title with a 306, Capital was second with a 307, Otterbein tied ONU for third with 310 and Marietta was fifth with a 316.
Muskingum’s Brendon Franks won Medalist honors with a 72.
The Polar Bears will return to action on Saturday at the Capital Invitational.
College Signings
Lima Senior
Nakiya Sigman will sign her national letter of intent to play basketball for Southern Union State Community College in Wadley, Alabama, Wednesday.
Sigmanwas a four-year varsity letter winner along with being named to All TRAC and District 8 teams all four years.
Sigman was also three-year TRAC All Academic. She scored over 1,000 points during her career at Lima Senior.
Wapakoneta
Wapakoneta’s Keith Houser will be signing his letter of intent to continue his academic and football career at Indiana Wesleyan University Wednesday.
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