News

The Greater Miami Conference Academic Quiz teams gathered at Hamilton High School to test their academic skills in a tournament setting with rapid-fire questions and answers. As the regular season champion, the Mason Comets qualified for the Ohio regional tournament. Additionally, the GMC tournament qualifies another team for regionals. The Hamilton High School Athletic Department graciously hosted the event and provided lunch for the AQT participants. The Mason Comets won the tournament, with Lakota West finishing in a close second place. It is only when these young people come together that the true magnitude of AQT's popularity becomes evident.

Below are photos of the event provided by Mark Braam.

All GMC Tournament Teams

AQT Lunch Camaradrie

Tournament Champions - Mason Comets

Tournament Runnerup - Lakota West Firebirds

Press release by East SID: Dan Hilen

The Lakota East boys wrestling team made school history this past weekend by capturing their first-ever GMC team title! The Thunderhawks dominated the mat, scoring bonus points in over 71% of their matches and finishing with a 64.5-point margin of victory. Captains Evan Watterson, Cohen Reip, and Demetrius Stanley led the way with individual championships.

A key match occurred in the 190-pound weight class, where Aaron Gideon avenged an earlier loss to a Lakota West wrestler with a critical semifinal victory. Eleven out of 14 Thunderhawks placed in the top four, showcasing the team’s depth and talent.

Head Coach Bryan Pennix was named the GMC Wrestling Coach of the Year, recognizing his leadership in guiding the team to their historic victory. Additionally, Cohen Reip earned his 100th career victory at the GMC tournament, adding another milestone to his impressive wrestling career.

Lakota East Thunderhawks  -  2025 GMC Champion

(Photo compliments of Middletown Athletic Department)

Final Team Standings:

Lakota East - 204.5
Hamilton - 139
Lakota West - 138
Oak Hills - 137
Mason - 124.5
Middletown - 120
Fairfield - 79.5
Colerain - 68
Princeton - 49
Sycamore - 34.5

East Individual Placements:

113: Camryn Gresham - 3rd
120: Silas Wood - 4th
126: Kevin Huang - 4th
132: Evan Watterson - 1st
138: Evan Malay - 2nd
150: Sherbek Ruzimurodov - 3rd
165: Brady Dillon - 2nd
175: Matt Malay - 2nd
190: Aaron Gideon - 2nd
215: Cohen Reip - 1st
285: Demetrius Stanley - 1st

DICK'S Sporting Goods honors the outstanding achievements in 2025 GMC Wrestling.  Specifically recognizing the achievements of the conference "Wrestler of the Year" Demarco Kates from Colerain and the "Coach of the Year" Bryan Pennix from theLakota East Thunderhawks. Both awards were especially meaningful because they voted on by the GMC head coaches.

Demarco Kates is a three-time All-GMC performer and two-time GMC Champion.  Demarco currently owns a lofty 30-4 season record and earned his GMC title with a fall over Mason's Jack Hayden (29-10),  in 1:36.

Demarco Kates - Colerain Cardinals  GMC "Wrestler of the Year"

(Photo compliments of Middletown Athletic Department)

GMC "Coach of the Year" honors were awarded to Lakota East's Bryan Pennix by his coaching peers. His GMC Champion East Thunderhawks dominated the competition, outscoring second-place Hamilton 203.5 to 139 points. Coach Pennix's program strength was on full display, with 10 wrestlers finishing in the top four across the 14 weight classes. This marks a historic milestone for the Lakota East wrestling program, as it is the school's first-ever GMC wrestling title. Congratulations to all!

Head Coach Bryan Pennix - Lakota East  "GMC Coach of the Year"

(Photo compliments of Middletown Athletic Department) 

Matthew Begley, an outstanding senior manager for the Lakota West Firebirds, arrived at what he thought was a normal varsity basketball game night between the Firebirds and the Colerain Cardinals, only to find, much to his surprise, that he had been penciled into the starting lineup. In a tremendous display of sportsmanship and conference camaraderie, the Colerain Cardinal players and coaches embraced Matthew's special moment. Kudos to the Lakota West Firebird basketball team, and especially the coaching staff, for making this happen.

Letting the WLWT video speak a million words for us is certainly appropriate:

WLWT Story on Matthew Begley's Big Night 

In a much-anticipated late-season championship showdown between the Princeton Vikings and the Fairfield Indians, a torrent of three-pointers carried the Vikings to the 2024-25 conference title. Hitting 10 of 22 from beyond the arc, Princeton surged out to an early lead and handed the host Indians a convincing 66-41 defeat.

Princeton finishes the GMC season with a 14-2 record and a 16-5 overall slate. This is the Vikings' first basketball title since 2018, only their second in the past 10 years, and seventh in school history. Scoring at a 60.5 points-per-game clip, the Vikings led the conference in offense and also posted a stingy 47.9 defensive points-per-game average, making their average victory a double-digit affair.

Princeton earned a coveted No. 2 seed in the Southwest District Tournament and will open tournament play on Friday, February 21, at Lakota West at 7:30 PM.

Princeton Vikings 2025 GMC Champions

(photo compliments of Princeton Athletic Department)