Sycamore Aviator Boys Tennis Wins Second Consecutive OTCA State Title
(Photo compliments of Sycamore Athletic Department)
Boys Tennis Wins Back to Back State Titles!
For back to back years… Your Sycamore Aviators Boys Tennis team has won the OTCA State Championship! The Aves dominated the competition all season long, finishing with a 23-0 final record, following a 22-0 record in the 2022 season. In addition to finishing 23-0, the Aves lost just 10 sets over the course of the entire season. The team finished their season by defeating Solon 3-0 and then Olentangy Orange in the State Title 3-0.
The team was led by Coach Mike Teets, who was named GMC Coach of the Year for the second straight year, and Nick Meyers, named the GMC Athlete of the Year. See below for the full roster. Great job, boys!
Nicholas Choo Aaron Friedman Kyle Friedrich Dhruv Kota Andrew Mao Nick Meyers Arjun Rajagopala Andrew Wittenbaum
DICK'S Sporting Goods Honors GMC Softball Stars
DICK'S Sporting Goods recognizes the excellence and achievements found with the sport of softball within the Greater Miami Conference. Arguably one of Ohio's most competitive softball leagues, achievers in the GMC are definitely amongst the very best in the state. In a vote of the conference coaches, Abby Bode from league champion Oak Hills was selected as the GMC "Athlete of the Year" and to underscore the strength of the Highlander squad, teammate Avery Gottlieb was picked as the 2023 GMC "Pitcher of the Year'.
Abby Bode put together an outstanding senior campaign, leading the conference in hitting with a .662 average, led the league in homeruns with 11 and capped off her prowess at the plate with an impressive 42 RBI's. This three-time first all-GMC performer was a major factor in the Highlander success story during the past three seasons.
Abby Bode - Oak Hills GMC "Athlete of the Year"
(Photo compliments of Oak Hills Athletic Department)
For the third consecutive year, this Highlander "Ace" has earned the prestigious GMC "Pitcher of the Year" honors. Paving the way to the league title, Avery Gottlieb led the conference in wins with 23, she also led in strikeouts with 195 and then anchored it all with a miniscule 1.93 E.R.A. During Avery Gottlieb's storied three-year varsity career at Oak Hills, she amassed 63 victories from the mound and an awesome 654 strikeout total. As Avery Gottlieb moves on from Oak Hills to the next level, she will be remembered amongst the very best the GMC has seen in a number of years.
Avery Gottlieb - Oak Hills GMC "Pitcher of the Year"
(Photo compliments of Oak Hills Athletic Department)
As a coach, the highest conference honor one can receive is the appreciation of your head coaching peers. In recognition of their extraordinary program building efforts, that translated into on-field success, Jackie Cornelius from Oak Hills and Steve Heckman from Hamilton were selected by fellow GMC head coaches as the "Co-Coaches of the Year".
Jackie Cornelius squad nearly "ran the table" in conference play, winning the GMC title with a near-perfect 17-1 slate. This was the second consecutive title (outright or shared) for the Highlander contingent. Over the past three seasons, Coach Cornelius softball teams have totaled an impressive 47 game GMC win total.
Jackie Cornelius - Oak Hills "GMC Co-Coach of the Year"
(Photo compliments of Oak Hills Athletic Department)
Hamilton Head Coach Steve Heckman's Big Blue squad turned in an impressive 13-5 league for an outstanding 3rd place finish in a league, top to bottom, that is as good as there is in Ohio. In appreciation of his hard work and program dedication Coach Heckman was recognized with his 4th GMC "Coach of the Year" honor.
Steve Heckman - Hamilton High School "GMC Co-Coach of the Year"
(Photo compliments of Hamilton High School Athletic Department)
OHSAA Boys Tennis Tournament Final Results
See the link for the OHSAA State Boys Tennis Tournament:
Nick Meyers - 3rd place in singles and Nick Choo - 4th place in singles
Congratulations to Sycamore's State Runner-up Doubles Team
Arjun Rajagopala and Andrew Wittenbaum
GMC proud of the outstanding season you have completed.
Sycamore Aviator Girls Lacrosse Punch State Semi-Final Ticket
With a hard fought 13-8 victory over GMC arch-rival mason, the Sycamore Girls Lacrosse team secured a much coveted berth in the OHSAA State Semi-Finals. Coming off an undefeated 10-0 GMC Championship season, the Aviators have now run their overall record to an impressive 19-3 overall slate. On their way to the "Final Four" the Aves took the measure of the Lebanon Warriors 19-0, St, Ursula 16-5 and finally outlasted the Mason Comets 13-8.
Sycamore will now faceoff against the Upper Arlington Golden Bears in the OHSAA State Semi-Finals on Tuesday, May 30th at 7:00 PM in Springfield's Edwards-Maurer Field. (250 Bill Edwards Drive, Springfield, Ohio 45501)
Mason Baseball Wins District Title Over Troy On To Sweet Sixteen
The Mason Baseball Comets punched their OHSAA Regional ticket with a convincing 9-3 win over Troy in the Southwest District finals. Coming off an outstanding 17-1 GMC regular season and a conference title, the Comets have now mowed down three consecutive post-season opponents on their way to the OHSAA Regional Semi-Final vs. the Elder Panthers. Mason (26-4 overall record) defeated Anderson 10-0, Loveland 5-1, and finally Troy 9-3 to set up this showdown with Elder. The Panthers secured their "Sweet Sixteen" spot by defeating the Lebanon Warriors in the SW District Finals by a score of 6-2 in 15 innings.
The Mason - Elder matchup is set for Thursday, June 1st - 5:00 PM at Xavier University's Hayden Field (300 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45207).
