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DICK’S Sporting Goods salutes the extraordinary efforts displayed in Greater Miami Conference wrestling, particularly the standout performances at the 2026 GMC Conference Tournament. In a landmark moment, GMC Girls Wrestling took center stage in its first-ever conference championship. Demonstrating exceptional skill and competitive spirit, the league’s female grapplers delivered a memorable debut.

A total of 86 student-athletes stepped onto the mats to compete for conference honors. When the dust settled on this historic event, the GMC head girls wrestling coaches selected Oak Hills freshman Eleanor Polking as the conference’s first-ever Female Wrestler of the Year.
Competing at the 130-pound weight class, Polking dominated her path to the league title with three consecutive falls. She opened the tournament with a 13-second fall over Bisenova (Mason), followed by an 18-second fall against Hechinger (Fairfield). In the championship match, she secured the title with a fall over King (Lakota West) at the 1:37 mark of the first period.
Impressively, none of her matches extended beyond the opening period.

Eleanor Polking - Oak Hills Highlanders   GMC "Wrestler of the Year"

(Photo compliments of the Middletown Athletic Department)

On the boys side of the mats, Colerain's Demarco Kates was once again a dominant force. GMC "Wrestler of the Year" in 2025 and now 2026, he is a three-time first all-conference performer. He earned first team honors intially in the 106 weight class, the next season he moved up to the 113 pound weight class and u;timately this year competed at 120 pound weight class.

In an extremely competitive GMC Boys Wrestling Tournament, the Mason Comets relied on a combination of skill and depth to capture their 13th GMC wrestling crown. Underscoring the strength of the program, the Comets placed 10 wrestlers in the top four across the fourteen contested weight classes. Mason outdistanced its closest competitor, Lakota West, by a score of 157.5 to 142.

Team scores: Mason 157.5, Lakota West 142, Lakota East 141.5, Middletown 132.5, Fairfield 124.5, Hamilton 108, Colerain 106.5, Oak Hills 93, Sycamore 36.5 and Princeton 24.

GMC Tournament Results: Meet Results 2026

GMC All-Conference selections: GMC All-Conference Wrestling

Mason Comets - GMC Champions 2026

(Photo compliments of Middletown Athletic Department)

GMC Tournament Site Photo

(Photo compliments of Middletown Athletic Department)

The Oak Hills Highlander girls wrestling program left no doubt about who dominated the GMC Championships. On this historic occasion—the first-ever Greater Miami Conference girls wrestling championship—the Highlanders simply ran away from the field. Of the fourteen weight classes contested, Oak Hills claimed five individual titles and placed four additional wrestlers in the top three. Overall, in its first year of GMC recognized existence, girls wrestling provided an opportunity for 86 female student-athletes to compete in interscholastic sports.

Led by weight class championships by Chloe Kelley at 125, Eleanor Polking at 130, Lillie Anderson at 145, Isabelle Barkley at 155 and Claire Robertson at 190, the Highlanders outdistanced Lakota East, nearest competitor, by 54 team points.

GMC Meet results: Girls GMC Wrestling Results 2026

Team scores: Oak Hills 175, Lakota East 121, Fairfield 118, Lakota West 113, Middletown 98, Mason 96, Princeton 82.5, Hamilton 36, Sycamore 22 and Colerain 17.

First ever GMC All-Conference Wrestling selection: GMC Girls Wrestling All-Conference

Oak Hills Girls Wrestling - GMC Champions  2026

(Photo compliments of Middletown Athletic Department)

The Lakota West boys basketball team has achieved the extraordinary—an undefeated 16–0 GMC season and a 21–1 overall record. Their only loss came by a single point in overtime to national showcase opponent La Lumiere. Under the expert leadership of Head Coach Kelven Moss, the Firebirds are currently ranked No. 1 in the state of Ohio. And on the final night of the regular season, the Mason Comets pushed the vaunted Firebirds to the brink, falling 37–35 after a last-second shot narrowly missed.

Leading the conference in scoring at 60.8 points per game, the Firebirds have outpaced opponents by an average margin of 22.6 points. Their attack is remarkably balanced on both ends of the floor. Lakota West tops the Greater Miami Conference statistically in scoring offense (62.4 ppg) and scoring defense, holding opponents to just 39.5 ppg.

On Friday, February 6th, the GMC race came down to the ultimate showdown between two outstanding programs. Lakota West and Princeton squared off in a basketball fan’s dream matchup. The Firebirds entered the night undefeated in conference play, while the Vikings carried just a single loss. With the teams ranked 1–2 in the state and fan interest soaring, the game was moved from Lakota West to the neutral site of Xavier University’s Cintas Center.   In a phenomenal evening of high-level basketball, 7250 thoroughly entertained fans saw the Firebirds ultimately prevail over the Vikings by a narrow five-point margin.

This championship marks Lakota West’s first GMC title in thirteen years—last earned in 2013, when they shared the crown with Fairfield, Middletown, and Sycamore—and only the fourth league championship since the district split into Lakota East and Lakota West. In the last 21 years of league competition only four teams have come through the GMC schedule unscathed: Lakota West 16-0 for 2025-26, Princeton 16-0 for 2017-18, Mason 16-0 for 2015-16, and Princeton 14-0 for 2008-09.

2026 GMC Champions - Lakota West Firebirds

(Photo compliments of Lakota West Athletic Department)

DICK'S Sporting Goods prides itself on honoring “sports and competitive endeavors of all sorts.” In this circumstance, the spotlight shines on the mental prowess displayed within the highly competitive rigors of the Greater Miami Conference Academic Quiz Team battles. After a demanding head-to-head league schedule, conference coaches gather to reassess the season and recognize both team and individual achievements. While selecting a stellar all-conference slate of AQT standouts, the GMC head coaches also vote on the recipient of the coveted “Player of the Year” award, as well as the distinguished “Coach of the Year” honor.

Leading his Mason Comet teammates to an undefeated 9-0 conference season, Faiaz Abdurrahman, was selected as the "best of the best" amongst an extremely talented contingent of very gifted thinkers.

Faiaz Abdurraham - Mason Comets AQT  "Player of the Year"  2026

(Photo courtesy of Mason Head Coach Thurman Allen)

As in any competitive endeavor, there are always coaches who consistently go “above and beyond” in their dedication and commitment to their students and to the activity as a whole. These leaders elevate the experience not only for their own teams but for every competitor in the conference. When the GMC AQT head coaches gather to select their “Coach of the Year,” many factors come into consideration. After thoughtful and discerning deliberation, the GMC AQT coaches selected Fairfield’s Mark Braam as their 2026 conference “Coach of the Year.” Congratualtions to Coach Mark Braam on this well-deserved honor. You have consistently worked unselfishly to provide a high quality experience for our GMC young people.

Mark Braam - Fairfield  GMC AQT "Coach of the Year" 2026

(Photo furnished by Mark Braam)