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The Enquirer

Oak Hills, ranked No. 2 in The Enquirer Division I area coaches’ poll, beat No. 3 Mason 1-0 in a softball game Thursday evening.

The Highlanders captured their first Greater Miami Conference title in school history.

Oak Hills senior Lauren Slatten (Texas signee) had 15 strikeouts and recorded her 12th shutout of the season. Slatten leads the GMC with 273 strikeouts this season.

Senior second baseman Sam Sager drove in the game’s only run in the bottom of the fifth inning for the Highlanders.

In baseball news, Mason clinched the GMC with a perfect 22-0 record. Senior TJ Zeuch struck out nine to improve to 6-0.

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: baseball, comets, lady comets, mason high school, oak hills, softball

Mike Dyer reports:

Mason senior Alex Notton has committed to run track and cross country at Illinois, according to Mason cross country coach Tom Rapp.

Notton was a member of Mason’s Division I state runner-up cross country team this past fall.

An Enquirer Division I all-area selection, Notton was the Greater Miami Conference runner of the year and district champion.

An all-state track performer last season, he was eighth at state in the 1,600 meters and on the eighth-place 4×800 relay team.

“He is a brilliant student and will study mechanical engineering at one of the best engineering schools around,” Rapp said.

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: alex notton, comets, cross country, illinois, mason, mason high school, recruiting, track

Mason girls’ lacrosse. Photo provided

Mike Dyer reports:

The Mason girls lacrosse team completed its regular season with a 15-0 record Monday night in a win over visiting St. Ursula.

Mason won the game 17-6 on Senior Night.

The South Region final will be at Sycamore May 23 and could be Mason vs. Sycamore, according to Mason coach Paul Limpert. That winner goes to the state final four.

Mason defeated Sycamore in the regular season for only the second time in program history, Limpert said.

“Sycamore is Mason’s main rival and both teams fully expect to be in the regionals on the 23rd, any other outcome would involve a major upset,” Limpert said.

From Mason sports information director Dan Hilen:

Possession was once again the key from the start of play at the draw where Jackie Leitch led the way with 4 draw controls followed closely by Lindsey Zeltwanger, Casey Lawson, Allie Specht and Emily Ketron with 3 each, and Monica Vermillion kept the carpet clean with a season high 6 ground balls.

Scoring was co-led by Lindsey Zeltwanger (5 goals) and Brianna Manns (3 goals, 2 assists) with 5 points each, followed closely by Allie Specht with 4 points on 3 goals and 1 assist. The Lady Comets start tournament play on May 15th at home against the winner of the Walnut Hills vs Lakota East first round game.

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: allie specht, brianna manns, casey lawson, comets, emily ketron, girls lacrosse, jackie leitch, lacrosse, lady comets, lindsey zeltwanger, mason, mason high school, monica vermillion, paul limpert, sports, undefeated

Mike Dyer reports:

Mason senior distance runner Lauren Wood broke Angela Bizzarri’s 3,200 meter run record April 26 at the Eastern Relays in Louisville, according to Mason coach Tony Affatato.

“Lauren has had an amazing year in both cross country and track,” Affatato said.

She is currently ranked in the top two in Ohio in the 3,200 run. The record was 10:39 and Wood ran 10:35.

Posted in: Sports |

Tags: Tags: comets, cross country, lauren wood, mason, mason high school, record, runner, track

Kevin Kelly reports:

When the Mason boys’ lacrosse team traveled to top-ranked Upper Arlington to play the defending state champions on Friday, coach Randy Hubbard’s players were determined to return home with a signature victory.

The Comets improved to 9-0 this season with a 6-5 victory.

“It’s a great one considering how long Upper Arlington has had lacrosse and how many state championships they have won,” Hubbard said. “It really has kind of boosted our kids’ confidence a little bit that we can go up there and do that.”

The Comets are now ranked No. 1 in the state by LaxPower.com and play Mariemont on Wednesday before facing a pair of Indiana powerhouses in Carmel and Culver Academies on Friday and Saturday. Culver Academies is ranked No. 1 in Indiana by LaxPower.com and Carmel is No. 3.

Mason has reached the state semifinals twice in the past three seasons. Its success this season isn’t attributable to one player, Hubbard said.

Seniors Tom Hirsch (attack), Adam Osika (midfield) and DeClan O’Grady (attack) are leading the way on offense while seniors Joey Leitch and Luke Biggers and junior Ben Randall have anchored the defense. In goal, junior Steven Glandorf finished with 12 saves against Upper Arlington.

The girls’ lacrosse team from Mason is enjoying an equally stellar season.

Led by coach Paul Limpert, the Comets are 13-0 and ranked No. 2 in the state by LaxPower.com with two regular season games remaining against Ursuline on Thursday and St. Ursula on Monday.

“There’s a lot more work to do,” he said. “Our goal is to get beyond regionals and get up to state this year. I think we have a team that can do that.”

The Comets have five players with 20 or more points this season led by juniors Tori Blakeman (36 goals, 19 assists), Allie Specht (37 goals, 14 assists) and Lindsey Zeltwanger (33 goals, 16 assists). Limpert said the team is doing a better job gaining control of the ball at the draw circle.

“A lot of different people are stepping up there,” Limpert said. “Jackie Leitch has really done well in that department and she’s helped us maintain over 60 percent of the draws, which has always been our goal but we’ve never been able to do that….We’re really taking care of the ball where it matters, and I think it has a lot to do with the maturity of this team.”

Posted in: Uncategorized |

Tags: Tags: Adam Osika, allie specht, ben randall, boys lacrosse, comets, declan o'grady, jackie leitch, joey leitch, lacrosse, laxpower.com, lindsey zeltwanger, luke biggers, mariemont, mason, mason high school, paul limpert, randy hubbard, sports, steven glandorf, tom hirsch, tori blakeman

Mason tennis standout Miguel Cepeda is in the running for LaRosa’s MVP of the Week award.

Cepeda, who’s signed to play at Boston University, and doubles partner Luke Tsai were named sectional, district and Ohio state doubles’ champs last season.

The pair became the first boys tennis players from the program to reach a state final in 2011 when they lost to Upper Arlington’s Billy Weldon and Stu Little 6-3, 6-1.

Cepeda was also named 2nd team GMC and 1st team all-state by the tennis coaches’ association.

• Mason duo takes state tennis title

LaRosa’s MVPs of the Week are decided on the basis of popular vote. Cast your vote (registration required) at www.larosasmvp.com.

Posted in: Sports |

Tags: Tags: comets, larosa's mvp of the week, mason, mason high school, miguel cepeda, tennis

Mike Dyer reports:

Mason junior forward Jack Clark verbally committed to UC, according to Mason soccer coach Paul Reedy.

Clark, The Enquirer Division I player of the year last season, had 20 goals and nine assists for the Comets.

He was first-team all-Greater Miami Conference, the conference’s player of the year, first-team all-district and first-team all-state. Clark also had interest from Kentucky, Dayton and Lehigh, according to Reedy.

Mason junior guard Jenna Gunn verbally committed to play at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, according to Mason coach Rob Matula.

Gunn was a District 15 Coaches’ Association underclassmen selection, first-team all-Greater Miami Conference and Associated Press Division I special mention all-district. She averaged 12.9 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Comets last season.

Posted in: Sports |

Tags: Tags: basketball, comets, jack clark, jenna gunn, mason, mason high school, soccer, sports

Jeff Wallner reports:

Mason High School was the epicenter of Ohio high school tennis Saturday morning as the state’s No. 1 ranked teams in both Division I and II competed in the 21st Greater Cincinnati Tennis Coaches Association Classic. While the Mason Comets asserted their dominance in doubles, the Cincinnati Country Day Indians stole the singles show.

In Flight A competition at Mason, CCD senior John Larkin improved to 12-1 this season with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Mason’s Luke Tsai in the first singles finals match. Larkin’s teammate Patrick Wildman remained undefeated with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Comets senior Miguel Cepeda in the second singles final.

Wildman now has defeated Cepeda twice this season, after going winless against him entering the year. “I served well today, and tried to cut down on my unforced errors,” Wildman said. “I wanted to make him beat me. I’ve been working on being more aggressive and moving into the court more.”

Larkin, who admittedly wears his emotions on his sleeve during matches, kept them in check during his match with Tsai. It was the first meeting between Larkin and Tsai, two of the area’s top singles players.

“I just tried to tighten things up mentally,” said Larkin, a Swarthmore (Pa.) College signee. “I give all the credit to Luke. He’s a great player. My forehand and my serve were working well for me. I’m just trying to get better in all areas.”

Mason twice outlasted Sycamore in doubles finals Saturday. The Comets’ duo of junior Alex Lebedev and sophomore Young-Jin Kang defeated Sycamore’s Dylan Stern and Mustafa Ahmad, 7-6, 7-6. “We keep each other together in pressure situations,” Kang said. Lebedev and Kang improved to 12-0.

Mason sophomore Nadim Boulos and freshman Sean Reid edged Sycamore’s Brian Goodman and Alex Taylor 7-6, 7-6. “We always want to have tough doubles teams,” said Mason coach Linda Kirtley.

Kirtley said the camaraderie her team has built over time is among their keys to success. “At the end of practice, they don’t want to go home,” Kirtley said. “They love being on the courts together. They push each other and root for each other.”

Flight A competition included six teams ranked in the top five of the Division I and II state tennis polls, including No. 1 Mason in D-I and top-ranked CCD in D-II. In Division I, Sycamore is ranked No. 2 in the state.

Mason finished first in the Flight A team standings. Sycamore was second and CCD third.

Posted in: Sports |

Tags: Tags: alex lebedev, comets, greater cincinnati tennis coaches association classic, john larkin, linda kirtley, luke tsai, mason, mason high school, miguel cepeda, nadim boulos, patrick wildman, sean reid, tennis, young-jin kang

Mason Connor Mcvey (4) scored on Drew Johnson single to center field against Princeton in the first inning. Mason High School battles Princeton High School in a baseball game Gower park Thursday April 25, 2013 in Sharonville. The Enquirer/ Joseph Fuqua II

Kevin Kelly reports:

In his postgame remarks to his players Thursday, Princeton baseball coach Rick Wilson used Mason as an example of what the Vikings are striving to become.

Mason breezed to an 11-1 victory in five innings against Princeton at Gower Park and remains undefeated this season.

“They don’t look like a super overpowering team, but they’re not going to beat themselves,” Wilson said. “They’re going to hit one through nine. They’re going to have solid pitching, solid defense, and I think they’ve got a legitimate chance to bang heads with Moeller.

• Photos: Mason defeats Princeton

“Moeller is the defending state champs, so they’re the big dog until you knock them off. But these guys, they’ve got a legitimate chance to make a good tournament run, if not win a state title.”

Ranked No. 1 in The Enquirer’s Division I area baseball coaches’ poll, Mason improved to 15-0 with the victory. Princeton dropped to 4-12.

The Comets were led by senior shortstop Connor McVey, who went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, and senior pitcher Seth Bowles. The right-hander (5-0) allowed one run on four hits over four innings.

“I think people are starting to take notice,” said McVey, who will play college ball at UC. “But we’re still playing with that chip on our shoulder. We still have to prove ourselves. We haven’t won anything.”

(more…)

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: andrew mcdonald, baseball, chris martin, comets, connor mcvey, drew johnson, ken grey, lee sponseller, mason, mason high school, princeton, sports, tj zeuch, vikings

Brandon Kors reports:

The Mason Comets boys’ and girls’ track teams both took first place in the Mount Healthy Owls Classic Friday.

The Comets boys’ team finished with a final score of 132, which was 51 points higher than second place Wayne, who stayed competitive by winning four field events. Turpin placed third, finishing two points behind Wayne.

Mason placed first in six events at the invitational.

The Comets got off to a promising start with the help of their strong relay teams. Mason won the second event of the invitational, the 4×800 meter relay, which was comprised of junior Ethan Valentine, sophomore Carver Nabb and seniors Joey Stimler and Chad Blomgren.

Mason’s 4×400 meter relay took first place honors as well. The team included Valentine, part of the 4×800 squad and senior Juan Cummings Jr. who won the 200 meter dash earlier in the meet.

In the girl’s portion, the Comets scored 156 points and finished 63.5 points in front of second place Wayne (92.50 points). Wayne was predominately strong in the relays, placing first in the 4×100 and 4×200 meter relay. Seton placed third in the classic, finishing with 58 points.

Mason won the 4×800 meter relay as well as the 800 and 1600 meter run. The Comets solidified their lead by placing first in three field events.

Withrow finished first in three events, the 100 and 200 meter dash as well as the 100 hurdles, despite finishing in tenth place.

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: carver nabb, chad blomgren, comets, cross country, ethan valentine, joey stimler, juan cummings jr., mason, mason high school, mount healthy owls classic, track