Sports

The first annual Monroe Central Seminole football skills competition took place on Saturday, July 13 at Monroe Memorial Park.

The county’s last remaining athletes in the spring season competed in the Division III regional meet last week at Heath High School.Seven athletes from River High School ran at the meet.The top eight finishers in each preliminary advanced to the final.The top four finishers in each final advanced to this week’s OHSAA state championships.River senior Brandon Miller competed in three events.He tied for 10th in the 100 (11.61) and was 11th in the 200 (23.61).Miller teamed with Kabel Isaly, Aiden Milhoan and Wyatt Stalder in the 4 x 100.

The Mid-Ohio Valley League recently announced its spring sports all-stars.In baseball, Beallsville won the Gray Division.First-team selections for the Blue Devils included Tryson English, Garrett Perkins and Reed Smith.Beallsville’s second-team honorees included Fred Anderson and Thorn Stoffel.River was fourth in the Scarlet Division.River’s first-team selections were Lucas Dennis and Peyton Blue.

Seven River athletes will get at least one more week of their track season.Led by River senior Brandon Miller, four boys and three girls advanced to the Division III regional after their performances in the Division III district meet last week at St.

There’s always been something about River’s Kelsey Harlan.Whether it was the freshman who was unintimidated by playing against juniors and seniors or the senior who was ready to take on the world, River Coach Rick Isaly knew what he had in Harlan.“She’s been a player for four years,” Isaly said.Isaly saw her ability and felt comfortable starting her at point guard as a freshman – and Harlan delivered.In her four years, Harlan showed that she was up to the challenge, leading River to back-to-back OVAC titles and reaching the Division IV district final two years in a row.And now, Harlan gets to be a player for another four years as she signed her letter of intent to play for Marietta College next season.According to her River classmate Brielle Grimes, it means a lot for Harlan to get the opportunity to continue her athletic career at the collegiate level.For Harlan, it will a chance to continue the passion she discovered while still in grade school.She remembered going to a basketball camp while in sixth grade, where according to her teammate Reese Hobbs, Harlan “balled out.” That camp and the successive years that followed showed her that not only did she love the game of basketball, but she also had a talent for it.And, the camp gave her a taste of what it was like at Marietta College, which she also grew to appreciate.Harlan had other options, with Wheeling University vying for her as well, but she liked the coach and team at Marietta and opted to become a Pioneer.Isaly feels that Harlan can continue to grow as a player and be the same impactful player she was over the last four years.“I always knew she was a leader,” Isaly said.

Monroe Central’s Landen Lydick has been a field general for the Seminoles his entire high school career.As a freshman, Lydick was given the responsibility of handling one of the toughest positions in baseball – catcher.Not only did Lydick succeed, he thrived.Lydick was a steady presence over the last four years, keeping his pitchers calm and calling the game at the same time.Those four years of experience will pay off for Lydick as he’ll be continuing his athletic career at Waynesburg University.Lydick said he spent the past four years being a sponge, learning as much about the game as possible from coaches, teammates and opponents.“I’d ask Coach (Chris) Leasure the right questions and he’d answer them,” Lydick said.

Monroe Central and Beallsville each picked up sectional wins during the Division IV tournament last week.Monroe Central defeated county-rival River 12-2 in five innings Tuesday, May 7 at Sardis.Jadyn Miller and Jauna McElroy each had three RBIs in the win.

The area’s track teams were in action for the Ohio Valley Track League Championships Tuesday, May 7 at Shadyside.Monroe Central’s Tyler Whitacre won the high jump with a leap of 5-8 and took fifth in the long jump.He also teamed with Kiernan Bates, William Travis and A.J.

Woodsfield Savings Bank Princess League Roll Off Season Champions – 5-7-20241.

Monroe County was well represented in the USBC State Tournament as of the county’s best youth bowlers competed Sunday, May 5 in Columbus.Hayden Kress, of Jerusalem, and Gavin Howell, of Sardis, bowled in the District 3 tournament, placing second and fourth respectively, out of 46 bowlers in the 12-U division.