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Lakota Local Schools will soon host golf outings where proceeds will benefit its students.

Lakota East's Ben Gallow watches a tee shot during tournament play this past season. Photo taken by Gary Landers.

Next Saturday, May 5, Lakota East golf program will be hosting its 14th annual golf scramble at Weatherwax Golf Course in Middletown. The event will begin with a shot gun start at approximately 1:45 p.m.

The scramble format includes four-person teams. The cost is $100 per player, which includes 18 holes of golf, cart, beverages, awards and dinner after the event. There is a 30-team limit.

Proceeds will benefit the golf teams at Lakota East.

Meanwhile, there will also be The Kristin Renneker Memorial Golf Outing at Walden Ponds Golf and Country Club in Hamilton Saturday, June 16. This event will support the Kristin Renneker Memorial Scholarship Fund.

The scholarship is named for Kristin Renneker, who died in an automobile accident during her senior year at Lakota in 1992.

According to the Community Foundation’s website, Renneker was an honor student, peer counselor and a two-sport varsity athlete (basketball and soccer). She was one of the tri-captains of her varsity basketball team, recipient of the Thunderbird Award in both sports and had earned a 3.6 grade point average.

Kristin Renneker. Photo provided.

“It is critical that we maintain Lakota’s scholarship fund traditions of the past, remind the community of the goodness that lived in Kristin’s heart and how the Lakota athletic boosters and the Renneker’s turned her tragic death into yearly blessings for future Lakota female athletes”, Lakota West head basketball coach Andy Fishman said.

The scholarship, which is held by the Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty, awards two students – one from Lakota East High School and another from Lakota West High School – with a $2,000 scholarship. To date, the Scholarship fund has awarded more than $56,000 to 28 student athletes at Lakota East and Lakota West.

For more information about each event, contact the athletic departments at 513-759-8622 for Lakota East and at 513-682-4111 for Lakota West. Flyers and donor forms can also be found at Westfirebirds.com and at Eastthunderhawks.com (right-hand side). Sponsorship opportunities are also available for the Kristin Renneker Memorial Scholarship outing and can be made by contacting the Community Foundation at 513-874-5450.

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Community Foundation, Community Foundation WCL, Community Foundation West Chester/Liberty, Kristin Renneker, Kristin Renneker Memorial Scholarship, Lakota charity, Lakota East, Lakota East golf, Lakota East Sports, Lakota scholarship, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West golf, Lakota West sports, WCL Community Foundation, Weatherwax Golf Course

Three senior Lakota West student athletes – Nick Bloch, Rachel Mills and Zach Crabtree – signed on to play sports in college Wednesday in the high school’s community room.

Bloch signed on to wrestle at Lake Erie College. He was also considering Northern Illinois, Appalachian State and Shippensburg, At Lakota West, Bloch was a four-time letter winner, two-time state qualifier, two-time sectional champion, Greater Miami Conference champion and was the Firebirds’ Most Valuable Wrestler in 2012.

“The things I liked about Lake Erie were the size, subjects, atmosphere, and the wrestling coach,” said Bloch, who plans on studying biology/pre-med. “Their wrestling program really has a vision for the future.”

Mills, who was honored as an all-academic athlete in the GMC, signed on to play basketball at Alderson Broddus. She was also considering Otterbein, Ursuline and Miami.

“Alderson Broddus has a really good nursing program and the style of basketball they play fit me best,” Mills said. “They also have an excellent job placement for nursing.”

Crabtree signed on to play lacrosse at Wheeling Jesuit. Crabtree, who is the Firebirds team captain, was also considering Otterbein, Thiel College and Hanover College.

“I really like the campus. The players are very close, and the coaching staff is very strong,” said Crabtree, who plans studying business administration. “It is a new and uprising team in a tough D-2 conference and they are doing very well.”

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West boys' lacrosse, Lakota West girls' basketball, Lakota West lacrosse, Lakota West sports, Lakota West wrestling, Nick Bloch, Rachel Mills, Zach Crabtree

University of Louisville tight end Josh Chichester made great strides of accomplishing his “ultimate goal” of playing professional football during the school’s pro day Wednesday.

According to his former high school coach, Lakota West’s Larry Cox, Chichester measured out at 6-foot-6 235 pounds, had a vertical jump that cleared 37 inches and turned in a 40-yard dash time of 4.58 seconds in front of representatives of 20 NFL teams.

In comparison, his 40-yard time would have tied him for the third place among tight ends during the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in late February. Furthermore, his 37-inch vertical was better than any jump turned in by tight end at the Combine.

Lakota West grad Josh Chichester catches a touchdown pass for Louisville during a game against the Cincinnati Bearcats Oct. 24, 2009. Photo taken by Ernest Coleman.

Out of high school, Chichester’s athletic ability on both the football field and on the basketball court attracted the attention of many Division I programs. He was actually close to playing football at Ohio State, until the Buckeyes took away their offer. Other schools, Chichester seriously considered for both sports, included Purdue, Illinois, Tennessee and Pittsburgh, to name a few.

“Josh was a tremendous athlete, he had Division I basketball offers as well as football offers,” Cox said. “But he has always, really loved football and that has always been a passion for him.”

Chichester passion for football led him to sign with U-of-L and head coach Bobby Petrino, who left for the Atlanta Falcons job before Chichester participated in a single practice. Chichester described the coaching change as “a tough time” for him and the other recruits. However, he has enjoyed playing for head coach Steve Kragthorpe (hired in 2007 and fired in November of 2009) and for current head coach Charlie Strong.

Meanwhile, his basketball career at U-of-L lasted one year when he averaged 1.8 points in six games for U-of-L head coach Rick Pitino in 2007-2008.

“My ultimate goal is to play professional football,” Chichester said. “As I grew older and wiser, I realized…I couldn’t worry about being a dual-sport athlete, so I decided to drop basketball.”

Chichester was also a dual-position player for the Cardinals in 2010, splitting time between tight end and wide receiver. Out of high school, he was recruited only as a wide receiver.

“Playing tight end never came up until last year (2010) when I was bigger, faster, stronger, which I had to be in order to play the position,” Chichester said. “The transition was not as difficult as I thought it would be. The difficult part was learning the proper blocking techniques and schemes.

“I hope it helps me (reach the NFL), but I was determined to play wide receiver or any other position to help our team.”

In his four-year career, Chichester had 97 receptions for 1,253 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also graduated from Louisville with a degree in justice administration in 2010. This past season, Chichester was working on his master’s degree.

According to Cox, due to his performance Wednesday, Chichester has been invited to a regional combine in Detroit in late March. The NFL Draft is scheduled to take place April 26-28.

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Bobby Petrino, Charlie Strong, Illinois, Josh Chichester, Josh Chichester football, Josh Chichester images, Josh Chichester Louisville, Josh Chichester NFL Combine, Josh Chichester NFL Draft, Josh Chichester photos, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Louisville Pro Day, NFL Combine, Ohio State, photo gallery, photos, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rick Pitino, Steve Kragthorpe, Tennessee, West Chester photos

Lakota West became the fourth and final varsity basketball team from the Lakota school district to be eliminated from postseason play when it lost by the score of 58-55 to Turpin in a sectional semifinal game in the Division I state basketball tournament Wednesday.

Lakota West's Tyler Williams reacts going into a timeout against Fairfield during a basketball game Jan. 24, 2012. Photo taken by Jeff Swinger.

Helping Turpin hold on was junior guard Connor Grotten, who made a pair of free throws to push the lead to three points with three seconds remaining. Prior to the foul shots, senior forward Adam Boyer blocked a potential game-winning layup by the Firebirds on the other end of the floor.

“They’re a really good team and this win validates what we thought of our team all season,” Turpin coach Brad Cupito told The Cincinnati Enquirer. “We knew we were one of the top teams in the area and are thankful there’s a tournament format that allows us to prove it.”

Turpin sophomore Zach McCormick may have proved to be one of the area’s top sophomores, after finishing with a game-high 23 points. During the season, McCormick averaged 18.7 points per game. According to Rivals.com, he already has a scholarship offer from Duquesne.

Meanwhile, Lakota West junior Monty Boykins led his team with 16 points. Boykins also has an offer from Duquesne, as well as offers from Eastern Michigan, James Madison, Kennesaw State and Miami (Ohio).

His teammates, junior Ali Barnes and sophomore Tyler Williams, also helped the Firebirds keep the game close. Barnes scored 13, while Williams finished with 14.

The loss eliminates the season for the Firebirds, who finish the year with a 15-7 overall record and a 11-3 mark within the Greater Miami Conference. The 15 wins equals the program’s best since the 2006-2007 season and the best record under current head coach Sean Van Winkle.

“In my eight years as a head coach both at Ross and Lakota West I have never had a team improve as much as we did this season in so many different ways,” Van Winkle said. “The true credit goes to the players and assistant coaches for their persistence towards wanting to become a better team.”

Next year, the Firebirds will return their top three scorers in Boykins, Barnes and Williams, but will be without seniors Jackson Blue, Cole Stalker, Kayuane Ross and Caleb Poston.

“This year’s seniors – Jackson Blue, Cole Stalker, Kayuane Ross, and Caleb Poston all represented Lakota West in a very good way,” Van Winkle said. “For our underclassman we will challenge them to continue to work hard and build on this year’s success.”

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Ali Barnes, Caleb Poston, Cole Stalker, Jackson Blue, Kayuane Ross, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Monty Boykins, Tyler Williams

Lakota West extended its winning streak to seven games and won its first postseason game of the winter when it defeated Loveland by the score of 77-33 at Hamilton High School Saturday.

The win gives the Firebirds 15 on the season, which equals the program’s best since the 2006-2007 season.

Lakota West will face Turpin (19-2 overall) Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Hamilton High School. The winner of the game will likely play Moeller Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at the University of Cincinnati. Moeller (18-3 overall), which is ranked No. 6 in the state, will have to defeat Amelia (9-11 overall) Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Lakota East (8-13 overall) was eliminated from postseason play Friday when it lost 51-50 to Western Hills.

Lakota West 77, Loveland 33

Lakota West (15-6 overall) – Bowling 6 0 12, Blue 3 0 7, Thomas 0 2 2, Barnes 7 0 17, Stalker 1 0 2, Williams 2 2 6, Martin 2 0 4, G. Barnes 2 0 4, Boykins 8 1 17, Grove 1 0 2, Bengal 1 2 4. Totals: 33 7 77.

Loveland (7-14 overall) – LaMacchia 3 1 9, Plitt 2 0 4, Waddell 1 0 2, Elfers 1 1 3, Iaciofano 1 0 2, McGillis 2 0 5, Hesse 1 0 2, Kraml 1 2 4, Schafer 1 0 2. Totals: 13 4 33.

Halftime: Lakota West 47-16. 3-pointers: LW 4 (Blue, A. Barnes 3); LO 3 (LaMacchia 2, McGillis).

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: boys' basketball Cincinnati district tournament, boys' basketball district tournament, district tournament Cincinnati, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports

After taking a 35-33 lead midway through the third quarter, Lakota West fell behind and couldn’t keep up with Princeton in a 61-46 loss in a district semifinal matchup at Harrison Friday.

The Vikings led for most of contest until the third quarter. That was when sophomore Kelsey Mitchell picked up her third foul and was taken out of the game.

Lakota West responded by going on a 7-0 run, turning a 28-23 deficit into a 2-point advantage.

After the run, Mitchell checked back in the game and led Princeton on a 10-2 run. Lakota West managed to cut the lead to 5, but failed to get the score any closer.

Mitchell, who is ranked the No. 1 overall player in the nation in the recruiting class of 2014 by ESPN, finished with 19 points.

• Looking back – before the season: Lakota West girls’ basketball preview

The loss ends the season for the Firebirds, who rebounded from their first losing season in 10 years with a 14-9 overall record. Lakota West played especially well late in the season, winning eight of its last 10 games heading into the Princeton loss.

Princeton 61, Lakota West 46

Princeton (20-3) – C. Mitchell 1 0 3, Roper 4 0 8, Ballew 1 4 6, K. Mitchell 4 11 19, Rucker 3 0 7, Chinn 1 1 3, Pogue 7 1 15. Totals 23 17 61.

Lakota West (14-9) – Zieverink 3 2 8, Reeves 4 0 9, Cannatelli 3 0 9, McNeal 4 3 11, Neihaus 2 0 5, Huxhold 1 0 2, Carter 1 0 2. Totals 23 5 46.

Halftime: Lakota West 33-31. 3-Pointers: P 2 (C. Mitchell, Rucker); L 5 (Cannatelli 3, Reeves, Neihaus).

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Kelsey Mitchell, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Princeton basketball

The athletic departments at Lakota East and Lakota West high schools recently named their athletes of the week. Seniors Alyssa Grevenkamp and Aleth Pashi received the honor at Lakota East, while senior Nick Bloch and freshman Lauren Martin were honored at Lakota West.

Grevenkamp recently finished her fourth straight year as a starter on the Lakota East girls’ basketball team. This past season, Grevenkamp averaged 8.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. She also made 41.1 percent of her field goals, 70.6 percent of her foul shots and 35.3 percent of her 3-point attempts. Grevenkamp will continue her basketball career at The University of Findlay.

Like Grevenkamp, Pashi recently finished her high school basketball career as a four-year varsity letterwinner. This past season, Pashi led Lakota East and was fifth in the Greater Miami Conference in assists with 55 and assists per game with 2.8 per game. She also led Lakota East in assists her sophomore season. She also logged 418 minutes on the floor, fourth highest on her team in 2011-2012.

Bloch recently won the sectional championship in the 138-pound division at Centerville High School. The victory was Bloch’s second consecutive sectional title. According to WestFirebirds.com, he took just 25 seconds to pin his opponent in the championship match. The win raised Bloch’s career win total to 95, which ranks 12th on the Firebird’s all-time win list.

Martin was Lakota West’s only placer in the 17-team Cincinnati City Championship meet last Saturday at Cincinnati Country Day. In that competition, Martin finished 11th in the floor exercise. Earlier last week, Martin finished 3rd on the beam and 8th on floor at the Cincinnati Country Day Invitational. The district meet is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at Lakota East High School.

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Aleth Pashi, Alyssa Grevenkamp, athletes of the week, Lakota athletes of the week, Lakota East, Lakota East athletics, Lakota East basketball, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West athletics, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West gymnastics, Lakota West sports, Lakota West wrestling, Lauren Martin, Nick Bloch

The Lakota West and Lakota East boys’ teams will tip off their first postseason games of 2012 Friday and Saturday. Meanwhile, the Lakota West girls’ team will face Greater Miami Conference foe Princeton in a district semifinal matchup Friday.

The Lakota West girls’ team (14-8 overall, 7-7 in the GMC) has already won two postseason games – defeating Loveland 62-24 Feb. 15 and Western Hills 61-21 Tuesday. Princeton (19-3 overall, 13-1 in the GMC) has also breezed through its competition this postseason with a 83-16 win against Woodward Feb. 15 and a 70-12 win against Northwest Tuesday.

Earlier this season, Princeton defeated Lakota West by the score of 68-60. In that win, sophomore Kelsey Mitchell led Princeton with 33 points. Mitchell, who is ranked the No. 1 overall player in the class of 2014 by ESPN, is averaging 20.5 points per game.

Princeton (No. 2 seed in district) and Lakota West (No. 8 seed) will square off Friday at 7 p.m. at Harrison High School.

Meanwhile, the 19th-seeded Lakota East boys’ team (8-12 overall, 5-9 in the GMC) will tip off postseason play Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Hamilton High School. Their opponent will be 12th-seeded Western Hills (13-7 overall, 7-5 in the Cincinnati Metro Conference).

The Lakota West boys’ team (14-6 overall, 11-3 in the GMC), which drew the No. 9 seed in the district, will face No. 28 seed Loveland (7-13 overall, 7-9 in the Fort Ancient Valley Conference) Saturday at 7 p.m. at Hamilton High School. The Firebirds are currently riding a six-game winning streak.

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: boys' basketball Cincinnati district tournament, boys' basketball district tournament, girls' basketball Cincinnati district tournament, girls' basketball district tournament, Lakota East, Lakota East basketball, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports

Behind a strong defensive effort, Lakota West stormed into Friday’s Division I sectional finals – defeating Western Hills by the score of 61-21 Tuesday.

Using a pressuring defense, the Firebirds (14-8 overall, 7-7 in the Greater Miami Conference) held Western Hills to 26.7 percent shooting and forced 33 turnovers.

The active defense led to five steals for Lauren Cannatelli as the 5-foot-7 freshman guard scored 11 points and dished out three assists.

Cannatelli’s backcourt partner, 5-foot-6 junior guard Emily Neihaus, was the only other Lakota West player in double figures with 10 points and three rebounds.

Meanwhile, Western Hills (11-8) forced 17 turnovers, with 5-foot-6 freshman guard Dan’Shae Hill picking up three steals to go with her team-high nine points and four rebounds.

Last Wednesday, Lakota West defeated Loveland by the score of 62-24 in its first postseason game. Like the win against Western Hills, the Firebirds’ defense played well – limiting Loveland to 19 percent shooting and forcing 29 turnovers.

Lakota West, the No. 8 seed in the Southwest District, will play No. 2 seed Princeton (19-3 overall, 13-1 in the GMC) at Harrison High School at 7 p.m. Friday. Earlier this season, Princeton defeated Lakota West by the score of 68-60. In that win, sophomore Kelsey Mitchell led Princeton with 33 points. Mitchell, who is ranked the No. 1 overall player in the class of 2014 by ESPN, is averaging 20.5 points per game.

Like the Firebirds, Princeton has had two convincing wins this postseason – defeating Woodward 83-16 last Wednesday and beating Northwest 70-12 Tuesday.

Lakota West (14-8) - Zieverink 3 3 9, Sh. Reeves 2 1 6, Cannatelli 4 1 11, McNeal 1 0 2, Neihaus 4 0 10, Huxhold 1 0 2, Adams 2 0 4, R. Mills 2 0 4, Tomasic 2 0 4, Su. Reeves 3 0 7, H. Mills 1 0 2. Totals 25 5 61.

Western Hills (11-8) - Abernathy 1 0 2, Johnson 0 2 2, Thomas 2 1 5, Hill 4 1 9, Davis 1 0 2, Chancellor 0 1 1. Totals 8 5 21.

Halftime: Lakota West 45-7. 3-pointers: L 6 (Cannatelli 2, Neihaus 2, Sh. Reeves, Su. Reeves).

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Dan'Shae Hill, Emily Neihaus, Kelsey Mitchell, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Lauren Cannatelli, Princeton basketball, Western Hills basketball

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday morning. (Stories are listed in order of date – due to a short-handed staff, there will not be a “Last week in West Chester” post next Monday)

House Speaker John Boehner talks jobs at Hamilton plant: U.S. House Speaker John Boehner visited ThyssenKrupp Bilstein of America in Hamilton last Monday morning and called on President Obama to work closer with republicans to revive the economy faster. Acknowledging the nation’s ebbing jobless rate, which dropped to 8.3 percent in January compared to 8.5 percent in December, Boehner said the recovery should be further along.

Rick Santorum wins local Tea Party straw poll: Mitt Romney may have won the Nevada caucus and recent primaries in Florida, South Carolina and New Hampshire, but he finished third in the Liberty Township Tea Party straw poll last Monday night. Ironically, Santorum went on to win caucuses in Minnesota and Colorado, as well as a nonbinding primary in Missouri the following night.

Lakota high schools announce National Merit Finalists: Lakota West and Lakota East announced early last week its National Merit Finalists. Receiving the honor from Lakota West High School included seniors Johanna Blake, Sophia Cramer, Kayla McGinnis and Adam Williams. Meanwhile, Dwight Hu, Whitney Wyckoff and Laura Moak received the honor from Lakota East High School.

Firebirds pull away late to defeat Lakota East: After losing by the score of 74-34 to Lakota East last season, Lakota West has defeated its school district rival twice this winter in two closely contested basketball games. The latest victory for the Firebirds took place last Tuesday night when they outscored Lakota East 30-17 in the second half en route to a 57-46 win.

West Chester firms to cut 375 jobs: Nearly 400 workers in West Chester will lose jobs later this year as result of termination notices filed with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Liz Claiborne Inc. confirmed an announcement last year that it will shut its distribution center at 8741 Jacquemin Drive by Sept. 1, eliminating 365 jobs. Separately, Schneider Logistics Inc. said it would eliminate 10 positions by the end of March.

Butler-Warren Road widening project to begin this month: The widening of Butler-Warren Road should ease congestion for thousands of motorists in southeast Butler County and southwest Warren County by year’s end. Plans call for a 2.2-mile stretch of the road between Tylersville and Liberty Way/Mason roads to be widened from two to five lanes at a cost of almost $10 million. County Engineers announced last Wednesday the project would begin Feb. 27.

Butler County Commission candidates participate in forum: Candidates in the Butler County Commission and Butler County Clerk of Courts races participated in a voting forum at the Lakota West Freshman Campus in West Chester last Thursday night. The event attracted a good crowd and featured Republican primary commission candidates including current county Commissioner Chuck Furmon, state Rep. Courtney Combs and political newcomer T.C. Rogers. Also taking the stage in the commission race forum was Democrat Jodi Billerman and Libertarian Daryl R. Olthaus. Both, Billerman and Olthaus, will run in November against the winner of the Republican primary March 6.

Goodcents Deli Fresh Subs opens in West Chester: Goodcents Deli Fresh Subs will open its first Ohio restaurant at 10 a.m. Friday in West Chester. The restaurant, which will be open regularly from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday, is located at 9216 Allen Road in the former Tazza Mia Café off Union Centre Boulevard. The sub chain, which has 96 locations in nine states, prides itself on its freshly baked bread, sliced-to-order meats, healthy food options and inexpensive catering.

Posted in: Business, Election, Events, Government, News, Political events, Schools, Sports, Student achievements, Tea Party, Winter Sports |

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