Sunday, April 11, 1999
CINCINNATI HIGH SCHOOL REPORT
Amelia stays hot with relay victory
The Amelia girls track and field team has won only one multi-team invitational or relay in the last 10 seasons. But the Barons have turned it around, winning the 14-team Anderson Relays on Saturday by scoring 89 points, six better than McNicholas.
Amelia also won the Turpin Relays two weeks ago.
“We're off to a legitimate start,” coach Rick McMullen said. “It's been a combination of things that has led to the success.”
McMullen points to a healthy Andrea Morgan (400 meters), a senior who has committed to Findlay College, along with Ryan Bennett (high jump) and Felica Messer, (shot put and discus), who's coming off knee surgery.
“We also have a trio of freshmen (Kristin Votapek, 100 meters, Emily Shields, 200, and Jennifer Lovell, 400),” McMullen said. “Each has won a different event in the various meets.”
McMullen said having a more experienced team also helps.
“It's hard getting kids to come back the year after they lettered,” McMullen said. “It must be the nature of the sport, but the upperclassmen have hung around and greatly helped us.”
Although McMullen isn't predicting a district championship, he is confident that five to seven athletes, including the 1,600-meter relay team, could advance to the regional and possibly state meets.
Softball
• Summit Country Day 16, New Miami 1 — SCD senior pitcher Walker Sutherland and coach Laura Haas have had many lengthy discussions about the Silver Knights' batting order.
“Walker has asked about batting higher in the lineup,” Haas said. “But we came to an agreement that she'll stay in the ninth position except in certain home games.”
Sutherland strengthened her case Saturday, going 3-for-4 in the Silver Knights' victory over New Miami in a Miami Valley Conference game.
Sutherland also struck out a season-high 14 and allowed no hits.
Baseball
• Mason wins twice — Pitching has carried Mason during the first two weeks of the season, but now the offense has joined in.
“We started hitting the ball on Thursday,” coach Ken Gray said. “If the hitting continues, it could be a fun season.”
The Comets recorded two victories Saturday to improve their record to 7-0. They knocked off Louisville St.Xavier 8-3 and followed with a 6-3 triumph over Springboro.
• Ross 10-7, Batavia 3-4 — Ross, a perennial Division II city power, received its toughest challenge of the season but swept the doubleheader to remain undefeated (10-0).
A surprising Batavia team held off Ross for a school-record 15 innings in the opener before the Rams struck for seven runs on three hits in the top of the 15th.
Matt Wyant smacked an RBI single in the eighth inning of the second game to drive in the winning run.
“This is a major shot in the arm for our program,” Batavia coach Brian Anstaett said, “We came in expecting to get run-ruled against a team like this.”
• Moeller 2, Dublin Coffman 0 — In a near perfect outing, Mark Harris tossed a career-first no-hitter against Dublin Coffman.
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