Weeks after giving birth to her son, Tre, Lohre bemoaned the pounds she had gained during the pregnancy. She flipped on the television and was transfixed by an ESPN fitness contest.

That, she declared, was exactly the kind of goal she needed. Fourteen months later, the 29-year-old wife and mother has won her height class in five fitness competitions and will compete in July for the National Physique Committee's USA Bodybuilding and Fitness Contest in Las Vegas - and a chance to go pro.

Lohre, a 1992 Scott High School graduate, left Northern Kentucky University with degrees in biology and political science. The six-year instructor at Top Flight Gymnastics in Crestview Hills didn't dodge her yoga or walking exercises throughout her pregnancy, gaining 18 pounds in the nine months.

Four weeks after delivering, she hit the gym for aerobics, weightlifting and walking, planning to enter competitions.

"(Competitions) spurred me on, but even more than that, exercising gave me time for me, as a new mom," said Lohre, who's also a personal trainer. "For an hour a day, I could focus on getting back into shape."

The Northern Kentucky Bodybuilding and Figure Show was Lohre's litmus test. She entered in March 2003, five months to the day she delivered Tre. Lohre, a 5-foot-5, 125-pound entrant in the 5-3 to 5-6 height division, was among the contestants judged for overall muscle symmetry and feminine muscle tone.

Instead of congregating with competitors between shows, Lohre spent the time backstage, nursing her son. By the contest's end, she had won her height class and was named overall champion among three classes.

"I was shocked," Lohre said. "My goal had been to get in good enough shape to do contests and hopefully place in the top five."

Three months later, she won her class at an Indianapolis competition. Following wins in Cleveland and Cincinnati, Lohre dazzled judges at the NPC Pittsburgh Bodybuilding and Fitness Show, which required a two-minute fitness routine. The showcase of strength and flexibility moves included one-armed push-ups, high kicks and splits.

Lohre walked away with a height class title, the overall championship and a ticket to the USA Bodybuilding and Fitness Contest in Las Vegas.

Should she place in the top two in Las Vegas, Lohre will earn her pro card. She could compete for money in International Federation of BodyBuilders contests.

Rick Lohre doesn't doubt the former competitive gymnast will wow the judges. He was so impressed by his wife's dedication, he decided to join in her effort. He has lost 60 pounds and 12 inches around his waist since Tre's birth.

"She's truly inspiring," he said. "She's always been fairly athletic, but to see her body transform has been phenomenal. If she can do something like this after childbirth, I figured I could take off a few pounds, too."

Kim Rosen / Harrison

The Harrison Junior High 6-1 seventh-grader was selected to play for the Ohio Valley Region's High Performance Volleyball Team in Austin, Texas, July 20-25. The program began four years ago to provide development opportunities for the region's elite juniors volleyball players. Rosen tried out April 16 in Columbus, where she was rated as the top middle blocker. "It's a great honor to be chosen," she said. "It was pretty hard because there are so many great players in Ohio." Twelve players were selected for the team, which will play 14-year-olds from around the country. Rosen helped the Harrison seventh grade volleyball team to a district title during the schoolyear. Rosen plays Junior Olympic club volleyball with the Borderline VBC in Oxford and hopes to play varsity ball someday with her older sister, Michele, a Harrison sophomore.

Reading Bombers / Reading

The Southwest Ohio League U-12 American Division baseball team qualified for the July 29 World Series by winning the National Softball Association qualifier in Morrow, May 7-12. The Bombers went 5-1 in the tournament and held opponents to 14 runs. Team members are Tyler Bessey, Ryan Blair, Ben Gertz, Alex Giehl, Tyler Grau, Nick Hall, Clay Hughes, Jake Kendall, John Lloyd, Alex Moorman, Jake Overbeck and Matt Wallace. The bat boy is Jake Blair.s

Eric Miller / Villa Hills, Ky.

The Dixie Heights senior was drafted in the fifth round by the River City Lancers, a franchise in the country's only Tier I junior hockey league, which is operated by the United States Hockey League. Miller, 18, was taken 53rd overall and was the 14th Midget AAA player drafted. The Lancers, based in Omaha, Neb., invited Miller to tryout with the team June 10-15. The center has played for the Northern Kentucky Youth Hockey Association and the Dixie school team, but most recently completed a 46-game season with the Victory-Honda Midget Major AAA team in Michigan. There he scored 36 goals with 26 assists. He hopes to play a year with the Lancers before moving on to college hockey. "If I made the team, I'd come home until July and then move for good, living with a host family or other players," said Miller, a hockey player since age 6. Miller hopes to parlay developmental league experiences into a position at Miami University or Ohio State.

Katie MacKnight / Blue Ash

Colorado State sophomore Katie MacKnight was selected to the second team Southwest Division All Stars of the Collegiate Water Polo Association. MacKnight, a 2002 Sycamore grad, captained the Aves' water polo team, which finished second in the Ohio State Championships during both the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 seasons. She was an all-Ohio player her senior year. MacKnight is spending the summer in Fort Collins, Colo., where she's maintaining trails at El Dorado Canyon State Park.

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