CNE finishes fall season leading SBAAC National All-Sports standings
By Dick Maloney
Clermont Northeastern High School’s fall sports student-athletes went from a season that almost wasn’t to a season, for some, never to be forgotten.
Nine Rocket varsity squads competed in the fall, earning one first-place finish and three second-place finishes in the Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference National Division or overall standings. One Rocket, junior cross country runner Summit Northrup, represented the school at the regional level. Two volleyball players made the All-Southwest District team, one finished her career atop several school records, and other student-athletes earned recognition for their accomplishments in the classroom as well as in competition.
CNE enters the winter season atop the SBAAC National Division All-Sports standings with 31.5 total points – five ahead of second-place Bethel-Tate. CNE has won the award each of the last two school years.
Here is a rundown of each sport (except football), with comments from some of the coaches:
Cross country
Coach: Moe Cooper
Boys – Second in Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference meet.
Girls – Tied for third in SBAAC meet.
Junior Summit Northrup qualified for the Division II regional meet, where he finished 21st overall in a time of 17 minutes, 14.4 seconds.
SBAAC All-Stars
Boys
Runner of the Year – Summit Northrup
First team – Noah Bunting, Clayton Hodge, Summit Northrup
Second team – Matthew Crawford
Girls
First team – Abbey Puckett
Second team – Zoey Eichenlaub, Julia Patterson
Comments from coach Cooper: “Varsity cross country had a great year. Runner of the year for the SBAAC was junior Summit Northrup, and a close second was sophomore Noah Bunting. Clayton Hodge was also a first team all league for the men. Freshman Ryder Crawford was second team. A full men’s team competed at districts.
“The women won the Lynchburg Invitational this year, the first that we can find any record of. The women also had a district team this year; first time in school history for a full team to complete the race. Senior captain Abbey Puckett was first-team All-SBAAC, followed by second-team members sophomore Zoey Eichenlaub and Julia Patterson. We had one of the largest varsity squads ever - 15 men and seven women.”
Boys golf
Coach: Jill Woolery-Maas
Won SBAAC National Division Tournament.
SBAAC All-Stars
Coach of the Year – Jill Woolery-Maas
First team – Joey Shumard, Cooper Woolery, Parker Woolery.
Second team – Jake Ansteatt, Ian Howser, Landon Williams.
Girls golf
Coach: Brandon Hoeppner
Third in combined SBAAC Tournament.
Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference All-Stars
First team – Sadie Hoeppner, Hailey Stegemann.
Second team – Jake Ansteatt, Ian Howser, Landon Williams.
Boys soccer (5-12-0, 2-8-0, sixth place, SBAAC National Division)
Coach: Rob Carlier
Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference All-Stars
First team – Austin Yeager
Second team – Xaden Hunt.
Honorable mention – Jered Glancy.
Girls soccer (10-7-2, 7-2-1, second place, SBAAC National Division)
Coach: Craig Yeager
Comments from coach Yeager: “A 7-2-1 record … was our highest finish in four years. We were competitive in every game this season. We had solid goalie play from Caitlyn Lakes and Rachel Noonan. Our defense, led by Shelby Heagy at sweeper, kept us in just about every game. We had great contributions from our underclassmen throughout the year, building a great foundation for next season.
Our league season was capped off following an exciting 3-2 win over Georgetown at home where Abbey Puckett, Anna Best and Lauren Best powered us to victory from the offensive side.
“The Deer Park (tournament) game was a rematch from last year's tournament run and again ended in an overtime ‘golden goal’ scored by Hannah Groeber with three minutes left.
“We had six All-SBAAC award winners this year, two All-Southwest award winners, 11 All-Southwest Academic award winners, seven All-Ohio Academic award winners and also received the All-Academic Team award for the sixth year in a row.”
Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference All-Stars
First team - Anna Best, Abbey Puckett, Shelby Heagy.
Second team - Lauren Best, Caitlyn Lakes.
Honorable mention - Hollie Daniel.
All-Southwest District Team – Anna Best, Abbey Puckett.
All-Southwest Academic (3.7 & above) - Anna Best, Lauren Best, Kendra Brooks, Hollie Daniel, Sam Davis, Michayla Eifert, Hannah Groeber, Shelby Heagy, Jasmine King Rachel Noonan, Ivy Stephan
All-Ohio Academic (seniors only, 3.7 & above) - Lauren Best, Kendra Brooks, Hollie Daniel, Sam Davis, Michayla Eifert, Shelby Heagy, Rachel Noonan.
Girls tennis (7-7 overall, 6-2 second place, SBAAC National)
Coach: Liz Benjamin
Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference All-Stars
First team – Alyssa Ferguson, first singles; Mackenzie Turner, second singles.
Second team – Madison Turner, third singles; Abby Silvers and Hannah Newton, first doubles; Zoe Moore and Lilly Braden, second doubles.
Comments from coach Benjamin: “All seven of our starters received all-league awards: senior Alyssa Ferguson, first team (her third year getting first-team all-league); junior Mackenzie Turner, first-team all league; junior Madison Turner, second-team; senior Hannah Newton, second-team; senior Abby Silvers, second- team; sophomore Lily Braden, second-team, and sophomore Zoe Moore, second- team.”
Volleyball (15-9, 8-4, third place, SBAAC National Division)
Coach: Emma Keough
Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference All-Stars
First team – Macy Brown, Lexi Eyre.
Second team – Hannah Creager.
Honorable mention – Tiffany Drewry
Comment from coach Keough: “Senior outside hitter Lexi Eyre finished the season making first-team All-District 16 and first-team All-SBAAC. Lexi holds records at CNE for total career kills, total career digs and career hitting percentage.
“Senior outside hitter Macy Brown finished making second-team All-District 16 and first-team All-SBAAC. Macy holds records at CNE for career hitting percentage, total career aces and total career kills. Junior setter Hannah Creager made second-team All-SBAAC. Sophomore rightside hitter Tiffany Drewry made Honorable Mention All-SBAAC.
“The Rockets graduated five seniors who will be greatly missed. Two of those seniors, Macy Brown and Chloe Valenti, will receive the District 16 Senior Academic Award for having cumulative (grade point averages) over 3.5. We will be returning six players next season and look to add from our successes this year.”