Weekend Roundup: Schroeder Wins Region Cross Country Crown

Highlands Girls Soccer Loses on Penalty Kicks

Twitter Photo. Highlands senior Maggie Schroeder won the Class 2A, Region 4 meet Saturday in 18 minutes, 51.08 seconds.

Highlands senior Maggie Schroeder ran away for an individual Class 2A, Region 4 cross country championship at the Mason County Athletic Complex.

The senior and 2018 individual Class 2A state champion won the race in 18 minutes, 51.08 seconds. Scott freshman Maddie Strong took second in 19:21.57 out of 44 runners.

Both Highlands teams finished region runner-up. The Highlands girls missed out on the region crown by a point with 49 to Scott's 48. The Highlands boys scored the same amount. But Lexington Catholic won it with 36 points.

Highlands Saturday Sports Roundup

Highlands Soccer Teams Advance in Region Tournament

PHOTO: Matt Carothers. Highlands senior goalkeeper Jasmine Rehberger (0) congratulates freshman Laney Smith (1) after a goal earlier this season.

The Highlands Bluebirds soccer teams opened the 9th Region quarterfinals Saturday at Tower Park against the Covington Holy Cross Indians teams playing as consistent as they had been lately.

The Highlands girls (13-1-2 overall) started the afternoon continuing its offensive explosion of late shutting out Holy Cross (8-8-1), 7-0 before the Highlands boys (10-3-2) overtook the Indians (10-5-1), 2-0. That marked the 12th shutout for the Highlands girls including the last six games and the seventh for the Highlands boys including the last four games.

Saturday Highlands Results

Highland Soccer Teams Tie Solid Opponents

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior goalkeeper Nick Fischer had four saves in the 1-1 tie against Lexington Henry Clay on Saturday.

The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team (6-2-2 overall) hoped to finish the week with three nice wins.

The Bluebirds earned a man advantage in the second half of the game against the Lexington Henry Clay Blue Devils, a state semifinalist last season, after the Blue Devils earned a red card. But Highlands could not capitalize and the teams settled for a 1-1 tie. Henry Clay came into the game ranked third in the state in the Maher rankings.

Saturday Sports Notes

Highlands Cross Country Runs Well in Region Race; JV Football Season Concludes

Submitted Photo. The Highlands girls cross country team won its seventh straight Class 2A, Region 4 Meet on Saturday at Sherman Elementary in Dry Ridge.

Submitted Photo. The Highlands boys cross country team finished second in the Class 2A, Region 4 Meet on Saturday.

 Add another banner Class 2A, Region 4 Meet to the the long list of achievements in the history of the Highlands Bluebirds Cross Country teams.

The Highlands girls won a seventh straight region championship and the boys finished runner-up qualifying for the state meet at Kentucky Horse Park next weekend. The meet took place at Sherman Elementary in Dry Ridge.

Highlands Girls CC Continues Region Domination, Boys Finish Runner-Up

PHOTO: Bob Jackson. Highlands senior Karsen Hunter runs in the Class AA, Region 4 Meet in Union on Saturday. The Highlands girls cross country team won its sixth straight region championship.

The deep Highlands Bluebird girls cross country team wants nothing more than to climb back to the top of the Class AA mountain.

The first step to that came in proving its dominance in the Class AA, Region 4 meet in Union on Saturday. That turned out to not be an issue as the Bluebirds dominated the girls race on their way to the sixth consecutive region championship while the boys finished region runner-up.

Saturday Sports Round-Up

Highlands Girls Cross Country Wins NKAC Division I Crown

PHOTO: Allen Ramsey, DWCPhoto.com. Highlands juniors Logan Guy (4) and Liam Ehram (85) celebrate a touchdown in a recent junior varsity game.

The Highlands Ladybirds cross country team ran away with the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Division I crown Saturday at Idlewood Park in Burlington.

Highlands finished with 36 points out of nine teams. Second-place Ryle finished with 72 points.

2017 Highlands Cross Country Preview

Depth Factors Huge for Highlands

PHOTO: Allen Ramsey, DWCPhoto.com. The Highlands Ladybirds cross country runners dash out of the gate in the Class 2A state meet last year at Kentucky Horse Park. Highlands finished 2A runner-up last year after winning it the previous four years.

The Highlands Ladybirds cross country team put together a solid run of a school-record four consecutive Class 2A state championships.

But after coming close once during that time, the Christian Academy of Louisville Lady Centurions ended the streak placing three in the top 10 on their way to 64 points for the state championship. Highlands finished runner-up with 93 points.

Highlands cross country teams take aim at gold crowns

Contributed Photo. Highlands senior Ethan Shuley became the first-ever individual state champion cross country champion in school history in last year's Class AA boys race. He outran the rest of the pack by 21 seconds in 15 minutes, 58.14 seconds.

It's about making school history and ending a drought on the other.

How did the Highlands Cross Country teams make history in the state meet?

G. Michael Graham Photo. The Highlands Ladybirds cross country team three-peated for the third time in school history winning the Class AA state championship on Saturday at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

LEXINGTON – They hoped to bring home both crowns this year.

The Highlands Ladybirds cross country team three-peated as Class AA state champions. But the Bluebirds finished third for the second straight year at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Highlands cross country teams have big goals

Contributed Photo. Highlands junior Ethan Shuley tries to pull away from the pack in a race last year. Shuley leads a strong group of juniors as both teams try to bring home the AA state championships in the same year for the first time since 1979. The Ladybirds are the two-time defending AA champions.

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

It has not been done since 1979.

The Highlands cross country teams would love to both bring home the state championships in the same year for the first time since then. The Ladybirds are the two-time AA champions and are heavily favored to three-peat. They’ve won eight in school history and are tied with Pulaski County in the state for the most state championships behind St. Henry’s 16 titles.

Ladybird cross country claims back-to-back state title; Bluebirds finish third

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

The Highlands cross country teams had high expectations coming into the season.

The Ladybirds hoped to repeat as Class AA state champions and did just that on Saturday at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington with 76 points. This marks the eighth crown for them. They won three consecutive state championships between 2002 and 2004.

Wednesday Sports Briefs

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

The Highlands Bluebirds boys and girls cross country teams have continued to do well in recent meets.

The girls are still the top-ranked team in Class AA followed by North Oldham, Louisville Christian Academy, Scott and Lexington Catholic. Molly Mearns is still the top-ranked runner in the class.

The boys dropped two second in Class AA following the recent Trinity Invitational. North Oldham is the top-ranked team with Covington Catholic, Wayne County and Russell following the Bluebirds. Ethan Shuley is the second-ranked runner in Kentucky.

Both teams recently partook in the Trinity/Valkyrie Invitational. The girls finished 15th out of 43 teams without Paige Dauer and Francis Tracy. They were taking the ACT exam.

A total of 347 girls ran in the race. Mearns led Highlands (57th in 19 minutes, 41 seconds). Teammates Chloe Gastright (67^th in 19:55), Sydney Ossege (85 in 20:17), Lauren Ossege (108 in 20:38) and Brianna Collins (234 in 22:37) followed Mearns.

The boys finished 19th out of 53 teams. Shuley led the way for Highlands finishing 47th in 16:05 out of 473 runners. John Michael Griffith followed at 92nd in 16:37. The other Highlands scorers were Geoff Mearns at 170th in 17:10, Matt Gray (182 in 17:23) and James Smith (220 in 17:42). Jackson Paul (221 in 17:43) and Will Backscheider (297 in 18:19) rounded out the Highlands runners.

The Bluebirds also won the Campbell County Championships beating Bishop Brossart. Mearns won the race on the girls side in 19:29 with Gastright taking second in 19:47, Sydney Ossege fourth in 20:27, Lauren Ossege fifth in 20:36, Dauger sixth in 20:48, Tracy eighth in 21:38 and Collins ninth in 21:49 out of 30 girls.

There were 43 boys in the race. Griffith finished second in 16:17 followed by Shuley (third in 16:30, Gray (sixth in 17:34), Smith (ninth in 17:47), Paul (12th in 18:01) and Backscheider (17th in 18:23).

Highlands faces more stiff competition in the Cincinnati St. Xavier Invitational on Saturday. The Bluebirds also participate in the Williamstown Invitational on Oct. 5 and the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Meet on Oct. 8.

Soccer, Girls:

Newport Central Catholic 1, Dixie Heights 1:

The Lady Breds (8-1-2) tied the Lady Colonels on Wednesday in Crestview Hills.

Both goals came on penalty kicks. Allie Otten scored the lone goal for NewCath.

Dixie Heights got off four shots. NewCath freshman goalkeeper Meg Martin made three saves.

The Lady Breds travel to the All “A” State Tournament on Saturday at the Elizabethtown Sports Park. They take on Pikeville at 9 a.m. on Field 11.

Highlands captures Class AA state crown

Photo by G. Michael Graham/Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands Ladybirds Cross Country team captured its seventh state championship winning the Class AA crown Saturday at Horse Park with 65 points.

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

LEXINGTON – The young and talented Highlands Cross Country teams hoped to begin their own run of greatness at the Class AA state cross country meet Saturday at Horse Park.

The Ladybirds accomplished that by dethroning the four-time defending state champion South Oldham Lady Dragons and the Bluebirds finished sixth. Both won the Region 4 meet last weekend. The Ladybirds won their seventh overall title, but first since winning three in a row from 2002 to 2004.

Highlands, NewCath prepare for state cross country meet

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

Runners from all over Kentucky hit Horse Park near Lexington for the state cross country championships.

The Highlands Bluebirds and Ladybirds teams have good shots at state titles. They come into the meet with Class AA, Region 4 championships. It would mark the seventh for the Ladybirds and first since winning three in a row from 2002 to 2004. A state title would be the third for the Bluebirds and the first since 1985.

Both teams have tapered off the workouts this week. That included two days off. Head Coach Brian Alessandro, a 1998 Highlands graduate, has employed that strategy personally before running marathons (26.2 miles) in places like Louisville and Houston.

“It cuts down their mileage so they’re rested for Saturday,” Alessandro said. “Rest is something I don’t think people give enough of their athletes.”

Alessandro and the runners did not seem concerned about the course at Horse Park. The course has some rolling hills. Highlands ran at Horse Park a few weeks ago winning the Lexington Catholic Meet.

“It’s a forgiving course,” said Cam Kruse, Highlands senior. “It’s less harsh than some. You couldn’t ask for a better place for a cross country meet.”

Alessandro said North Oldham and South Oldham will be the main challengers in both races. The South Oldham Lady Dragons have won the last four AA titles. They won Region 3. They’re top three runners in the region meet were sophomore Erin Wilson (fourth in 19:37.92), senior Grace Whitworth (fifth in 19:39.25) and junior Keightley Dudgeon (sixth in 19:56.31).

“Really at the state meet, it’s all about placing,” Alessandro said. “It doesn’t matter what your time is as long as you place well.”

The times of the three top Ladybirds came out lower than South Oldham’s top three. Freshman Molly Mearns won the Class AA, Region 4 meet in 18:36.9 with sisters Lauren Ossege, a freshman, and Sydney Ossege, an eighth-grader, comin in second and third at 18:40.4 and 19:10.7 respectively.