By Ed Letsinger, Hacksports.com
Special to MaxPreps.com
Nine-time defending Ohio Division I state swimming champion St. Xavier continues to build upon one of the area's most impressive winning streaks of all-time.
The Bombers won their 25th straight Southwest Ohio High School Swimming and Diving Classic over the weekend with another dominating performance, defeating runner-up Centerville, 674-372.
The Bombers have never lost at the Classic, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Making the Bombers' streak even more impressive is the fact that the event is the largest invitational in the country, with over 100 schools and 2,800 swimmers and divers competing in a highly competitive field.
The meet is also widely considered by coaches to be a tune-up for the upcoming state meet next month, with its two-day format and top-flight field; St. Xavier appears more than primed to win its 10th straight state title.
St. Xavier was led by Jim Barbiere, a Indiana University recruit. Barbiere, an All-American candidate, won the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke events and placed second in the 200 backstroke. He was also a member of three winning relay teams.
Ursuline kept its mini winning streak alive by capturing a fourth straight title with a 527-417 win over Centerville in the girls' meet. The Lions took first in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays and the 200 medley relay.
There were also repeat winners in both girls' and boys' diving. Monroe senior Nicole Brehm tallied 385.80 points in the 1-meter competition. Indian Hill junior Michael Grainger won with a score of 442.45.
Southwest Ohio Girls' Basketball Tournament Seeding Set
Top-ranked Lakota West (14-1) earned the top seed in the girls' Southwest Ohio Division I basketball tournament that is set to begin on Feb. 5. The Firebirds have elected to play out of the Harrison sectional in the upper bracket, which ultimately routes away from Cincinnati after district play and into the Columbus regional. Mount Notre Dame, Oak Hills and Winton Woods earned seeds 2 through 4.
At first glance, it appears that the Milford sectional upper bracket is the most competitive. Barring upsets, Oak Hills and No. 6 Princeton could meet in a sectional final.
In Division II, Wyoming (14-1) earned the top seed. The Cowboys sport one of the best records among all Cincinnati small schools. Their lone loss was a 30-24 setback on Dec. 13 against Cincinnati Hills League opponent Madeira. Georgetown (14-2) earned the top seed in Division III. Georgetown is one of the hotter teams at the moment and winners of nine straight after losing back-to-back games on Dec. 6 and 8.
Unbeaten Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (15-0) came in at a surprising No. 4 seed, setting up a potential sectional final against another unbeaten team and No. 2 seed, Madison (14-0). Seven Hills (12-4) was awarded the top spot in Division IV. Three of the Stingers four losses have come against CHCA.
Upsets Unfold at the "The Country"
Two of the top five ranked teams in the MaxPreps Top 25 girls' basketball poll took it on the chin this weekend at the fifth annual Classic in the Country at Hiland High School.
Top-ranked Lakota West (14-1) lost its first game of the year on Saturday, falling to Division III powerhouse Regina, 64-58. The Firebirds were outscored by 21-13 in the decisive fourth quarter. Number 5 Toledo Central Catholic (12-3) lost twice, the first coming against Cincinnati Princeton, 57-43, on Saturday, then by 82-68 to Lakota West on Sunday as the Firebirds got back on the winning track.
Overall, Cincinnati schools performed well, going 7-1, with No. 2-ranked Mount Notre Dame, Princeton and Winton Woods all winning both of their games.
The three-day tournament featuring 29 teams and 20 games concluded Monday with seven more contests.
Tough Weekend For Top Small-School Teams
It was not a good weekend to be a highly-ranked small-school team in Cincinnati boys' basketball. Coaches' poll No. 1 Taft, No. 2 North College Hill and No. 4 Wyoming all went down in defeat this weekend, events that will likely cause a shake-up in the new poll this week.
The biggest shocker came when Western Hills (6-8) knocked off Taft, 69-63. The Senators (10-6) had beaten the Mustangs, 90-66, back on Dec. 1, but it was a different story this time around.
Three-time defending state champion North College Hill (9-6) continued to struggle and lost for the third time in the last four games against a very good Lockland (13-1) team, 91-77. Wyoming lost a tough game to Deer Park, 50-40.
Three-Year League Run Over For Georgetown
Clermont Northeastern defeated Georgetown, 54-40, on Friday night in a Southern Buckeye Conference boys' basketball battle, snapping a 45-game league winning streak by the G-Men that dated back to 2005. Georgetown (10-2, 8-1 SBC National Division) is the defending Ohio Division IV state champion and is coming off a perfect 28-0 record last year. The Rockets (11-2, 10-1 SBC American Division) are enjoying one of their best seasons in recent years.
Ed Letsinger is the editor of Hacksports.com
