LEXINGTON — Elyana Weaver can finally take a breath. The last month or so has been a blur for Lexington’s recently-graduated middle-distance dynamo. Weaver put an exclamation point on a sensational prep running career with a third-place finish in the 800-meter run at last week’s Division II state meet at Dayton’s Welcome Stadium. She finished […]
Athlete of the Month
The Park National Bank Athlete of the Month honors one Richland County high school athlete each month for excellence on and off the field.
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Leading by Example: Clear Fork’s Schlosser is Park National Bank Athlete of Month
BELLVILLE — Everything Clear Fork baseball coach Gabe Kennedy already knew about Luke Schlosser was reaffirmed late last week. The Colts had just been swept by Highland in a critical two-game Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference series, so Kennedy ordered a mandatory off-day to allow his players to clear their minds It didn’t go as planned. “I […]
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Team First: Shelby’s Bruskotter is Park National Bank Athlete of the Month
SHELBY — He was honored as the state’s Division II Player of the Year by both the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association and the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association, but Alex Bruskotter would gladly exchange his individual accolades for two more wins. Shelby’s senior guard would trade it all for a state championship. The Wright […]
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Lexington’s Prykhodko is Park National Bank Athlete of the Month
LEXINGTON — Ivan Prykhodko can thank his father for introducing him to the breaststroke. Dear old dad, Dr. Mykola Prykhodko, was a breaststroker himself and would teach his children the finer points any chance he got. “We’d only swim breaststroke because my dad said it was the survival stroke,” the younger Prykhodko said. “I started […]
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Family History: Lucas’ Toms is Park National Bank Athlete of the Month for January
LUCAS — The history Logan Toms is chasing this winter isn’t his alone. When Toms becomes Lucas’ career scoring leader in the coming weeks, the senior and four-year letterman will gladly share the spotlight with older brother Riley Gossom. After all, the record Toms is pursuing should have belonged to Gossom. A 2021 Lucas graduate, […]
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Madison’s Thomas is Park National Bank Athlete of the Month
MADISON TOWNSHIP — Mike Thomas plans to pursue a career as an electrician after graduation and Madison’s senior 113-pounder already is delivering high-voltage performances. While lightweights at Ontario and Galion have stolen the spotlight during the early portion of the season, Thomas has laid the foundation for an electrifying 2024 after his third-place finish at […]
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Clear Fork’s Labaki is November’s Park National Bank Athlete of the Month
BELLVILLE — There aren’t enough hours in the day for Annika Labaki. Clear Fork’s multi-sport standout spends more time perfecting her crafts than just about anyone The Valley has ever produced. Labaki is November’s Park National Bank Athlete of the Month. A senior, Labaki earned a spot on the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association All-Ohio […]
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Shelby’s Ramsey is Park National Bank’s October Athlete of the Month
SHELBY — Blaine Bowman wasn’t at all surprised to see his career receiving yards record fall. The former Shelby great realized long ago it was just a matter of time before Issaiah Ramsey supplanted him. A senior, Ramsey became the first receiver in program history to top 3,000 career yards when he caught 11 passes […]
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Rewriting History: Mansfield Sr.’s Davis is September’s Park National Bank Athlete of the Month
MANSFIELD — He owns Mansfield Senior’s career records for receptions and receiving yards and will soon become the program’s all-time leader in touchdown catches, but statistics aren’t what distinguish Amarr Davis from his peers. His ability to single-handedly change the outcome of a game puts Davis in a stratosphere occupied by only a handful of […]
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Ontario’s Yugovich is August’s Park National Bank Athlete of the Month
ONTARIO — Hattie Yugovich doesn’t mind the comparison, even if it’s slightly premature. The way Yugovich sees it, being mentioned in the same breath as former Madison great Taylor Huff is both an honor and a source of motivation. Ontario’s high-scoring sophomore midfielder, Yugovich already has established herself as one of the premier players in […]