By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

There was plenty to celebrate at the Kent Roosevelt boys and girls swimming postseason banquet.

For starters, both teams won the Suburban League championship for the second consecutive season.

Not only have they won back-to-back titles, but they have done so in dominating fashion.

The Rough Riders have not lost a league meet since the 2022-23 season, winning 23 consecutive during that time for an unblemished record in both 2023-24 and 2024-25.

Furthermore, the Rough Riders celebrated longtime coach Carol Bender.

Bender has announced her retirement from teaching after an influential 35-year career in physical education and lifeguard training.

Bender has long been associated with the Riders’ swim program, including the Sea Riders youth team up through the high school program.

“I am lucky enough to have Carol as my aunt, so I have been able to see the impact she has made on all the kids she has coached since I was little enough to take swim lessons,” Roosevelt swim head coach Corey Spicer said. “She took over and restarted our youth program years ago and it has helped our high school program tremendously the past couple years. It has grown to be one of the best youth programs in Kent, hosting over 100 athletes over the winter season. The growth and excellence the high-school program has gotten to would not have been possible without the resurgence of the Sea Riders program.”

Bender, who also coordinates Roosevelt’s fundraising project with Aramark and the Cleveland Browns, which has directly led to nearly $50,000, has earned the respect of her athletes and is often referred to as their “second mom” or their “pool mom.”

Bender’s day begins at 6 a.m. with the high-school team’s practice, then her day at school, followed by Sea Riders practice until 8 p.m.

“Anyone who has been part of our program in the last 35 years will be able to tell you about the impact Carol has made in their lives. Not only on their swimming abilities, but even more so in their lives outside of the pool.”

Roosevelt athletic director Ben Dunlap has also witnessed Bender’s special impact.

“Her unwavering commitment and profound impact have shaped generations of swimmers, fueled by her deep passion for the sport,” Dunlap said. “We are incredibly thankful and grateful that, although Carol is retiring from teaching, she will continue to positively influence our swimming and diving programs for years to come.”

CRESTWOOD’S JAKACKI HONORED

Crestwood High School boys basketball coach Josh Jakacki was honored on Saturday at the OHSAA’s boys state championships with a clock plaque to commemorate his 300th career win.

Jakacki reached the milestone on Jan. 30, 2024 in a Red Devils’ victory over Southeast.

Jakacki’s win total is now at 323, which has been accumulated during time at Crestwood (2001-06), Kenston (2007-15) and Crestwood (2016-present).

Also honored was LaBrae boys basketball head coach Chad Kiser, who won his 300th game on Jan. 3, 2024 in a victory over Hubbard. Kiser graduated from Windham High School in 1994 and played for head coach Marty Hill.

STATEWIDE HONORS FOR ROOTSTOWN, STREETSBORO

Once all the numbers were crunched, the Rootstown and Streetsboro girls basketball teams were still collecting statewide honors.

Even after the season was over.

The Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association recently posted a series of top 20 statistical lists for the state of Ohio for the 2024-25 high school girls basketball season, with the Rovers and Rockets cracking the list on a few of them.

Here they are:

   • Rootstown ranked 19th in team free-throw percentage at 66.422 percent, connecting on 271-of-408. Anthony Wayne was the top performer at 76.963 percent (147-of-191).

   • Individually, Rootstown senior Kelsey Bittecuffer ranked 19th in the state for free-throw percentage. Bittecuffer made 58-of-73 for the season for a percentage of 79.452. The top was Crestview’s Addison Rhodes, who hit 109-of-122 for 89.344 percent.

   • Rootstown ranked 10th in team 3-point percentage. The Rovers made 146 of their 458 3-point attempts to finish the season at 31.878 percent. The sharpest shooters from distance were Strongsville at 37.255 percent (171-of-459).

   • Individually, Rootstown senior Addy Germann made 38.514 percent of her 3-point attempts, ranking 17th in the state. She made 57 of her 148 attempts. Ottoville’s Brooklyn Koester had the highest percentage 53.509 percent, connecting on a staggering 61-of-114.

   • Streetsboro ranked 13th in team 2-point field-goal percentage. From inside the arc, the Rockets made 422-of-892 for 47.309 percent. The highest came from Unit, which shot 55.824 percent.

SPORTS AND ART MEET IN AURORA

The Striving Artists Program at Aurora, which consists of two programs called Aurora Sports Shooters and the Aurora Graphics Team, has done some amazing things and one of the most recent has been through the creativity of Liliana Tomasko and Lydia Abbuhl.

Using the strong photography provided by Abbuhl, along with the graphic design kills of Tomasko, a series of sports trading cards were designed for a number of sports, including football and gymnastics to spotlight some of the school’s student-athletes.

“It has been super fun to take my work to the next level with these cards,” Tomasko said. “This is the first project where my work’s been printed and actually distributed to other people, so seeing the photos of the cards after being printed was something really special to me. I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity that Mr. Head provided me with.”

Eric Head oversees the arts program and had glowing reviews of Tomasko and Abbuhl.

“Liliana has progressed through our art program and reached the highest level in our digital art curriculum,” Head said. “She possesses an advanced understanding of design and Photoshop, demonstrating exceptional attention to detail in her work. From seamless lighting integration to ensuring her subjects fit naturally within their environments, her craftsmanship is outstanding. … She maintains a meticulous standard … making her, in my opinion, hirable as a graphic designer today. Although she plans to pursue a career in law, her dedication to art remains unwavering.

“Lydia progressed through our art program, excelling in both Photography 1 and Photography 2,” Head added. “She was one of the first standout students to participate in the Striving Artists Program. Her passion for photography led her to explore digital art, where she discovered the power of combining her images with graphic design, opening the door to endless creative opportunities. She quickly became our school’s go-to artist, producing calendars, social media graphics and custom designs for our sports teams. Athletes eagerly anticipate her photos, knowing she takes great care in developing them. Her dedication and leadership earned her the title of Program Director, a role in which she excels at organizing and managing behind-the-scenes operations.”

Abbuhl’s responsibilities include client communications, event scheduling, amongst others.

“Beyond her leadership, Lydia takes a hands-on approach to every project, setting up backdrops, arranging lighting and even investing her own money to maintain the highest quality standards.. What makes her journey even more remarkable is that she has accomplished all of this as a sophomore. Now, as a senior, she is more prepared, resilient and confident than ever.”

NEW LOOK FOR ROOSEVELT BOYS LACROSSE

The Rough Riders will look different in 2025.

New for the season are an entirely new set of uniforms for the team.

The Rough Riders fundraised through private contributions, as well as additional funding from the Rough Riders Athletic Sports Boosters, high school athletic department and parents.

The new look features a new home and away kit, as well as a third alternate set, along with practice gear, reversible pinnies, shooting shirts, gloves and a team travel tent.

GOLDEN BASKETBALL TROPHY

We are preparing to announce the winner of the 2024-25 Golden Basketball Trophy!

Before we do, we are excited to show off the finished paint design of this year’s beautiful gold trophy!

A special shoutout to Ali Eads, who is the talented artist once again behind the creation of the trophy’s design.

We will be setting up a trophy presentation to the winning school during the week of March 31.