By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The holiday season has been filled with championship efforts for multiple Kent Roosevelt Rough Riders teams.

For starters, back on Dec. 21, the Roosevelt ice hockey team captured the team championship at the 4th annual Karynn Barlow Memorial Tournament.

Kent Roosevelt’s Penny Edwards won the championship at the Queen of the Hill Tournament.

It was the second straight year for the Riders to win the title.

To capture the crown, Roosevelt defeated Watterson, 4-3.

Goals came from Maxim Ucadze (2), Teddy Maccarone and Avery Stauffer. Assists were delivered by Mateo Morelos and Carter Stevenson.

In the championship win, goalkeeper Lilly Karpinecz had 27 saves.

Next, it was Roosevelt’s wrestling team that captured the championship at the Fort Frye Invitational.

The Riders rose to the top of the standings with individual victories from Jacob Dunfee (120 pounds), Ka’Yir Brown (138), Gavin Edwards (165) and Ethan Humbert (215). Runners-up finishes were provided by Penny Edwards (113) and Ethan Kurtz (190).

Next, it was the Roosevelt girls swim team, who won the Akron Holiday Relay championship on Dec. 27.

The meet was hosted at the University of Akron.

The Rough Riders outscored Stow, Revere, Copley, Walsh Jesuit, Cuyahoga Falls, Tallmadge and Hoban to win the title.

Next, it was girls wrestling standout Penny Edwards’ turn.

Edwards won first place at the East Liverpool Queen of the Hill Tournament on Dec. 28.

In her five matches, she pinned all five of her opponents to take the top spot on the podium.

MILESTONES ON THE ICE

The Roosevelt ice hockey celebrated a group of milestones recently, including:

   • Teddy Maccarone: 50th career goal

   • Maxim Ucadze: 50th career goal

BASKETBALL MILESTONE

The Kent Roosevelt girls basketball team’s 46-30 victory at Crestwood on last Monday was a milestone night for veteran head coach Craig Foreman, who celebrated career win No. 200.

Foreman, in his 20th season leading the Rough Riders’ program, is just the fifth girls basketball coach in Portage County history to accomplish the achievement.

Robin Golden/Special to Portage Sports

SCORING RECORDS FOR CARDINAL

Garfield girls basketball senior standout Mandy Cardinal celebrated history two times on Saturday in a win over Brookfield.

   1. Cardinal became the seventh player in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone. She now has 1,017 points (and counting) — a remarkable feat considering she missed an entire season to a knee injury. She joins fellow 1,000-point scorers:Grayson Rose 1,698

Jenna Smith 1,646

Grace Mills 1,643

Kelly Roach 1,240

Laura McCoy 1,188

Lauren Jones 1,007

2. Cardinal set the program’s single-game scoring record with 42.

A special day for a special player.

THOMPSON’S TRIPLE-DOUBLE

Ravenna senior Jalysia Thompson had a triple-double in the Ravens’ victory over Coventry on Dec. 21.

Thompson finished with 21 points, 17 rebounds and 10 blocked shots.

COLLEGE SIGNINGS

• Jessica Mix, Southeast girls golf, West Liberty University
• Carlee Bedford, Streetsboro girls basketball, Southeastern University
• Kendall Epple, Streetsboro track and field and cross country, West Liberty University

WATERLOO INDUCTS HALL OF FAME CLASS

Waterloo High School inducted its Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2025 on Dec. 23.

The class includes:

Mackenzie Brannon

Amber Cieplinski

Vaughn Dorsey

Deagan Foster

Caleb Francis

Brooke Twichell

Sarah Wojciechowski

and the Howard Booher Family

Kyleigh Smith/Special to Portage Sports