It’s impossible to sum up the sporting contributions to Ventura County history in a single volume, never mind a single story.But the collective work under the bylines of Chuck Thomas, Jim Parker, Derry Eads, Loren Ledin, Rhiannon Potkey and their predecessors, colleagues and successors in these pages over the past century would get the job done.Since its inception, The Star’s sports department has covered the biggest moments and most minute details on and off the field over the past ten decades.As The Star marks its 100th anniversary, here are a few of the highlights:Taking the fieldHigh school sports had existed locally for years when The Star began publishing in 1925.Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

The Ventura County Athletic Association, consisting of representatives from Fillmore, Nordhoff, Oxnard, Santa Paula, Thacher and Ventura highs, had organized sports — including, baseball, boys and girls basketball, tennis and track — for more than a decade.

But The Star’s arrival coincided with the rise of high school football. Fillmore, Oxnard and Ventura contested the first local football season in 1923, with Moorpark and Santa Paula joining the next season and Simi Valley adding in 1925.More than 100 years and 114 games later, Fillmore and Santa Paula have built one of the most historic high school football rivalries in the entire country.Oxnard delivered the county’s first CIF championship in 1928, when the Ventura County champions were matched with Santa Barbara, the champion of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.Oxnard won 13-12 on “a long pass to McKenzie,” according to The Star’s Dec. 10 edition.“Oxnarders are Champions of Northern Grid Division,” blared the headline.Ventura followed in 1951, sharing the title with host Paso Robles after a 14-14 tie.Ernie Beyer’s “Preps Tie for CIF Championship” describes a title-sharing 81-yard fourth-quarter march. “Goodman” caught a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from “McCauley” and Brokaw followed with the game-tying conversion.There was controversy when spectators were informed that Paso Robles had won the game on the tiebreaker of the era — most first downs — but that was corrected.Beyer described Paso Robles final first down, its 11th to Ventura’s 10th:“It was very unspectacular — hardly the sort of thing that a CIF championship should be based upon. And, as it turned out, it wasn’t.”The competition expanded as the county and region grew after World War II.Camarillo and Hueneme were built in the 1950s. Agoura, Buena, Channel Islands, Newbury Park, Rio Mesa, Royal and Thousand Oaks came online in the 1960s. Calabasas, Oak Park and Westlake joined in the 1970s. Oaks Christian, Pacifica and Del Sol, the most recent addition, joined the fun this century.Olympic gloryBud Houser was the reigning Olympic shot put and discus champion when The Star arrived.At the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, the Oxnard High graduate defended his gold medal in the discus, breaking his own Olympic record with a toss of 155 feet, 3 inches.The August 1, 1928, edition of The Star proclaimed him “One of Few United States Stars to be Victor.”Oxnard rower Peter Donlon also won Olympic gold in Amsterdam, as the stroke of the UC Berkeley eights. He helped coach the Cal team that won the eights in Los Angeles four years later.Labeled as the “senior citizen” of the U.S. track and field team at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, 30-year-old Fillmore school teacher Mike Larrabee won the 400 meters in 45.10 seconds.The October 19, 1964, edition of The Star was emblazoned with the headline “Larrabee Good As Gold In Olympics”The Ventura High grad, who tied the world record at the U.S. Olympic Trials earlier in the year, is still the oldest Olympic champion in the event. He was also part of the gold medal-winning team in the 4×400 meters in Tokyo.The stadiums at Oxnard High and Ventura High have been renamed in honor of Houser and Larrabee, respectively.Other local gold medalists include Simi Valley’s Angela Ruggiero (ice hockey, 1998); Camarillo’s Jessica Mendoza (softball, 2004); Thousand Oaks’ Will Simpson (equestrian, 2008); Ventura’s Phil Dalhausser (beach volleyball, 2008); Camarillo’s Bob and Mike Bryan (tennis, 2012); Moorpark’s Amanda Longan (water polo, 2020); and Agoura Hill’s Tara Davis-Woodhall (long jump, 2024).Of course, track and field superstar Marion Jones won three gold medals and two bronze medals at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. But the Thousand Oaks High graduate was later stripped of the medals after admitting to taking performance-enhancing drugs as part of the infamous BALCO investigation.The Olympics actually came to Ventura County in 1984, when the rowing and canoeing events of the Los Angeles games were held at Lake Casitas.The Olympic flame was run through Ventura and Oxnard a month before the athletes’ competed, when Highway 33 was bumper to bumper with traffic. But a reader summed up the Olympic experience:“The trials, tribulations and cost of the Olympics being held in Ventura County will be a short memory, but the honor will be savored for years to come,” wrote Dwight Cates of Ventura.Sporting meccasThe Conejo Valley has developed into a distance running mecca.  Thousand Oaks’ Kim Mortensen (1996), Simi Valley’s Sarah Baxter (2013), Newbury Park’s Nico Young (2020) and Newbury Park’s Colin Sahlman (2022) have won Gatorade National Boys or Girls Runner of the Year honors.In 2024, Ventura’s Sadie Engelhardt became the sixth local to win the Gatorade National Girls Track Athlete of the Year honors, joining Mortensen, Jones (1991-93) and Rio Mesa’s Angela Burham (1988).La Colonia Boxing Gym launched the careers of Fernando Vargas and Robert Garcia and made Oxnard synonymous with the sport of boxing.“The gym took this kid with anger issues and no father to success of becoming a world champion,” Vargas told The Star in 2019. “If it wasn’t for the gym, I would be locked up in jail or dead.”Garcia has the gym tattooed on his arm.“The gym is historic building,” Garcia said. “I started there when I was 5 years old. We always represented the club on our trunks wherever we fought. The gym is where we grew up. Thousands of kids learn the sport, learned discipline.”Ojai is an internationally known tennis capital, due to The Ojai, the tennis tournament which dates back to 1896.Some of the biggest names in tennis are enshrined in the tournament’s Wall of Fame, including Billy Jean King, Jimmy Connors, Arthur Ashe, and Pete Sampras.“There is nothing comparable to playing The Ojai as a young junior growing up in Southern California,” Bob Bryan told The Star in 2024.At the batBaseball had a half-century of history in the county before The Star was around to chronicle it.Babe Ruth twice came to Santa Barbara to play against Fred Snodgrass and his Ventura All-Stars.Snodgrass, one of Ventura’s first major leaguers, was a member of the inaugural class of the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame in 1983.Babe Ruth Field was constructed at Seaside Park, where the fairgrounds parking lot sits today, and served as home to several minor league teams, including the Ventura Yankees (1947-49), the Ventura Braves (1950-52), and the Channel Cities Oilers (1953-55).The Ventura County Gulls, of the Class-A Advanced California League, played a season at Ventura College in 1986 with a roster full of several future Toronto Blue Jays, including World Series champions David Wells and Todd Stottlemyre.Santa Paula’s Jim Colborn served as the team’s pitching coach.“We hope we can shine some baseball sun on Ventura County and the Ventura community,” Colburn told The Star in January 1986.Star-Free Press reporter Eddie Ibardolasa spent a week with the Gulls at the Blue Jays’ spring training home in Dunedin, Florida.The Pacific Suns of the independent Western League played a season at Oxnard College in 1998.On the mapMany outside the state know Ventura County as the summer home of the Dallas Cowboys.They held their annual training camp at Cal Lutheran University before 27 seasons, from 1963 to 1989.Both the Cowboys and CLU — then Cal Lutheran College — were only a few years old when team president Tex Schramm struck a deal with college president Orville Dahl in 1963.“The relationship just seemed to grow out of a spirit of trust,” CLU football coach Bob Shoup told The Star in 2001. “We could be honest with one another. My relationship with Schramm and Tom Landry was marvelous. Landry became a fond admirer of Cal Lutheran University and the Conejo Valley.”The relationship with the county continues at River Ridge Fields. Owner Jerry Jones will bring “America’s Team” back next month for its 19th camp in Oxnard.CLU had a second act with the National Football League when the Rams returned to Los Angeles and set up their temporary football headquarters on CLU’s North Campus from 2016 until 2024.The facility is now home to Angel City FC of the National Women’s Soccer League.“This new dedicated performance center … lives up to our ambitions, setting a new bar for what professional athletes need to become champions on the pitch and support their needs off the pitch,” Angel City president Julie Uhrman said last year.Lately, soccer has also been a professional summer pastime locally.The Ventura County Fusion won the United Soccer League’s Premier Development League title in 2009, beating the Chicago Fire Under-23s 2-1 at Buena High.The Los Angeles Galaxy also moved its reserve team to CLU last summer, creating Ventura County FC and bringing MLS Next soccer to Thousand Oaks.Joe Curley has been a staff writer for The Star from 2000. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcsjoecurley on Twitter/X, Instagram/Threads, Facebook and Bluesky.

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The North defeated the South 119-86 in the North-South All-Star Boys Basketball Classic on Friday night at South Charleston Community Center.

(Photos and highlights by Teran Malone)

• Live updates of Lake Center Christian vs. Bloomdale Elmwood in OHSAA Division VI baseball state semifinal.
• Lake Center tries to become first Stark County baseball team to make state final since Jackson won state championship in 2017.
• Lake Center enters first state semifinal in school history at 27-4, while Elmwood (playing in its second final four) is 22-8.

CANTON — A berth in the OHSAA state championship is on the line when the Lake Center Christian School baseball team faces Bloomdale Elmwood in a Division VI state semifinal today at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. 

Follow along below for live updates throughout the day. 

FINAL: Lake Center Christian 10, Bloomdale Elmwood 1

Brayden Myers throws a complete-game one-hitter to improve to 12-1 on the season and Luke Heckert has three hits and three RBIs for the Tigers (28-4). Lake Center moves on to face Hiland in tomorrow’s 1 p.m. state final at Canal Park. Elmwood finishes the season at 22-9.

Lake Center adds two more runs

The Tigers make it 10-1 in the top of the seventh with two runs, including another Luke Heckert RBI. Lake Center is three outs from the state championship game.

Lake Center gets the run back on Elmwood

Luke Heckert drills a leadoff triple and scores a couple of batters later on a Nathan Bryant sacrifice fly. The Tigers lead 8-1 in the middle of the sixth. Heckert is 3-for-4 on the day.

Elmwood gets on the board vs. Lake CenterThe Royals get their first hit off Brayden Myers, who also walked three in the bottom of the fifth. But Myers limits the damage to just one run scoring on a wild pitch. Lake Center Christian leads 7-1 as we head to the sixth. Zack Gross in to pitch for Elmwood.Lake Center extends advantage on Elmwood to 7-0Chance Klingelhofer walks with the bases loaded to score one run and Grant Coblentz drives in another with a fielder’s choice for his second RBI of the day. The Tigers lead 7-0 in the middle of the fifth.Lead grows for Lake Center Christian vs. ElmwoodLuke Heckert strikes again, with his RBI single scoring Chance Klingelhofer and making it 5-0 Tigers in the middle of the fourth. Heckert has a pair of RBI singles today.Lake Center Christian leads 4-0 in OHSAA state semifinalAnother Elmwood error leads to Brayden Myers eventually scoring on a wild pitch in the top of the third. Myers then proceeds to work a 1-2-3 bottom half. He has allowed no hits, walked one and struck out four as we head to the fourth inning.Lake Center adds to advantage on ElmwoodThe Royals are not sharp early, and it is costing them. An error and a couple of wild pitches lead to RBI singles from Grant Coblentz and Luke Heckert. Lake Center leads Elmwood 3-0 in the middle of the second.Tigers lead Elmwood 1-0 after the first inningBrayden Myers works a hitless bottom of the first, striking out one and walking one. First baseman Jacob Rainieri due up in the second for Lake Center.Lake Center takes an early leadNathan Bryant’s two-out RBI single scores Colton Smilek and puts the Tigers ahead 1-0 after the top of the first. An Elmwood error extended the inning, allowing Bryant to come to bat. Smilek had doubled with one out.Lake Center Christian and Elmwood underway in OHSAA D6 state semifinalThe Tigers are the visitors and batting first, with Grant Coblentz leading off against Elmwood’s Landon Snow.Today’s starting pitchers for Lake Center Christian and ElmwoodJunior right-hander Brayden Myers will be on the mound for the Tigers. Senior right-hander Landon Snow is pitching for the Royals.Getting to know the Lake Center Christian Tigers Lake Center baseball makes the first state final four appearance for any team sport in school history. The Tigers began fielding varsity athletic teams during the 2004-05 school year. Lake Center broke through to state after falling in regional semifinals the previous two years. The Tigers ranked No. 2 in Ohio in the final coaches association state poll. 

Pitching duel on deck for Lake Center and Elmwood? 

Both Lake Center (27-4) and Elmwood (22-8) bring some serious pitching to this matchup. Junior right-hander Brayden Myers tossed a shutout in Lake Center’s 10-0 five-inning regional semifinal win against Rootstown. He is 11-1 with a 1.47 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 62 innings. The Tigers also have junior starter Nathan Bryant (6-3, 3.55 ERA) and sophomore reliever Caleb Shelley (6-0, two saves, 0.45 ERA). Bryant is an Ohio State recruit. Landon Snow threw a seven-walk, 10-strikeout no-hitter in Elmwood’s 8-0 regional semifinal win. Zackery Gross followed with a two-hit complete-game win during an 8-1 regional final victory. Gross struck out nine and walked three. 

Stark County high school baseball at state Lake Center tries to become the first Stark County high school baseball team to make a state final since Jackson won the 2017 Division I state title. The Tigers are the first county team to make the final four since Central Catholic lost in a Division III state semifinal to Archbold 3-2 in 2021. 

What’s next for Lake Center or Elmwood in OHSAA Tournament? 

The Lake Center-Elmwood winner will face Hiland at Canal Park in Akron in a Sunday state final on June 15. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Father’s Day. Hiland beat Sherwood Fairview 4-2 in today’s first semifinal.

Reach Josh at josh.weir@cantonrep.com

On X: @jweirREP

Four teams placed three players apiece on the 2025 Huntsville Times baseball Terrific 22.

The Terrific 22 honors the top players in the Huntsville area regardless of class, position or school year.

Related: Meet the 2025 All-State baseball team

The list includes players from Jackson, Limestone, Madison, Marshall and Morgan counties. The Terrific 22 also honors a player, newcomer and coach of the year, with the players also considered part of the team.

Here is the 2025 Huntsville Times Terrific 22:

Steven Cavaco, IF, Huntsville, Sr.

The Ohio State baseball signee batted .355 for Huntsville as a senior and posted a 1.156 OPS at the plate. He finished with 10 doubles and six home runs while driving in 24 runners and going 10-for-11 on stolen base attempts. Cavaco was a second team all-state pick in Class 7A.

Jace Meadows, P, Hartselle, Sr.

The Class 6A Pitcher of the Year went 11-1 with a 0.94 ERA on the mound for the Class 6A state champion Tigers this season. A UAH baseball signee, Meadows struck out 77 batters across 67 innings of work this season.

Memphis Scott, IF, Madison County, Sr.

The senior batted .487 and posted a 1.527 OPS for a Madison County team that advanced to the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs. A UAH baseball signee, Scott hit 12 doubles and four home runs to go along with 17 RBIs. He claimed second team all-state honors.

Charlie Cassingham, P/IF, Grissom, Sr.

Cassingham contributed on both sides of the ball for a Grissom team that finished ranked in the top 10 of Class 7A. A second-team all-state pick, Cassingham finished with a 2.29 ERA on the mound with 75 strikeouts and a 1.01 WHIP. The South Alabama signee batted .321 at the plate with 26 RBIs and went 17-for-17 on stolen base attempts.

Luke Murrell, IF/OF, Athens Bible, So.

The first team all-state pick in Class 1A batted .565 with 15 doubles, six triples and a home run for Athens Bible, which advanced to the second round of the playoffs. He posted a 1.528 OPS and logged 28 RBIs while going 19-for-20 on stolen base attempts.

Asher Doepel, UTL, Hartselle, Jr.

The Class 6A state championship MVP batted .325 and logged 38 hits for the Class 6A No. 1-ranked Tigers this season. He also played a key part of Hartselle’s pitching staff, throwing 125 pitches to earn the save in the second game and the win in the third of the Class 6A championship series.

Luke Gilbert, IF, Pisgah, Sr.

The Jacksonville State football signee batted .469 with a 1.521 OPS for Pisgah this season, going 24-for-26 on stolen base attempts. He hit six doubles, eight triples and four home runs while logging 25 RBIs for the Eagles.

Myles Johnson, P/OF, Madison Academy, Sr.

The first team all-state pick in Class 5A batted .436 and posted a 1.224 OPS for Madison Academy this season. He finished with 16 doubles, six home runs and 35 RBIs. On the mound, the Eastern Kentucky signee had a 1.44 ERA with 64 strikeouts across 68 innings of work.

Zack Johnson, DH, Bob Jones, Sr.

The Alabama baseball signee claimed first team all-state honors this season after batting .443 with a 1.109 OPS for the Class 7A Patriots. He finished with 51 hits and 29 RBIs while logging seven doubles and four home runs.

Luke Holbrook, P/IF, Whitesburg Christian, Sr.

Holbrook finished with a 1.11 ERA and struck out 127 batters across 63 innings pitched (14.1 K/7) as a senior for the Warriors, which advanced to the third round of the Class 3A playoffs. He also batted .436 and posted a 1.319 OPS with seven home runs, seven doubles and 40 RBIs.

Dillon Adkins, OF, Bob Jones, Sr.

The Austin Peay baseball commit batted .328 while hitting 10 doubles and nine home runs for the Patriots, which advanced to the Class 7A state semifinals this season. He racked up 35 RBIs and posted a 1.072 OPS, claiming all-state honors.

Conner Drake, P/IF, Madison County, Jr.

Drake batted .443 and had a 1.114 OPS this season for Madison County, also going 23-for-25 on stolen base attempts. The junior finished with 29 RBIs and crossed home plate 28 times, only striking out four times in 97 at-bats while drawing 14 walks.

Jack Doyle, P, Madison Academy, Sr.

The Class 5A Pitcher of the Year finished with a 1.37 ERA and 1.15 WHIP for Madison Academy, which advanced to the Class 5A state semifinals this season. The UAH baseball signee struck out 79 batters across 71 1/3 innings of work and posted a 10-4 record.

Olsen Howard, P/SS, Decatur Heritage, Sr.

The Class 2A Hitter of the Year posted a 1.689 OPS and batted .527 for Decatur Heritage this season, hitting 11 home runs and 13 doubles. He racked up 62 RBIs and posted a .590 on-base percentage. He also finished with a 2.39 ERA and an 8-3 record on the mound, striking out 63 batters across 38 innings.

Andrew Oelke, P/IF, Buckhorn, Sr.

Oelke finished with a 1.94 ERA and struck out 85 batters across 54 innings of work for the Bucks this season, also claiming all-state honors. At the plate, he batted .404 with 11 home runs and 11 doubles, totaling 45 RBIs and scoring 24 runs.

Trey Greenwell, OF, Decatur, Sr.

Greenwell claimed first team all-state honors in Class 6A this season, batting .372 with a 1.115 OPS for Decatur. He went 17-for-18 on stolen base attempts while hitting seven doubles, three triples and four home runs to log 17 RBIs.

Andrew Beaverson, IF/DH, Hazel Green, Jr.

The first team all-state pick batted .490 and posted a 1.229 OPS for Hazel Green this season, putting down 11 doubles and driving in 30 runners. He crossed home plate 33 times and logged 47 hits.

Jace Duckett, UTL, Madison County, So.

Last year’s Huntsville Times Newcomer of the Year, Duckett batted .430 and posted a 1.475 OPS for Madison County as a sophomore. He went 19-for-20 on stolen base attempts, hitting 12 doubles, six triples and six home runs. The first team all-state pick finished the year with 46 RBIs.

Tee Foster, IF, Madison Academy, Sr.

The shortstop batted .413 for Madison Academy this season, totaling 59 hits and crossing home plate 38 times. The first team all-state pick finished with 34 RBIs and put down 14 doubles, posting a 1.028 OPS.

Braden Abernathy, IF, Buckhorn, Sr.

The second team all-state pick in Class 6A batted .455 and posted a 1.258 OPS for Buckhorn. He finished with 14 doubles, four triples and six home runs while logging 32 RBIs and scoring 44 times. He also went 16-for-17 on stolen base attempts.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Tanner Hermesch, P/IF, Bob Jones, Sr.

The Class 7A Pitcher of the Year shined for the Patriots, finishing the year with a 1.14 ERA and a 12-1 record on the mound. The Shelton State signee posted a 0.82 WHIP and struck out 126 batters while walking just 17 across 85 2/3 innings pitched for Bob Jones, which advanced to the Class 7A state semifnals.

RECENT PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS

2024 – Tanner Hermesch, Bob Jones

2024 – Braden Booth, Bob Jones *

2023 – Coleman Mizell, Hartselle

2022 – Elliott Bray, Hartselle; Alex Wade, Madison Academy

2021 – Slate Alford, Bob Jones

2020 – No winner due to COVID-19 pandemic

2019 – Jordan Beck, Hazel Green

2018 – Garrett Wade, Hartselle

2017 – Tanner Burns, Decatur

2016 – Tanner Burns, Decatur

2015 – Brax Garrett, Florence *

2014 – Cody Reed, Ardmore *

2013 – Brett Blackwood, Hartselle (player/hitter); Cody Reed, Ardmore (pitcher)

2012 – Kyle Wright, Buckhorn (player); Trey Wingenter, Bob Jones (pitcher); Daniel Garner, Sparkman (hitter)

2011 – Andrew Dennis, Huntsville (player); Daniel Koger,* Huntsville (pitcher)

2010 – Stafford Booth, Madison Academy (player); Dillon Ortman, Grissom (pitcher)

2009 – Luke Bole,* Hartselle (player); Chad Girodo, Hartselle (pitcher)

2008 – Kody Ortman, Grissom (player); Corey Williams, Madison Academy (pitcher)

2007 – Hunter Morris, Grissom (player); Corey Williams, Madison Academy (pitcher)

* Won Alabama’s Mr. Baseball award

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Easton Nelms, P/IF, Hartselle, Sr.

The first team all-state pick in Class 6A batted .350 this season for Hartselle with 11 doubles and 26 RBIs after moving from Florence. A Samford baseball signee, he went 16-for-18 on stolen base attempts and posted a .957 OPS.

RECENT NEWCOMERS OF THE YEAR

2025 – Easton Nelms, Hartselle

2024 – Jace Duckett, Madison County

2023 – Tee Foster, Madison Academy

2022 – Bryant Sparkman, Decatur Heritage

COACH OF THE YEAR

Brad Phillips, Hartselle

The first-year coach guided Hartselle to a Class 6A state titles after beating Chelsea in Games 2 and 3 of the championship series. The Tigers finished 35-8 and ranked No. 1 in Class 6A.

The championship came one season after the passing of legendary coach William Booth, who died while 2024 state finals were happening. Phillips, who spent six years on the South Alabama coaching staff, was hired last season to lead the Tigers, who graduated 11 seniors from its 2024 runner-up squad.

RECENT COACH OF THE YEAR WINNERS

2025 – Brad Phillips, Hartselle

2024 – Jake Miles, John Hall, Keith Wright, Jacob Cole, Hartselle

2023 – Robby Seemann, St. John Paul II

2022 – Steve Meek, Decatur Heritage

2021 – William Booth, Hartselle

2020 – No winner due to COVID-19 pandemic

2019 – Jared Smith, Bob Jones

2018 – Frankie Perez, Hazel Green

2017 – Andrew Smith, Ardmore

2016 – Mike Good, Madison Academy, and Jared Smith, Bob Jones

2015 – Lee Hall, Randolph

2014 – Kellen Greer, Sparkman

2013 – Jeff Bell, Bob Jones

2012 – Roger Wright, Buckhorn

2011 – Mark Mincher, Huntsville

2010 – Adam Moseley, Grissom

2009 – Mike Good, Madison Academy

2008 – Kellen Greer, Sparkman

2007 – Roger Wright, Buckhorn

HUNTSVILLE-AREA 2025 HONORABLE MENTIONS

Hudson Marks, UTL, Athens, Jr.

Carson Harvey, P, North Sand Mountain, Jr.

Jeremiah Killian, C, Collinsville, So.

Chase Utley, IF, Whitesburg Christian, Fr.

Tyler Pierce, P, Boaz, Sr.

Dawson Cambron, UTL, New Hope, Sr.

Bryant Sparkman, OF, Decatur Heritage, Sr.

Jaden Charles, OF, Hazel Green, Sr.

Cruise Baker, OF, Hartselle, Jr.

Sage Bennett, IF, Boaz, So.

Ashton Dickey, OF, Athens, Sr.

Trent Wilson, C, Scottsboro, Sr.

Joshua Burrell, UTL, Grissom, Sr.

Ty Marsh, IF, Hartselle, Sr.

Paxton Tarver, P, Decatur Heritage, Sr.

Connor Stiles, P, Hartselle, Jr.

Cam Martin, IF, Bob Jones, Sr.

Harris Penley, C, Decatur, Jr.

Cole Miles, OF, Hartselle, Jr.

Trey Harville, OF, Austin, Fr.

Hudson Smith, C, James Clemens, So.

Cole Spainer, P/IF, Bob Jones, Jr.

Carter Lee, P, Hartselle, Jr.

Submitted photo
Julian Harlan is the winner of the 2025 America’s Field Trip Contest.

ELKINS — Elkins High School sophomore Julian Harlan has been selected as the top essay award winner for the 2025 America’s Field Trip Contest, a national competition held in celebration of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.

The prestigious award, which is organized by America250, highlights students who reflect on the question, “What does America mean to you?” Harlan’s essay brought attention to the challenges facing those from rural communities and the stereotypes that surround Appalachia.

“I’ve watched movies and television shows that claim to depict my home, only to see an exaggerated distortion — people with missing teeth, clad in overalls, speaking in a thick, almost foreign drawl,” Harlan writes in her essay. “These portrayals are far from the truth. The people of Appalachia are resourceful and hardworking. They innovate, build, and preserve traditions that define the true American Spirit.”

Harlan also writes in her essay that, “America is built on the promise of opportunity — a place where anyone, regardless of background, can achieve success through hard work and termination. But the reality is that opportunity is not as universal as we are led to believe.”

Harlan, who is the only recipient of any kind from West Virginia to win the contest, was rewarded with a trip to Texas for her essay win. Through a private guided tour, Harlan will explore more than 300 years of American history at the iconic Alamo in San Antonio. She will also visit the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library in Austin during her trip where she will be treated to a behind-the-scenes tour where she will see rare artifacts not typically on display to the public.

“We are really proud of Julian for winning this contest,” Harlan’s mother, Trenna Robinson, told the Inter-Mountain. “She was picked as one of 25 in the entire nation and was actually awarded the top essay in the United States. So it was a pretty big deal for her. She was happy that her teacher won $1,000 and she received an all expense paid trip.”

Harlan’s teacher, Amanda Sacks, was also awarded a $1,000 prize for her guidance in the nationwide competition, which drew entries from students in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. 

Harlan is no stranger to success in academic competitions as she has captured back-to-back state titles in the West Virginia American Legion Oratorical. She finished runner-up at the national event in 2024 and in third place this year. 

“She has been doing some really cool things,” said Robinson. “I knew when she submitted her essay for this contest that it was a good one. It was really exciting when we found out that she had won.”

Harlan, who will depart for her trip to Texas on Aug. 5, has four siblings Taelynn Harlan, Levi Harlan, Sawyer Robinson and Barrett Robinson.  She is the daughter of George Harlan and Trenna and Brandon Robinson. 

PHOTO PROVIDED
2024 Pennsylvania State Laurel Queen Liliana Kilgore will crown her successor on June 21.

The 83rd Annual Pennsylvania State Laurel Festival with activities for all ages gets underway this Saturday, June 14 and continues through Sunday, June 22 in Wellsboro.

According to a news release, kicking off the festival on Saturday, June 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. rain or shine is Family Day and the Children’s Health Fair on The Green. There will be 45 booths with information, activities, such as games to play for prizes, an obstacle course, creative projects to do on-site and take home, such as cow crafts, planting seeds, and making sun bead key chains, suncatchers, window clings and sun visors, and giveaways, like assorted toys, reflective zipper pulls, reusable bags, stickers, etc. Each youngster participating in Family Day will be given a free playground ball or an 18-inch super flying disc to take home. Infants to 12-year-olds will be fitted with free bike helmets while supplies last.

This Sunday, June 15 is the Pet Parade. Children, 12 and under, with decorated bicycles and pets of all types from dogs and cats to horses and lambs will gather for registration and judging at 12:25 p.m. in the Packer Park picnic area behind the Wellsboro Active Living Center (Senior Center) parking lot on Queen Street. At 1:30 p.m., the parade will leave the park, travel up Main Street to The Green for award presentations. Each child entering a pet or a decorated bike has to fill out a registration form to participate in the Pet Parade. Only one pet or one bike per child will be judged.

Questions can be answered by calling the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce office at 570-724-1926.

Every night, Monday, June 16 through Friday, June 20, will be a free concert with different entertainers. Donations are always appreciated.

On Friday, June 20 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 21 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., the annual Arts & Crafts Fair with 80 artisans, 13 of them new, will be on The Green with unique, handcrafted items and more than 20 vendors will be on the International Street of Foods offering delectable delights

According to the news release, Friday at noon on the Tioga County Courthouse steps is the welcome for last year’s Laurel Queen and the 2025 queen candidates.

Twenty-four young women are competing for the crown — including five from Lycoming County.

Emily Kime is representing Williamsport Area High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.

She is the daughter of Kerri Kime of Montoursville and Eric Kime of Linden.

Miss Kime was on high honor roll as a freshman and sophomore and on distinguished honor roll as a junior and senior.

All four years of high school she was a member of Model UN. Miss Kime was a superior delegate at the Pennsylvania College of Technology Model UN conventions. She also won “Best Peer Award” at the Bloomsburg University Model UN and was the runner-up for “Best Paper Award”. She was a varsity cheerleader for four years. She received the Coach’s Award as a freshman; the “Most Spirited” Award as a sophomore; was named “Outstanding Varsity Sideline Athlete” as a junior; and was team captain as a senior. Miss Kime was also a four-year member of the honors orchestra and of the Strolling Strings of Williamsport, a youth orchestra where she served as social events coordinator in her senior year.

Cali Barnes, a junior, is representing Montgomery Area High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.

She is the daughter of Christine and Jeffrey Barnes of Clinton Township and will be a high school senior this fall.

As a freshman, sophomore, and junior, Miss Barnes has achieved distinguished honor roll every semester; is a three-year member of the Leo Club through the local Lions Club; has served as a choreographer for competitive gymnastics youth programs and has competed at a Level 9 in gymnastics through the Dynamats Gymnastics Center in Muncy, earning multiple awards at various meets over the years. Highlights are: as a freshman, she took second place in vault at the State Championship Meet and third place in beam at the Regional Championship. As a sophomore, she took fourth place in vault and sixth place in beam at the State Championship Meet.

As a junior, Miss Barnes played varsity tennis and varsity softball, participated in cheerleading, was named Athlete of the Week, was a member of the Virtuoso-Drama Club, and of DECA, which prepares emerging student leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. As a sophomore, she was president of her class, the Class of 2026, and as a freshman, was a member of Student Council.

Alizabeth Schuler is representing South Williamsport Junior-Senior High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.

She is the daughter of Meriam Scott and Christopher Schuler of South Williamsport.

All four years of high school, Miss Schuler was on the distinguished honor roll and played varsity girls softball. From her freshman through her senior year, she was the team pitcher and the shortstop and served as team captain as a junior and senior. She also played varsity girls volleyball as the outside hitter all four years and was the team captain as a senior. Miss Schuler volunteered to raise money for the Four Diamonds Foundation for research for pediatric cancer. She was a very active Mini-THON member-organizing, setting up, and cleaning up for the 12-hour dance marathon fundraisers. She worked the concession stand at football games and passed the donation can to raise more funds. From her freshman through her senior years, she was a member of Students Against Destructive Decisions and served as a club representative officer as a junior and senior. Miss Schuler was inducted into the National Honor Society as a sophomore and was a member as a junior and senior. She helped with the NHS blood drive by working and donating blood all three years.

Alice Ravert, a junior, is representing Montoursville Area High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.

She is the daughter of Susan and John Ravert of Montoursville and will be a high school senior this fall.

Her mother, nee Susan Renee Fitzgibbon, represented Warrior Run High School as a Laurel Queen candidate in 1995.

All three years of high school, Miss Ravert achieved honor roll every semester and was a member of concert band, jazz band, marching band, concert choir, Key Club, the Ville a capella choir, high school musical theatre club, high school theatre arts club, Spanish Club, and the Lady Warriors Tennis Team. Miss Ravert plays flute and piano for the concert band, served as librarian as a sophomore and treasurer as a junior. She plays piano for the jazz band and flute for the marching band and served as drum major as a junior. She sings soprano one in the concert choir, was librarian as a freshman, secretary as a sophomore and vice president as a junior. Miss Ravert was a member of the Ville a capella choir, singing soprano one from her freshman through her junior years.

Miss Ravert was a member of the high school musical theatre club, serving as secretary as a sophomore. As a freshman, she had a featured role and was an ensemble member in musicals. As a sophomore, she had a lead role.

Hayley Green is representing Muncy Junior-Senior High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.

She is the daughter of Brandie and Seth Green of Muncy Creek Township.

All four years of high school, Miss Green was a member of the Future Business Leaders of America. She qualified for the FBLA state competition as a junior and senior. She also played on the varsity girls’ tennis team, serving as a co-captain in her junior and senior years.

As a sophomore, junior, and senior, Miss Green was vice president of the Class of 2025. As a junior and senior, she was a member of the National Honor Society and as a junior was on the Prom Committee.

These past two years, Miss Green has been employed part-time, working evenings and weekends for Hoopla’s Family Fun in Pennsdale near the old Lycoming Mall.

Carys Barlett is representing Wellsboro Area High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.

She is the daughter of Courtney and Eric Barlett of Wellsboro.

All four years of high school, Miss Barlett was on distinguished honor roll and was in the GIEP enrichment program. She volunteered to work at the Booster Club concession stand during various school sports events.

As a freshman, sophomore, and junior, Miss Barlett played varsity soccer. After suffering a concussion, she switched to playing varsity tennis as a senior and was team captain. She was named “Tennis Newcomer of the Year” and selected for the Northern Tier League’s All-Star First Team. As a sophomore, junior, and senior, she served on the leadership committee in the school connectors’ program. Miss Barlett was inducted into the National Honor Society. as a sophomore and served as secretary as a junior and senior. She also volunteered with the National Honor Society’s highway cleanup program through PennDOT.

Katelyn Pasteur is representing North Penn-Liberty High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.

She is the daughter of Dorothea and Randall Pasteur of Morris.

All four years of high school, Miss Pasteur has been an active member of Christ Church in Wellsboro, helping with Sunday school and Vacation Bible School, and attending youth group.

As a sophomore, junior, and senior, Miss Pasteur was a Student Council member and a volunteer who helped with elementary school field days.

As a junior and senior, she was a member of the National Honor Society, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and served as secretary of the Class of 2025. She was a member of Key Club, serving as vice president as a senior.

As a sophomore and junior, she was a member of Aevidum, a mental health awareness club, and went caroling at area nursing homes and group homes. As a freshman and sophomore, Miss Pasteur was on the JV volleyball team. As a senior, she was Yearbook Club president. During her junior year, she volunteered for Veterans’ Day assembly planning and worked with the Class of 2024 in a youth leadership program. As a sophomore, she volunteered every Friday with the CHOP Program at the elementary school.

According to the news release, at 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 20, Molly’s Boys Jug Band will open the Laurel Queen’s Preview on the Deane Center’s outdoor stage. The 24 queen candidates will be introduced at 5 p.m. and the band will close the event with music.

The Laurel Festival 10K at 9 a.m. and Two-Mile Fun Run at 9:05 a.m. will start events on Saturday, June 21. Registration for both will be from 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. at Packer Park on Queen Street.

At 2 p.m. will be the Laurel Festival Parade with floats, queens, top-notch drum and bugle corps, bagpipers, high school marching bands, antique vehicles and more.

At Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. coronation ceremony, the 2025 Pennsylvania State Laurel Queen will be crowned, the news release said.

On Sunday, June 22 at 10:30 a.m., the festival will end with the Union Church Service on The Green.

For more information about festival events, contact the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce by stopping in at 114 Main Street in Wellsboro, by calling 570-724-1926, emailing info@wellsboropa.com or visiting wellsboropa.com.