VW independent sports/submitted information
CELINA — The Van Wert track and field teams battled both tough competition and challenging weather conditions Tuesday night, as a storm-shortened tri-meet brought an early end to action against Celina and Crestview.
Despite the limited schedule, Van Wert athletes made the most of their opportunities, turning in several standout performances and even rewriting parts of the program’s record book.
Leading the way was Flannery Foster, who delivered an outstanding performance in the girls discus. Foster launched a throw of 118 feet, 3 inches to win the event, a mark that moves her up to 5th all-time in Van Wert history, a significant milestone early in the season.
On the track, Haven Hunt sprinted to a strong second-place finish in the girls 100-meter dash with a time of 12.98. That performance not only earned key team points but also places her 8th all-time in Van Wert history in the event.
In the boys 100-meter dash, Micah Cowan turned in an impressive effort, finishing second with a time of 11.46 in a highly competitive field.
Van Wert also showed depth in distance events, with solid finishes in both the girls 4×800 relay and the 1600-meter run, while the boys 4×200 relay team added a runner-up finish.
“Although the meet was cut short due to weather, the Cougars proved they are building momentum,” head coach Nate Hoverman said. “With early-season marks already climbing into the record books, Van Wert looks poised for continued success as the season progresses.”
Celina finished first on both the girls’ and boys’ side with 52 and 35 points respectively. On the girls’ side, Van Wert was second with 30 points while Crestview was third with 11 points. On the boys’ side, Crestview was second with 23 points and Van Wert finished with 13 points.
Drayden Hoffman led Crestview with a first place finish in the 100 meter dash (11.39), while the 4×200 relay team of Brentyn Rodriguez, Liam Putman, Braxton Leeth and Hoffman finished first (1:35.04).
POSTED: 04/15/26 at 8:30 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports
VW independent sports
Tennis
Van Wert 5 Bath 0
LIMA — The Cougars earned their first win of the season with Tuesday’s 5-0 sweep of Bath.
Van Wert dominated each of the matches, with Zach Stoller posting a 6-0, 6-1 win at first singles. Cole Story won 2-6, 6-1, 6-0 at second singles and Beau Bear won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles. The first doubles team of Ben Verville and Kazmyn Moynihan won 6-0, 6-0, while Kole Swander and Jacob McComas won 6-0, 6-0.
Van Wert will play at Ottawa-Glandorf on Thursday.
Baseball
Elida 9 Van Wert 1
ELIDA — Van Wert was held to just two hits and the Cougars fell to Elida 9-1 on Tuesday.
Easton Putman and Zander Coleman had Van Wert’s only hits, including Coleman’s RBI double in the fifth inning. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs piled up 10 hits and scored three runs in the opening inning and six more in the third.
Van Wert (4-3, 1-1 WBL) will host Bath on Friday.
POSTED: 04/14/26 at 8:35 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports
The Lincolnview Lancers celebrated their memorable 2025-2026 boys basketball season during the program’s annual banquet on Sunday. Varous awards and accolades were given out, including scholar-athlete awards (above, left to right): Seth Brant, Chayse Overholt, Max Hammons, Holden Price, Marshall Hammons, Gavin Evans and Grant Zielke. All-NWC honors (below, left to right) were earned by Chayse Overholt (honorable mention), Max Hammons (first team), Gavin Evans (first team) and Marshall Hammons (honorable mention). The Lancer Award (bottom) went to Gavin Evans, while Offensive MVP was Max Hammons. Holden Price was named Defensive MVP. Lincolnview finished the season 22-6 and won NWC, sectional, district and regional championships and a berth in the Division VI state semifinals. Photos submitted
POSTED: 04/14/26 at 12:22 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports
VW independent sports
Baseball
Fairview 5 Van Wert 2
Fairview snapped a 2-2 tie with three runs in the top of the seventh inning and the Apaches defeated Van Wert 5-2 on Monday.
Griffin McCracken and Jace Huebner each had two hits for the Cougars. Alex Benner singled in a run in the bottom of the first to give Van Wert a 1-0 lead and McCracken tied the game with an RBI single in the fourth.
Van Wert (4-2) will travel to Elida today.
Lincolnview 14 Marion Local 3 (five innings)
Grant Zielke hit a grand slam home run in the third and Lincolnview rolled from there with a 14-3 win over Marion Local on Monday.
Holden Price also drove in four runs, including a three run triple in the fourth, as the Lancers scored all of their runs in the third and fourth innings. Seth Brant also accounted for three RBIs. Chayse Overholt, Price, Seth Brant, Gavin Evans, Zielke and Max Hammons each had two hits in the game. Evans pitched the first four innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Hammons pitched the remaining inning and alled a run on one hit.
Lincolnview (6-0, 2-0 NWC) will host Miller City on Wednesday.
Lima Central Catholic 4 Crestview 2
LIMA — Nathan Speicher’s two run homer in the bottom of the seventh gave Lima Central Catholic a 4-2 walk off win over Crestview on Monday.
Crestview tied the game 1-1 when Owen Heckler scored on a passed ball in the third, then took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on an RBI single by Denver McDougall. Heckler took the loss on the mound, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits with a strikeout and a walk.
Crestview (0-5, 0-2 NWC) will travel to Bath on Wednesday.
Softball
Crestview 16 Lima Central Catholic 3
LIMA — Kaci Gregory had four hits, including a solo home run, three RBIs and scored two runs to lead Crestview to a 16-3 win over Lima Central Catholic on Monday.
Alli Thatcher had three hits and three RBIs, while Delanie Balliet Emily Heth each drove in two runs. Thatcher earned the win, allowing three runs on nine hits with two strikeouts.
Crestview (3-7, 1-1 NWC) will host Miller City on Wednesday.
Lincolnview 10 Bath 6
Lincolnview built up a 10-3 lead and went on to defeat Bath 10-6 on Monday.
Bath led 3-1 in the bottom of the third but Lainey Spear changed that with a three run home run to center field. Quinlyn Walker drove in two runs and Emme Stevens, Ansley Schwab, Bella Hire and Avery Hoaglin each had an RBI. Ila Hughes earned the win with 11 strikeouts and a walk. She allowed six runs (four earned) on 12 hits.
Lincolnview (7-3) will play at Van Wert on Wednesday.
Tennis
Elida 4 Van Wert 1
Beau Bear recorded a 6-3, 7-5 win at third singles, but Elida topped Van Wert 4-1 on Tuesday.
The Cougars will travel to Bath today.
POSTED: 04/13/26 at 9:57 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports
VW independent sports
Softball
Van Wert 10 Kenton 0 (five innings)
KENTON — Lauren Gearhart, Isabella Wise and Grace Kitson each drove in two runs to lead Van Wert to a 10-0 over Kenton on Saturday. Emma Haynes had two hits, including a triple, while Gearhart smacked a pair of doubles. Wise, Kitson, Layla Sudduth and A Roehm also had two hits apiece in the win. On the mound, Emma West allowed five hits and struck out seven.
Van Wert (2-4, 1-1 WBL) will host Kenton on Tuesday.
Celina 12 Crestview 2
Marion Local 10 Crestview 4
CONVOY — In a quad match in Convoy, the Lady Knights dropped a pair of games on Saturday.
Celina scored six runs in the first on the way to a 12-2, five inning win over Crestview. Kylie Williams had two of Crestview’s three hits and scored on a steal of home in the fourth inning. Lyric Temple scored on a wild pitch in the fifth.
In a 10-4 loss to Marion Local, the Flyers scored eight runs in the opening inning. Violet Dirr led Crestview with three hits in the game, while Kylie Williams and Kaci Gregory each had two hits.
Crestview (2-7) will play at Lima Central Catholic today.
Marion Local 12 Lincolnview 1
Lincolnview 4 Celina 0
CONVOY — At the Crestview Quad, a first inning RBI single by Ila Hughes gave Lincolnview a 1-0 lead but Marion Local answered with six runs in the second and went on to defeat the Lancers 12-1.
Flyer pitcher Haley Everman held Lincolnview to just three hits, while striking out 10 and walking two.
Against Celina, Hughes held the Bulldogs to three hits and the Lancers posted a 4-0 win. Two of Lincolnview’s runs came in the fourth on back-to-back solo home runs by Ansley Schwab and Hughes.
Lincolnview (6-3) will host Bath today.
(more…)POSTED: 04/12/26 at 8:43 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports
VW independent sports/submitted information
LIMA — The Van Wert Cougars traveled to Bath High School to compete in Friday’s Eherensman Memorial Invitational to face a large and competitive field of teams from across the area. The Cougars turned in a number of strong performances, highlighted by personal records and top finishes.
On the girls side, Haven Hunt led the way with an impressive day in the sprints, placing second in the 100-meter dash (12.96) and capturing a first-place finish in the 200 meters with a personal-best time of 27.15. Senior Harper Roop also contributed in the 200 meters, finishing sixth with a personal-best 28.98.
The distance group continued to shine, with Symphony Schuerman placing fourth in the 3200 meters and seventh in the 1600, while Ruby Dicke and Leah Krites both competed well in the distance events, with Krites earning a top-10 finish in the 800 meters.
In the relays, the 4×200 team of Lily Greve, Harper Roop, Livie Parrish, and Haven Hunt placed fifth, while the 4×400 relay team also secured a top-five finish. The 4×800 relay added another strong showing, finishing fourth overall.
In the field events, Flannery Foster had a standout performance, placing second in the discus and fifth in the shot put. Katie Kramer also contributed with a solid effort in the throws.
As a team, the Cougars (66 team points) finished third behind Ottawa-Glandorf (145) and Bluffton (96).
On the boys’ side, Van Wert finished 10th. Micah Cowan led the sprint group with a pair of top-eight finishes, placing sixth in the 100 meters (11.56) and seventh in the 200 meters (24.06), both personal-best performances.
The distance squad once again provided key contributions, as Evan Keuneke placed fifth in the 800 meters, while Harrison Sloan and Calvin Byrum both earned top-10 finishes in the 1600. In the 3200 meters, Isaak Castillo and Alexander Bauer both recorded top-10 finishes.
(more…)POSTED: 04/12/26 at 8:37 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports
VW independent sports
Baseball
Van Wert 17 Kenton 5 (five innings)
In the home opener and WBL opener, Van Wert scored five runs in the first inning then added 10 in the fourth and the Cougars enjoyed a run-shortened 17-5 victory over Kenton on Friday.
Already leading 2-0 in the first inning, Conner Harris singled in Alex Benner and Wyatt Scott, then Easton Putman scored on a wild pitch. Kenton tied the game with a 5-run second inning but in the bottom half of the inning, Finley Dickinson scored on a wild pitch. The Cougars added a run in the third, then 10 more in the fourth, including runners via seven straight batters. Trevor Halker tripled in a run.
Harris had a team high three hits while Dickinson, Scott and Putman each had two hits. Putman and Harris each drove in three runs. Jace Huebner and Harris combined to allow just five hits, while striking out six.
Van Wert (4-1, 1-0) will travel to Elida on Tuesday.
Lincolnview 12 Perry 0 (five innings)
Lincolnview’s Garrett Mosier and Max Hammons combined for a one-hitter, and the Lancers took advantage of eight Perry errors and nine walks on the way to a five inning, 12-0 win over the Commodores on Friday.
Mosier pitched the first four innings and gave up the hit, a double in the fourth, while striking out six and walking four. Hammons pitched the remaining inning and struck out one.
All four of Lincolnview’s first inning runs came on Perry errors. The Lancers added three runs in the second, four in the third and one in the fourth inning. Offensively, Lincolnview had five hits, and Holden Price drove in a pair of runs.
Lincolnview (4-0) will host Wayne Trace today.
Softball
Crestview 15 Fairview 8
CONVOY — Crestview trailed Fairview 8-4 entering the bottom of the fifth, but the Lady Knights racked up nine runs and added two more in the sixth for a 15-8 victory on Friday.
Violet Dirr had a big day for Crestview with three hits and five RBIs – a run scoring double in the third, a three run homer in the fifth and an RBI double, also in the fifth inning.
Kaci Gregory added two hits and three RBIs, while Dakota Thornell had four hits and drove in two runs. Alli Thacher and Emily Heth each had three hits and two RBIs, as the Lady Knights pounded out 14 hits. Thatcher and Heth combined to fan seven Apache batters.
Crestview (2-5) will host Celina today.
POSTED: 04/10/26 at 9:06 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports
VW independent sports
Softball
Lincolnview 14 Crestview 3 (five innings)
CONVOY — Crestview scored the first two runs of the game but Lincolnview rallied for a five inning, 14-3 win in the NWC opener at Owen Pugh Field on Thursday.
After a scoreless first inning, Dakota Thornell, who singled to open the bottom of the second, scored on a single by Delanie Balliet. Balliet then scored on an error. The 2-0 lead didn’t last long, as the Lancers exploded for nine runs in the top of the third. Ila Hughes drove in Cassidy Rank and Emme Stevens to tie the game 2-2, then Lainey Spear singled home Ansley Schwab. Avery Hoaglin singled in Hughes and Spear for a 5-2 lead, then Quinlyn Walker tripled and drove in Hoaglin and Kassidy Hammons. With two outs, an RBI single by Stevens plated Walker, then two batters later, Hughes knocked in Stevens for a 9-2 advantage.
Each team scored a run in the fourth – Hoaglin singled and drove in Bella Hire for Lincolnview, and Thornell scored on a two-out single by Alli Thatcher for Crestview. In the top of the fifth, Hoaglin tagged a three run homer, and Hammons later scored on an error.
Hoaglin finished the game with three hits and six RBI, while Stevens, Hughes, Spear, Hammons and Walker each had two hits. As a team, the Lancers finished with 14 hits. Thornell had two of Crestview’s four hits. Hughes struck out nine batters in a complete game effort, while Emily Heth had four strikeouts for Crestview.
Crestview (1-5, 0-1 NWC) is scheduled to host Fairview today, and Lincolnview (5-2, 1-0 NWC) will host Marion Local on Saturday.
Van Wert 11 Lima Central Catholic 7
LIMA — Emma West and Haley Dunlap each homered for Van Wert and the Cougars rallied from an early 5-3 deficit to defeat Lima Central Catholic 11-7 on Thursday.
Dunlap’s two run blast tied the game 5-5 in the top of the third, and West clobbered a two run homer in the top of the fourth to give Van Wert an 8-5 lead.
West finished with three hits and four RBI while Dunlap finished with a pair of hits and three RBI. Emma Haynes also had two hits. West got the win on the mound after giving up nine hits and seven runs (three earned) with six strikeouts.
(more…)POSTED: 04/09/26 at 10:01 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports
Lincolnview’s Seth Brant (above) applies the tag to Crestview’s Luke Sawmiller, while Cash Hammons (below) is out at the hands of Grant Zielke. The Lancers topped the Knights 3-1 in Thursday’s NWC opener for both teams (see recap above). Wyatt Richardson/Van Wert independent
POSTED: 04/09/26 at 10:01 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports
Crestview left fielder Delanie Balliet (above) went 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBI but it wasn’t enough as the Lady Knights fell to Parkway 23-6 in six innings on Wednesday. Bryn Schoenleben drove in seven runs for Parkway, including a three run home run in the second inning. The Panthers scored 12 of their runs in the top of the sixth inning. Crestview (1-4) will begin NWC play today at home against Lincolnview while Parkway will open MAC play at home against Versailles. Wyatt Richardson/Van Wert independent
POSTED: 04/08/26 at 10:34 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports
