By Terry Boehmker
NKy Tribune sports reporter
Holmes senior Freddie Vickers qualified to compete in the boys’ high jump at the Class 2A state track and field meet for the third consecutive year, but that’s no longer his best event.
At the regional meet last week, Vickers won the triple jump with a measure of 43 feet, 5 inches that made him the top qualifier in that event for the state championship meet that begins Friday at the University of Kentucky.
Holmes track coach Jonathan Hopkins said he put Vickers in the triple jump during a regular season meet and he won it “on raw talent alone.” That’s when assistant coach Lisaira Daniels began working with Vickers on his triple jump technique and he developed into a state contender.
“A couple weeks before the regional we figured his best shot would be in the triple jump, but we let him make the decision,” coach Hopkins said. “You can only be in four events and he wanted to stay in the high jump because that’s what he’s been doing the longest. We also needed him in a couple relays so that just left one (other event to enter).”
Vickers agreed to compete in the triple jump at the regional meet and did so well that his qualifying mark is 11.5 inches better than anyone else entered in the Class 2A state meet, including last year’s winner Bryan Cummings of South Warren.
Vickers also qualified for the state meet in the high jump by clearing 6, feet 2 inches and he’s a member of the 4×200 and 4×400 relay teams that achieved qualifying times for the season finale.
“If he didn’t run on those relays we wouldn’t have made it (to state) in those as well,” coach Hopkins said. “He’s probably one of the better athletes we’ve had here since I became coach five years ago.”
Tim Shields, a former high school basketball coach at Conner and Villa Madonna, was among the recent inductees into the Greater Cincinnati Basketball Hall of Fame.
Shields was girls’ head basketball coach at Conner for 17 seasons and compiled a career record of 304-181. He took four teams to the 9th Region finals and three of them won the title. The Cougars made it to the quarterfinals of the state tournament in 1986 and 1991.
In 2000, Shields became boys’ head basketball coach at Villa Madonna. He was in charge of that program for five seasons and set team records for most victories in a season twice.
Shields has been an assistant coach and recruiter for the Thomas More College women’s basketball program since 2005. In the last 10 seasons, the Saints have compiled a 271-29 record and earned a berth in nine NCAA Division III national tournaments. This year’s team won the national championship and finished with a perfect 33-0 record.
The Covington Catholic freshman and junior varsity baseball teams capped off successful seasons by winning tournament titles and the varsity team has its first playoff game Wednesday. CovCath defeated Campbell County, 8-1, in the championship final of the 16-team freshman tournament. The Colonels finished with a 22-3 record under coach Mark Bogenschut.
Nineteen teams entered the junior varsity tournament that ended with CovCath defeating Conner, 11-4, in the title game. Coached by John Michels and Nate Zembrodt, the Colonels jayvee team outscored its four tournament opponents by a combined total of 48-8 and ended the season with a 17-7 record.
The CovCath varsity baseball team will play Holy Cross in the 35th District semifinals today with the winner getting a berth in next week’s 9th Region tournament.
Four seniors in the Newport football team’s starting lineup last season will be teammates once again at the University of Cumberlands in Kentucky.
After Newport offensive lineman Ben Senger made his commitment with the NAIA team, running back Dominic Joseph, quarterback Paul Price and linebacker Gage Jones also signed letters of intent.
The four seniors helped Newport make it to the quarterfinals of the Class 2A playoffs last fall. Price was the team’s offensive leader with 1,449 yards rushing, 1,160 passing and 118 points scored. Joseph ran for 927 yards and 15 TDs while Gage was the leading tackler on defense with 107.