For the second year in a row, the YSHS girls track team won the MBC Track and Field Championship. Pictured in front, from left: Jasmine Davidson, Coach Julie Roberts, Inez Creepingbear, Hazel Creepingbear, Coach Isabelle Dierauer, Abebu Barnett and Petra Nieberding. In back, from left: Coach John Gudgel, Ariana Robinson, Addison Shafeek, Paradise Everhart, Llnyah Grant, Izzy Espinosa, Natalie Gilley, Violet Matteson, Brooklyn Hapgood, Coach Devon Lewis and Coach Dave Johnston. Not pictured: Rebecca DeWine, Sasi Drees, Sierra Sundell-Turner, Lilliana Sylvester, Bella Thomas and Evie Thomas. (Submitted photo)
Bulldog Sports Round-Up | May 22, 2026
- Published: May 22, 2026
BASEBALL
Victories for varsity, middle school
The high school schedule started with the final JV game of the year. The Bulldogs hosted the Xenia Buccaneers at Gaunt Park on Monday, May 11. This was another wild one for the JV squad. Coach Scott Fleming reached deep into his bullpen and used six pitchers to get through the strong Bucs lineup. The Bulldogs did everything they could do to keep up with the Bucs, scoring runs in all but one inning. When the dust settled, the Bucs came out on top 15–13. David Torres stayed blistering hot with another three-hit game, while Henry Babb and Kai Kingsley each collected two hits on the night. The Bulldogs added another 12 stolen bases to their season total, with an unreal five amassed by Torres.
The highly ranked Tri-County North Panthers came to town Tuesday, May 12, for a varsity matchup at Gaunt Park. Bryce Fleming had another stellar outing, allowing only four hits and one earned run over his six-inning stint. Ashby Lyons came in to finish the game as the Bulldogs’ closer. The Bulldogs were only able to put one run on the board, which was not enough to overcome some leaky defense, leading to a 5–1 defeat to the Panthers.
Friday, May 15, was scheduled to be a rematch with Trotwood, but the team canceled the game because of a school activity. That game was replaced by a wiffle ball game in conjunction with Senior Night. Seniors Caleb Derrickson and Jaxyn Fletcher were honored on the field, which was lined with family, friends, alumni, teammates, middle school players and youth league players. Although not an official game, Caleb’s mom, Jody, made a strong showing, and Jaxyn’s mom, Jillian, provided motivation via a well-planned series of high fives and fist bumps.
Saturday, May 16, began with rain, but it subsided in time for the game to be played at Catholic Central High School’s Annex after being bumped from Carleton-Davidson Stadium. No matter, as the varsity squad repeated its run-rule performance from earlier in the season against the Irish. Mason Cline had another strong showing on the mound with a complete-game two-hitter, allowing only one unearned run. He established his fastball early and added an unhittable split-finger as the game progressed, leading to another 12 strikeouts. Derrickson had three hits in the afternoon, while his brother Braden had a breakout two-hit, three-run day at the plate. Also posting multiple-hit games were Cline, Oskar Dennis and Evan Collier. The Bulldogs added another nine stolen bases to their season total in an 11–1 blowout.
The middle school team had three games scheduled for the week. The Bulldogs started by traveling to Trotwood on Tuesday, May 12. Zander Breza took to the mound and had a solid outing, giving up only two hits and punching out six Rams. Jordan Andrade supplied the hitting by getting three knocks in the game. A plethora of walks and 14 stolen bases led to a stunning 18 runs. The young Bulldogs earned their first win of the year by an 18–6 run-rule and were greeted by appreciative fans upon their return to YSHS.
Thursday’s game against Emmanuel Christian was a tight affair, other than the big third inning that the Bulldogs could not overcome. Breza had two hits to go along with hits by Elliott Shires, Joseph Schultz and a blast that earned Evan Botkin a double. Possibly the highlight of the night was the short relief stint at the end of the game by Shires. He was asked to come in to shut down the Lions and did just that by striking out both batters he faced with six consecutive strikes.
Appropriately enough for this season, the final game of the year for the middle school team was washed away Saturday, May 16, because of early rain at Catholic Central High School’s field.
—Coach Mitch Clark
TRACK
Girls repeat as MBC champions
For the second year in a row, the YS High School girls won the MBC Track and Field Championship. The Bulldogs outpointed Emmanuel Christian Academy 145-137.
The girls squad was led by Co-Athletes of the Year Izzy Espinosa and Llnyah Grant, as both were a part of four first-place finishes. Grant ran to a first-place finish in the 200 meters with a time of 25.59, breaking the 40-year-old school record set by Carol Page in 1986. Grant complemented this effort with a win in the 100 meters (12.64) and the long jump (16 feet, 11 inches). She also teamed with Espinosa, Natalie Gilley and Brooklyn Hapgood on the victorious 400-meter relay team (51.69), while Espinosa ran to a first-place effort in the 100 hurdles (15.97) and 300 hurdles (51.39), and leaped to a gold medal in the high jump (4-2).
Sophomore Gilley churned her way to a pair of runner-up finishes in the 100 and 200 meters, while fellow sophomore Violet Matteson earned all-league honors in the 400 meters with a gutsy first-place run in the 400 meters (63.9).
Addison Shafeek hurled the discus to a second-place throw (71-2) and was supported with silver-medal efforts by the 800-meter squad of Inez Creepingbear, Hapgood, Petra Nieberding and Evie Thomas, along with the 1,600-meter quartet of Abebu Barnett, Creepingbear, Hapgood and Matteson.
Other scoring efforts were provided by the 3,200-meter relay tandem of Hazel Creepingbear, Barnett, Matteson and Shafeek. In the field events, Paradise Everhart scored points in the shot put, while Barnett was a difference-maker, scoring points in the long jump, 400 meters and 3,200 meters. Also performing well for the Bulldogs was Bella Thomas in the shot put.
On the boys side, the Bulldogs finished in fourth place while setting a bevy of personal- and season-best efforts. Seniors Kiernan Anderson (long jump, 19-11) and Sailor Schultz (shot put, 39-0) both finished in first place, earning all-league honors. Senior sprinter Phoenix York capped off his career with a second-place finish in the 100 meters (11.51). York ran on the 400-meter relay squad of Anderson, Carter Brookey and Nicholas Washington, which also finished second.
The 800-meter relay squad of Brookey, Amitai Delamatre, Hugo Grigorian and Trevor Roberts finished in fourth place, along with the 1,600-meter relay quartet of Anderson, Brookey, Washington and Matteo Chaiten. Other scoring efforts were turned in by Kyle Johnston (1,600 and 3,200), Chaiten (400), Wills Oberg (800), Schultz (300 hurdles), and the 3,200-meter relay team of Arthur DeVore, Noah Diamond, Oberg and Roberts. Adrian Benedict set a personal-best time in the 400 meters.
Coach Isabelle Dierauer was selected as Girls Coach of the Year, and the girls squad received the Grace Norman Sportsmanship Award.
Coaches Dierauer, John Gudgel and Dave Johnston were overjoyed with the girls winning the league for the second year in a row, along with the competitive effort shown by the boys squad. All of the team members and coaches were excited to add to the spring haul of league championships achieved by both the baseball and softball teams this spring, which demonstrated the strength of Bulldog athletes and completed a trifecta.
Seniors competing on the home track for the final time were Kiernan Anderson, Carter Brookey, Rebecca DeWine, Arthur DeVore, Noah Diamond, Sasi Drees, Llnyah Grant, Kyle Johnston, Trevor Roberts, Ariana Robinson, Sailor Schultz, Addison Shafeek, Brendyn Slone, Lilliana Sylvester, Evie Thomas, Nicholas Washington and Phoenix York.
The Bulldogs will compete at the district meet at Piqua High School, with preliminaries scheduled Thursday, May 21, and finals on Saturday, May 23.
—Coach John Gudgel
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