In a vote that ended May 8, Cincinnati.com readers selected the 2025-2026 Cincinnati Enquirer/Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Athletes of the Week from high school sports action through May 3.
Winners can print their certificates from this week starting Monday and other weeks now using this Drop Box link. Send a photo of the winners with their certificates for our photo gallery.
Here are this week’s winners.
Ohio big-school baseball team: Mason – Mason had a 3-0 week, Beating Hamilton 6-3 and sweeping Fairfield to take the top spot in the Greater Miami Conference standings.
Ohio small-school baseball team: St. Bernard-Elmwood Place – The Titans added two more wins to a six-game winning streak, beating Mt. Healthy and Norwood.
Northern Kentucky/Indiana baseball team: – Highlands picked up three wins last week, taking out Walton-Verona and sweeping St. Henry.
Ohio big-school softball team: Oak Hills – Oak Hills has now won 12 in a row after dominating Lakota West, 8-0, and Colerain, 17-2.
Ohio small-school softball team: Taylor – Taylor has won four in a row and is a perfect 12-0 in Cincinnati Hills League play, picking up lopsided wins against Indian Hill, Madeira and Reading last week.
Northern Kentucky/Indiana softball team: Highlands – Highlands went 5-0 last week, including two shutouts against Henry County and Lafayette.
Boys spring team: Dixie Heights 4×400 meter relay team – The quartet of Drew Carskadon, Nicholas Kopp, Thompson Hall and Brennan Simpson broke their own school record with a time of 3:23.89 at the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Division I meet. It is currently the top time in the state.
Girls spring team: Mount Notre Dame flag football – The Cougars shut out Winton Woods and Notre Dame, completing a 10-0 regular season and securing the top seed in the playoffs.
Ohio big-school baseball: Brett Gandert, Mason – He pitched a complete game in a key 3-2 league win over Fairfield that put the Comets back in first place in the GMC. He allowed two hits, two runs and struck out seven.
Ohio small-school baseball: Keenan Derrenkamp, St. Bernard-Elmwood Place – The junior had four hits and four runs in a 16-6 win over Norwood.
Northern Kentucky/Indiana big-school baseball: Luke Lawson, Simon Kenton – The senior threw a two-hit shutout in an 11-0 win over Covington Catholic.
Northern Kentucky/Indiana small-school baseball: Kayden Sautter, Beechwood – The sophomore pitched 3.1 shutout innings in a 3-1 win over Simon Kenton and was named MVP of the game.
Flag football: Lydia Sanders, Mount Notre Dame – The junior had a pair of pick-sixes and four flag pulls in a 35-0 win over Winton Woods, then scored two more interception-return touchdowns in a 32-0 win over Notre Dame.
Ohio boys lacrosse: R.J. Naticchioni, Mariemont – The junior goalie made 18 saves in a pair of wins over Fenwick and Elder.
Northern Kentucky/Indiana boys lacrosse: Herbert Ronin, Ryle – The senior scored five goals with an assist in a 16-3 win against Cooper.
Ohio girls lacrosse: Gwen Garneret, Mount Notre Dame – The senior netted six goals to edge out Seton in a 13-12 win, then had six more goals in a narrow loss to Walnut Hills.
Northern Kentucky/Indiana girls lacrosse: Maggie Milburn, Cooper – The senior goalie had six saves in a 10-8 win over Ryle.
Ohio big-school softball: Savanna Gault, Mount Notre Dame – The sophomore hit her team-leading fifth home run of the season, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored in a win over Mercy McAuley.
Ohio small-school softball: Emma King, Taylor – The sophomore went 7-for-13 last week with two doubles, a triple, a home run, seven RBIs, five runs scored and two stolen bases. Against Madeira, she hit for what is believed to be the first cycle in program and league history.
Northern Kentucky/Indiana softball: Kaitlyn Dixon, Highlands – She earned five wins last week, striking out 46 batters while allowing 13 hits and five runs across 25 innings. She struck out the 1,000th batter of her varsity career in a win over Dixie Heights and threw a six-inning no-hitter against Lafayette. At the plate, she hit .467 with a double and three RBIs.
Boys singles tennis: Stephen Adams, Wilmington – In a tri-match, Adams had an 8-0 shutout over Blanchester.
Boys doubles tennis team: C.J. Dario/Nick Shehata, Moeller – In first doubles, they picked up a 6-4, 6-3 win over Lakota East.
Northern Kentucky girls singles tennis: Emma Ahlers, Beechwood – In first singles, Ahlers picked up a 6-2, 6-2 win over Ryle on April 28.
Northern Kentucky girls doubles tennis: Annika Derks/Gabrielle Browning, Simon Kenton – They teamed to get a pair of first doubles wins against Scott and St. Henry.
Ohio boys track and field: A.J. Johnson, Fayetteville-Perry – He took second place in the 100-meter dash and fourth in the long jump at North Adams, then won both events at Lynchburg-Clay.
Northern Kentucky/Indiana boys track and field: Vinnie Lane, Dixie Heights – He broke the 100-meter dash school record for the second straight meet, winning at Bishop Brossart in 10.78 seconds.
Ohio girls track and field: Grace Wiseman, East Clinton – She won the 400-meter dash in 1:05.06 and the 800-meter run in 2:44.01 at Blanchester.
Northern Kentucky/Indiana girls track and field: Callie Ochsner, Bishop Brossart – She ran a 3,200-meter personal best of 12:20.27 at Notre Dame, then won the 2,000-meter steeplechase at the Mustangs’ home meet with a personal best of 7:52.47.
Ohio boys volleyball: Ben Martin, McNicholas – The junior combined for 69 assists in two matches against Fenwick and Carroll and has six straight matches of 30 or more assists.
Northern Kentucky/Indiana boys volleyball: Ethan Tetzel, Scott – In a four-set win over Boone County, he had 27 digs.
If you win, what’s next?
The Enquirer will no longer mail certificates to schools after getting feedback that families weren’t receiving them. Alex Harrison will make digital copies of all certificates available to families by 8 a.m. the Monday after the Friday win. Families will access the PDFs through this public Dropbox link.
Once printed, families can email a photo to mlaughman@enquirer.com.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Enquirer names Cincinnati high school athletes of the week, May 8
Reporting by Melanie Laughman, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
