October 21, 2014 at 5:11 p.m.
Individuals highlight successful seasons
Rays of Insight
It’s been another successful fall.
The South Adams High School boys cross country team won yet another Allen County Athletic Conference championship, its sixth straight, and the girls won the third in the history of their program.
Fort Recovery’s football team is in the midst of the best season in school history and is hopefully on the way to its first playoff berth.
Jay County already has three sectional titles for the 2014-15 school year, thanks to a soccer sweep at Yorktown Sports Park, and a boys tennis win on the Patriots’ home courts. And the JCHS girls golf team earned its first regional berth in more than a decade.
With the team success, naturally, there have been individual standouts, on those teams, and others.
Kellie Fortkamp
When she entered high school two years ago, Fortkamp was part of a strong freshman class along with Megan Wellman and Emi Minnich. She generally was third among that group, which keyed sectional championships each of the last two seasons.
But this year, with Wellman battling injuries and Minnich transferring to Burris, Fortkamp was thrust into the spotlight. She proved to be up to the task.
The junior led the Jay County in every race this season and was a mainstay in the top 10. Perhaps her most impressive effort came at Saturday’s regional, in which she shaved 40 seconds off her time from last season to finish 13th.
It’s hard to ever tell how and athlete will fare when suddenly the pressure to lead is intensified, but Fortkamp proved she was more than up to the task.
Kendra Siefring
To earn all-conference honors is always a good thing. To make the Midwest Athletic Conference first team is even more impressive.
The MAC is well-known for being the best small-school conference in Ohio, across all sports. So it takes a true standout season to be recognized.
Siefring had just such a season this year as she became the first Indian since Nicole Pottkotter in 2009 to earn All-MAC first-team honors in volleyball.
The junior was one of the best middle blockers in northwest Ohio — she was named to the District 8 first team — averaging 3.3 blocks per match. In addition to her defensive effort at the net, she led the Indians with 248 kills (10.3 per match) and had 235 digs, 24 aces and eight assists.
Needless to say, she’ll be primed for a big senior season in 2015.
Bailey McIntire
As a freshman, he was key to the most successful cross country season in South Adams history.
At tournament time, McIntire ran consistently in the mid-to-low 16s as the Starfires No. 2 behind then-junior Sawyer Miller. The duo led the squad to its first state berth.
Now McIntire has taken over the lead role. He has run in the No. 1 spot for South Adams during his sophomore season, leading the Starfires to their conference and sectional titles.
He was at his absolute best Saturday, breaking the South Adams school record as he won the regional title in 15 minutes, 54.6 seconds. Evan Liechty set the previous record when he finished third at the 2011 semi-state in 15:59.22.
McIntire will have a chance once again Saturday to prove he is among the state’s best when he and the Starfires compete in that same semi-state race at IPFW.
The Coles
The offenses for the Jay County and Fort Recovery football teams have been keyed by the running game, with Cole Stigleman leading the way for the Patriots while Cole Hull carries the mail for the Indians.
Stigleman, a freshman, was forced into the lineup after junior Drew Huffman suffered a season-ending injury. He’s responded with 664 yards in five starts, including four 100-yard games.
It’s a great start to a career, and hopefully points to him having a season like the one his counterpart across the state line is experiencing.
Hull has been spectacular for the Indians, having racked up 1,168 yards in eight games. That number is third on the FRHS single-season list, and he still has two regular-season games to play.
He has already tied the Fort Recovery record for single-season rushing touchdowns with 14. And he was most impressive Friday when he put up 201 yards against Division VII No. 1 Marion Local.
The senior seems primed to lead the Indians to week 11, and beyond.
The South Adams High School boys cross country team won yet another Allen County Athletic Conference championship, its sixth straight, and the girls won the third in the history of their program.
Fort Recovery’s football team is in the midst of the best season in school history and is hopefully on the way to its first playoff berth.
Jay County already has three sectional titles for the 2014-15 school year, thanks to a soccer sweep at Yorktown Sports Park, and a boys tennis win on the Patriots’ home courts. And the JCHS girls golf team earned its first regional berth in more than a decade.
With the team success, naturally, there have been individual standouts, on those teams, and others.
Kellie Fortkamp
When she entered high school two years ago, Fortkamp was part of a strong freshman class along with Megan Wellman and Emi Minnich. She generally was third among that group, which keyed sectional championships each of the last two seasons.
But this year, with Wellman battling injuries and Minnich transferring to Burris, Fortkamp was thrust into the spotlight. She proved to be up to the task.
The junior led the Jay County in every race this season and was a mainstay in the top 10. Perhaps her most impressive effort came at Saturday’s regional, in which she shaved 40 seconds off her time from last season to finish 13th.
It’s hard to ever tell how and athlete will fare when suddenly the pressure to lead is intensified, but Fortkamp proved she was more than up to the task.
Kendra Siefring
To earn all-conference honors is always a good thing. To make the Midwest Athletic Conference first team is even more impressive.
The MAC is well-known for being the best small-school conference in Ohio, across all sports. So it takes a true standout season to be recognized.
Siefring had just such a season this year as she became the first Indian since Nicole Pottkotter in 2009 to earn All-MAC first-team honors in volleyball.
The junior was one of the best middle blockers in northwest Ohio — she was named to the District 8 first team — averaging 3.3 blocks per match. In addition to her defensive effort at the net, she led the Indians with 248 kills (10.3 per match) and had 235 digs, 24 aces and eight assists.
Needless to say, she’ll be primed for a big senior season in 2015.
Bailey McIntire
As a freshman, he was key to the most successful cross country season in South Adams history.
At tournament time, McIntire ran consistently in the mid-to-low 16s as the Starfires No. 2 behind then-junior Sawyer Miller. The duo led the squad to its first state berth.
Now McIntire has taken over the lead role. He has run in the No. 1 spot for South Adams during his sophomore season, leading the Starfires to their conference and sectional titles.
He was at his absolute best Saturday, breaking the South Adams school record as he won the regional title in 15 minutes, 54.6 seconds. Evan Liechty set the previous record when he finished third at the 2011 semi-state in 15:59.22.
McIntire will have a chance once again Saturday to prove he is among the state’s best when he and the Starfires compete in that same semi-state race at IPFW.
The Coles
The offenses for the Jay County and Fort Recovery football teams have been keyed by the running game, with Cole Stigleman leading the way for the Patriots while Cole Hull carries the mail for the Indians.
Stigleman, a freshman, was forced into the lineup after junior Drew Huffman suffered a season-ending injury. He’s responded with 664 yards in five starts, including four 100-yard games.
It’s a great start to a career, and hopefully points to him having a season like the one his counterpart across the state line is experiencing.
Hull has been spectacular for the Indians, having racked up 1,168 yards in eight games. That number is third on the FRHS single-season list, and he still has two regular-season games to play.
He has already tied the Fort Recovery record for single-season rushing touchdowns with 14. And he was most impressive Friday when he put up 201 yards against Division VII No. 1 Marion Local.
The senior seems primed to lead the Indians to week 11, and beyond.
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