Jay grad sets new career high

Lined up against the top-ranked team in the country and defending national champions, Eric Hemmelgarn wasn’t intimidated.
He simply upped his level of play.
Hemmelgarn, a 2014 Jay County High School graduate, set a career-high with seven tackles and led the University of Saint Francis football team with 3 1/2 tackles in the backfield Saturday in a 35-21 loss to the Marian Knights.
The redshirt sophomore recorded the first tackle of the game for the NAIA No. 5 Cougars (4-2), who at the time were ranked second in the nation. His first tackle for a loss came later in the opening quarter as he brought down Jakhari Gore in the backfield for an 8-yard loss.
Hemmelgarn’s tackles in the backfield accounted for a total of 10 yards lost for the Knights.
He has 21 total tackles this season with eight tackles for loss and three sacks. All are career-highs.
Kelsey Jutte
Fort Recovery – 2016
Led the Capital University volleyball team with 42 assists and 13 digs Tuesday in a  25-21, 25-22, 25-14, 25-22 win over Wilmington.
She also had four kills and three aces for the Crusaders (5-15, 1-1 Ohio Athletic Conference).
Jutte tallied 14 assists, six digs, four kills and one ace Saturday in a 25-14, 25-23, 25-14 loss to Albion (Michigan).

James Keen
Jay County – 2015
Earned a pair of top-five individual finishes in the Ashland University Fall Invitational Friday and Saturday.

Keen was fourth in the 200-yard backstroke in 1 minute, 55 seconds, and placed fifth in the 100 backstroke in 56.59 seconds.
He also finished ninth in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:05.95.
The sophomore teamed with Lucas Merigue Bernardo, Petko Toromanov and Ygor Zanardo Bortolato to finish fifth in the 400 freestyle relay in 3.20.48.
He was also part of an seventh-place 200 medley relay team and the 400 medley relay team that finished eighth.

Cassidy Rammel
Fort Recovery – 2015
Was second on the team with eight kills Wednesday for the University of Saint Francis volleyball team in a 25-23, 25-19, 25-12 loss to Taylor.
Rammel had a team-high 22 attacks, while adding seven digs and assisting on two blocks. She also had one ace for the Cougars (3-16, 2-9 Crossroads League).

Katy Smeltzer
Jay County – 2015
Was part of a winning relay team for the University of the Cumberlands women’s swim team Saturday in a 144-60 season-opening victory against Lindsey Wilson College.
Smeltzer swam the first leg of the 200-yard freestyle relay with Morgan Plowman, Chloe Falbo and Brittany Litke. Smeltzer had a split of 27 seconds, as the quartet finished with a time of 1 minute, 44.48 seconds.
She also added a second-place finish in the 50 freestyle (26.38) and was third in the 100 freestyle (57.02).

Kelsey Fiely
Fort Recovery – 2013
Started for the University of Northwestern Ohio’s volleyball team Friday in a 25-13, 25-22, 25-21 loss to Siena Heights.
Fiely recorded 10 digs for the Racers, trailing teammates Louise Back and Taina’ Soranzo (13 apiece). Losses this week dropped the team to 10-13.
The senior also finished with five digs and an assist Wednesday in a four-set loss to Indiana Tech.

Derek Wanner
South Adams – 2015
Had two tackles for the Taylor University football team Saturday in a 43-42 loss to Missouri Baptist.
Both of his stops came in the fourth quarter, during which the Trojans (2-4) allowed 17 points to the Spartans.
Wanner has played in all six games for the Trojans, and has 11 tackles.

Abigail Johnson
Jay County – 2014
Ran for the Indiana Wesleyan women’s cross country team in the Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic.
Johnson finished in 21 minutes, 33.63 seconds, for 261st overall. She was 16th on the team as the Wildcats finished ninth out of 42 teams.

Aleesha Goodwin
South Adams – 2015
Also ran in the Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic on Saturday for the Indiana Tech women’s cross country team. 
Goodwin had a time of 20 minutes, 57.57 seconds, for 207th overall. She was seventh on the team for the Warriors, who were eighth.

Morgan Lennartz
Fort Recovery – 2016
Totaled seven kills for the IU-East volleyball team Saturday in a pair of losses at IU-Kokomo.
She had one kill in a 3-2 loss (19-25, 25-11, 21-25, 33-21, 15-10) to the host Cougars, then tallied six kills, one dig and assisted on three blocks in a 6-25, 25-11, 25-22, 15-25, 15-8 defeat to Cincinnati Christian University. 
The Red Wolves are 10-12 on the season.

Gabbie Mann
Jay County – 2016
Played for the IPFW women’s soccer team Saturday in a 1-0 loss to South Dakota State.
Mann entered as a substitute, played for 12 minutes and did not record any stats. She has played in all 12 games this season for the Mastodons (3-9).