To be the winning team, fan votes play a heavy role, along with consideration from our sports team here at LINK.
Nominations are reader-submitted or recommended by our sports team. Our Team of the Week program honors all local sports at all levels, whether it’s youth or adult-oriented recreation, high school or college, professional or amateur.
The new school year has added to the awards program. OrthoCincy Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine and LINK nky are excited to expand in addition to the weekly winners, the program will be including three winners for Team of the Season and one overall winner for Team of the Year for the 2024-25 sports seasons.
New this year for the program is the addition of the Team of the Season (TOTS) and Team of the Year (TOTY) awards. Sports seasons are considered fall, winter and spring for the purpose of this awards program. At the conclusion of each sports season, an overall TOTS winner will be chosen from all previous TOTW winners for that season. Their school will also receive a $500 scholarship to be presented to the athlete of their choice at the end of the school year.
Finally, the program culminates by selecting one TOTY from the three TOTS award winners. Online and print articles will again be published, a large commemorative plaque will be presented and the school will receive an additional $500 scholarship to be presented to the athlete of their choice at the end of the school year.
The call for nominations, voting and winning announcement for each will follow the same format as the TOTW.
This week’s nominated teams are listed below with some information provided by the submitter or LINK nky staff. The poll where you can vote follows at the end of the article.
Voting is open until Friday at 11:59 a.m.
HIGHLANDS GIRLS BOWLING
The Highlands girls bowling team won the 5th Region bowling title last week.
The Bluebirds defeated Scott, Campbell County and Newport Central Catholic on their way to victory. They made the task difficult with the lowest score in prelims, but found a way in their three head-to-head matches.
Reagan Higgins was their top individual bowler, finishing eighth and making it to the semifinals in the prelims. Elliott Martin, Some Nzekwu and Lilly Grau also played key parts in the team title.
NOTRE DAME ACADEMY SWIM AND DIVE
The Notre Dame Academy swim and dive team won the Region 7 meet over the weekend with a team score of 438 and defeating the 15-team field by 94 points.
Individual region champions included the 200-yard medley relay team of Abby Carnes, Sadie Hartig, McKenna Bien and Clare Herfel, 400-yard freestyle relay team of Herfel, Liv Wallace, Danaka Tucker and Hartig and Clare Herfel in the 200-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle.
Carnes, Hartig and Herfel were named to the all-region team while Herfel won the Outstanding Female Competitor Award. Coach Jamie Kelly was named 7th Region Coach of the Year.
RYLE BOYS SWIM AND DIVE
The Ryle boys swim and dive team won the Region 7 title with a team score of 507, edging out Highlands by 20 points in the 15-team field.
The Raiders individual champions were Chase Knopf in the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle, Chase Denigan in the 200-yard individual medley, Andy Pleiman in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle, the 200-yard freestyle relay team of Nash Parsons, Pleiman, Lucas Dilger and Knopf and the 400-yard freestyle relay team of Pleiman, Parsons, Denigan and Knopf.
DIXIE HEIGHTS GIRLS BASKETBALL
A 3-0 week last week has the Dixie Heights girls basketball team on a five-game winning streak with an improved record to 14-5.
Last week they took down Lloyd Memorial, Holy Cross and Ryle. Standouts in those victories were Asia Carner, Catherine Buddenberg and Bella Crawford and the win over Lloyd, Carner with 17 points, Buddenberg 15 and Crawford 13. Six different players scored at least five points in the win over Holy Cross, led by Buddenberg and Carner with 16, Coralee Pelfrey adding 11 points with seven rebounds.
Buddenberg led the way with 15 in the win over Ryle, Carner adding 14 and Crawforfd with 13 while Pelfrey tossed in nine with 11 rebounds.
Dixie will look to make it six in a row when they play at Mount Notre Dame on Tuesday.
COOPER BOYS BASKETBALL
The Jaguars are rolling as the calendar turns to February. They’ve won eight straight including a 3-0 week last week as they’ve improved to 13-4.
In last week’s 3-0 week they took down St. Henry, Highlands and Jennings County (Indiana). Isaac Brown led the way against the Crusaders with 20 points, Andy Johnson with 19 and Roman Combs with 12 as eight different players posted points. Johnson went off in the win over Highlands with 31 points as seven different players entered the scoring column and then Johnson put up 27 more points in the win over Jennings County. The Combs brothers, Jaidan and Roman also combined for 27 points in the win, Jaidan with 14 and Roman 13, Jaidan’s coming with a double-double as he added 10 rebounds.
Cooper looks to secure the No. 1 seed for the 33rd District tournament when they play at Conner on Tuesday, also looking for a ninth win in a row.
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