The Milford High School Department of Athletics is pleased to announce that 10 more members of its Class of 2016 will continue their athletic careers on the collegiate level. The student-athletes that have committed to continuing their academic and athletic futures include: Clare Cartheuser (Women’s Track & Field-Miami {Ohio} University), Graham Craycraft (Men’s Cross Country and Track & Field-Bellarmine University), Bethany Eippert (Women’s Volleyball-Otterbein University), Malia Ferry (Women’s Soccer/Track & Field-Defiance College), Kenzi Gooley (Women’s Soccer-Ball State University), Ben Hunter (Baseball-Northwest Nazarene University), Clay Knecht (Football-Ohio Northern University), Emma Luciano (Women’s Soccer-Marietta College), Kelly Noll (Women’s Basketball-Wilmington College) and Hannah Woody (Women’s Basketball-Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology).
Cartheuser has enjoyed a record setting career as a thrower for the Eagles. Already this season, she has twice set the school record for the discus throw, with a new mark of 132-5.00. A two-time All-ECC selection, Cartheuser was the 2015 and 2016 conference champion in the discus, while advancing all the way to the Ohio State Championships in the event, where she finished 10th. She will compete in the OHSAA State Championships again this weekend.
At Miami, Cartheuser will compete for Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Willy Wood and throws coach Colin Boevers. Clare is the daughter of Chris and Diane Cartheuser.
Craycraft earned second team All-Eastern Cincinnati Conference honors during the cross country season, after placing 18that the league championships. He also earned a 37th place tally at the 2015 OHSAA Southwest District Championships.
At Bellarmine, Craycraft will compete for Jim Vargo, who has served as the school’s Director of Cross Country/Track & Field since 2000. Graham is the son of Kenneth and Susan Craycraft.
Eippert was an honorable mention All-Eastern Cincinnati Conference selection as a senior after helping the Eagles to a final 16-7 record. An outside hitter, Eippert averaged 2.50 kills per game as a senior, along with 2.68 digs per game and 40 service aces.
At Otterbein, Eippert will play for ninth-year head coach Monica Wright who has won over 150 matches during her coaching career. Bethany is the daughter of Gary and Jill Eippert.
Ferry has been a three-year member of the track & field team as well as the cheerleading squad during her time at Milford. She was a member of the girls soccer program her freshman year. During her track career, she has competed in a variety of event, ranging from sprints to middle distance and has specialized in the 800 meters for the Eagles this spring.
At Defiance, Ferry will play soccer for third-year head coach Jenny Vincent and will compete in track & field for Ken Ciolek, who is currently in his first year at the school. Malia is the daughter of Jennifer Ferry.
Gooley was a two-time All-ECC selection on the pitch for the Eagles, including a berth on the first team last fall. A three-year member of the varsity squad, Gooley scored two points and added three assists for seven total points as a senior.
At Ball State, Gooley will play for head coach Craig Roberts who guided the Cardinals to the 2015 Mid-American Conference Regular Season Championship in his sixth season at the helm. Kenzi is the daughter of Nathan and Misty Gooley.
Hunter is in his first season as a member of the Milford varsity squad where he has been a regular in the Eagle line-up as the squad’s designated hitter. Hunter finished the season for the regional runner-up Eagles’ squad with a .291 average, five doubles and 20 RBI.
At Northwest Nazarene, Hunter will play for third-year head coach Rocke Musgraves who has led the Crusaders to over 20 wins this season. Northwest Nazarene is located in Nampa, Idaho. Ben is the son of Kristopher and Allison Hunter.
Knecht concluded his strong career as a two-time first team All-ECC selection, anchoring the Milford line as the starting center. A three-year starter, Knecht also earned honorable mention All-Southwest District honors as a senior, while serving as a team captain last fall. Over his last two seasons, Knecht graded out at a weekly average of 91% on his blocking and this season was 100% on all snaps in a pistol offense.
At Ohio Northern, Knecht will play for head coach Dean Paul, who has led the Polar Bears to 84 victories and national rankings in 10 of his 12 seasons as ONU’s head coach. Clay is the son of Joe Knecht and Susan Kupka.
Luciano played soccer for Milford early in her high school career before focusing on other activities, including teen counseling this year.
At Marietta, Luciano will play for head coach Tracy Blasius who will be in her fourth year leading the Pioneers this fall. Emma is the daughter of Todd and Amanda Luciano.
Noll concluded her career as a three-time All-Eastern Cincinnati Conference selection, including a first team choice as a junior. That same season, she was also recognized for having the best free throw shooting percentage of any girls player in the Greater Cincinnati area. As a senior, Noll helped the Eagles to the program’s best season in two decades, averaging nine points and nearly five rebounds per game and making the second most three-pointers in the ECC. She was also a starter and three-time all-conference selection for the Milford softball team.
At Wilmington, Noll will play for head coach Jerry Scheve who has patrolled the Quakers’ sideline for over 20 years and has won more than 400 games. Kelly is the daughter of Joe and Kris Noll.
Woody enjoyed a breakout campaign her senior year, capturing first team All-ECC honors and an honorable mention on the All-Southwest District squad. A four-year varsity player at Milford, Woody topped the Eagles in points per game (12.3), free throw percentage (.825) and three-point field goal percentage (.360) as a senior. In just her second game of the year, Woody exploded for a career-high 23 points against Seton, one of 16 double figure scoring games for the sharp shooting guard.
At Rose-Hulman, Woody will play for head coach Jon Prevo who guided the Engineers to a program-best record of 23-4 and a conference regular season championship last season. Hannah is the daughter of Daniel and Deborah Woody.
These commitments bring the total number for the MHS Class of 2016 to 27.