A total of 16 Milford High School student-athletes have been recognized for their outstanding performance during the spring sports season with inclusion on the 2016 Cincinnati Enquirer Spring All-Star teams. Of the 16 Eagles, baseball standout Wes Reid and softball star Valerie Thompson were chosen as co-players of the year in the Greater Cincinnati-area. The recognized student-athletes were also included among the best in the coverage area of the Milford-Miami Advertiser.
Reid was an integral piece of the Eagles’ highly successful baseball squad that won the 2016 Eastern Cincinnati Conference Championship, a district crown and finished runner-up in the OHSAA Regional Finals. The junior had a huge offensive season, hitting a team-high .481, with 11 doubles among 13 extra-base hits. He also knocked in 24 and swiped 11 bases. At shortstop, Reid was tagged with just four errors in 31 games.
Thompson was brilliant in her first season as a full-time pitcher for the Eagles, grabbing first team All-ECC and honorable mention All-Ohio honors. Thompson capped her junior campaign as the most dominant pitcher in the ECC, also earning first team all-league honors. The junior lefty posted a 19-3 record in the circle, including 10 shutouts, while holding a 1.01 ERA and limiting opponents to a .165 average. She also struck out 134. At the plate, Thompson hit .338 with four doubles and 22 RBI.
Six other Eagles joined Reid and Thompson on their respective Enquirer first teams. The first of the student-athletes tabbed on the top teams was track and field senior standout Clare Cartheuser. The school record holder in the discus, Cartheuser finished eighth in the state of Ohio this spring, one season after finishing 10th as a junior. A two-time All-ECC selection, Cartheuser was the 2015 and 2016 conference champion in the event as well. She will compete collegiately next year at Miami (Ohio) University.
A first team All-ECC selection on the baseball diamond, junior Sam Dobrowolski was the Eagles’ first-year varsity catcher and earned an honorable mention All-Ohio selection. For the year, Dobrowolski hit .421, accounted for 29 RBI and eight extra-base hits. Behind the plate, Dobrowolski picked off three runners and did not commit a single error in 31 contests.
Dobrowolski’s teammate, Brad Hall was also on the first team after claiming his second straight ECC Player of the Year award, as well as a place on the All-Ohio first team. Despite a devastating injury that kept him from being the two-way standout he has been throughout his career, Hall proved to be the ECC’s most dangerous player in 2016. Hall wrapped up his prep career with a .424 batting average, a total of 15 extra-base hits and 35 RBI. A stellar all-around athlete, Hall also shared top honors in the league with 18 stolen bases, while committing just two errors in over 230 total chances at first base. Hall will play baseball next season at Miami (Ohio) University.
Milford’s lacrosse program, in its final season as a club sport, was honored on the area first team by Jack Hannah. The All-American junior midfielder was named second-team All-Ohio by the Ohio High School Lacrosse Association and was a first team all-region choice.
Yet another of the Milford baseball squad, Kyle Ruehlman was a third first team selection for the Eagles. For the third straight season, Ruehlman was the ace of the Milford staff, winning a team-high eight games in a best 13 appearances and earning first team All-ECC honors. As a senior, Ruehlman finished his campaign with three shutouts among four complete games, while also coming out of the bullpen to earn a pair of saves. In a team-best 60 innings, Ruehlman led the Eagles with 56 strikeouts. He will pitch next season at Sinclair Community College.
Kelsey Seitz from the softball squad was the final first team selection from Milford on the strength of a season that saw the junior earn first team All-ECC and second team All-Ohio accolades. After bouncing back from missing the first several games from injury, Seitz exploded, earning her third consecutive first team All-ECC honor. In just 19 games, Seitz hit a robust .571 with a team-high 28 RBI. She also paced the club with five triples, adding eight doubles and eight stolen bases. In her first season at second base, Seitz totaled only two errors.
A pair of lacrosse standouts were honored with a spot on the Enquirer’s all-area second team. Junior Jake Davis and sophomore Dax Creager were both cited by the publication for their play after each earned All-Southwest Region first team honors this spring.
Milford’s honorable mention selections for 2015-16 include: Keith Carter (Baseball), Caroline Kerber (Girls Lacrosse), Holden Owens (Boys Tennis), Katelyn Reynolds (Softball), Trenton Sneed (Boys Lacrosse).