Regan Price (pictured) of Bellefontaine has been selected to the United States Youth Soccer Region II Girls Olympic Development Pool Team in her age group.

She was selected by regional and national coaches at a regional camp held in DeKalb, Illinois. At this camp, the top 18 players from each of our 14 Midwestern states competed for selection to the Pool Team. Only 30 players were selected in each age group.

Regan is the daughter of Matt and Renee Price. She is a member of the Elite FC soccer club out of Marysville. Price will be a freshman at Bellefontaine High School.

According to Ellie Singer, Region II Administrator for the Olympic Development Program, “being selected to the regional pool is a major accomplishment". Regan will be observed now and in the future for possible selection to United States National Team.

Two youth baseball teams posted tournament wins last night.

In Pony League, All-Around Awards defeated Zanesfield 8-3 to place fourth in the postseason tournament.

Trent Nicholl went six innings to record the win. He struck out eleven.

AJ Gorham, Josh Haisley, and Colton Wreedy each had two hits.

For Zanesfield, Johnson and Harshfield had two hits apiece.

In T-Ball, Huntsville #2 CJ Engineering edged Rushsylvania #1 15-13 in the second round of the county tournament.

Raelyn Parsell, Dustin Franks, and Hayden Pummel each hit home runs.

Easton Klauer and Brant Parsell added doubles.

Bellefontaine Powerbuilt Loses Heartbreaker to Springfield in District ACME Final

Bellefontaine Powerbuilt's Summer came to an end Monday night after a 3-2 loss to Springfield in the ACME district final.

Powerbuilt tied the score in the top of 7th with a Josh Kauffman triple followed by a sac fly courtesy of Garrett Pickering. However, they couldn't hold on to take it into extra innings as Springfield was able to push in a run in the bottom half of the frame to pull out the win.

Kauffman (pictured) turned in a gutsy effort on the mound, pitching the whole game only days after throwing 9 innings against Triad. Kauffman only allowed 4 hits on the night, but Springfield made the most of them.

Bellefontaine outhit Springfield 6-4, but left 10 runners on base.

Conner Kellogg had a triple.

Powerbuilt finishes the season with a 29-6 record as the district runner-ups.

Head coach Jeremy Burrey said, "Even though things didn't turn out the way we would have liked, the guys worked hard and put together a very successful summer."

Springfield will advance to the state tournament, which starts July 18th at Lima Shawnee.

You can see the state bracket at http://www.acmebaseballcongress.org/2009ACMESTATETOURNAMENT.pdf.

On Friday, Springfield defeated Bellefontaine 6-3 in the winner's bracket final.

By Zach Horton

The Urbana University men’s basketball team rose to national prominence on the shoulders of a Hall of Fame coach and a steady stream of standout student-athletes in the early-to-mid 1990s. Under the tutelage of Head Coach Bob Ronai, the Blue Knights strung together nine straight winning seasons and appeared in the NAIA National Tournament three times in six years.

Today, the Urbana University Athletic Department announced the induction of a key cog from that successful era into the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Former Blue Knight Donnie Gillespie (pictured) will become the 32nd member of the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame at an induction ceremony on campus on October 17th.

Dave Ross, a 1976 graduate of Urbana and current University Trustee and Hall of Fame Chairman, administered the nomination and selection process.

"Donnie was a key player at the conclusion of the most successful era in Blue Knight men's basketball history, an era that produced multiple Hall of Famers and three trips to the NAIA nationals,” explained Ross. “As both a student-athlete and an adult, Donnie Gillespie has provided a positive reflection upon Urbana University."

Gillespie becomes the 13th men’s basketball player to enter the Hall. He joins four Blue Knights who played basketball in the 1990s for Coach Ronai. Gillespie will reunite with two of his former teammates, Jerry Ligon (’94) and J.J. White (’97), who are also enshrined.

“Donnie represents everything we want our student-athletes to strive to be,” said Urbana University Athletic Director Doug Young. “We are honored to celebrate the achievements of this outstanding student-athlete.”

Gillespie’s career spanned from 1993-1998 at Urbana University. He is one of 21 former Blue Knights to eclipse 1,000 career points. Gillespie currently sits at 13th on the all-time scoring list with 1,450 points.

During Gillespie’s junior season, the Blue Knights tied a school record for wins (26) and made it to the Sweet 16 in the NAIA National Tournament. Gillespie was named an NAIA All-American that season after returning from a knee injury that sidelined him for most of the 1995-96 season.

As a senior, Gillespie captained the Blue Knights and led the team in scoring, minutes, and 3-point shooting. He remains the school’s all-time leader in 3-point field goals (259) and 3-point shooting percentage (41.4%). The sharpshooter is second in career games played (127) at Urbana University. His former teammate, J.J. White, is the only Blue Knight ahead of him in that category with 132 games played.

Gillespie’s career continues on the hardwood to this day. Currently, he is the head coach of the varsity boys’ basketball team at Winton Woods High School in Cincinnati. Gillespie was inducted into Winton Woods’ Hall of Fame in 2004 after a stellar prep career playing basketball, soccer and football for the Warriors. In his 5 seasons as the Warriors’ head basketball coach, Gillespie owns a record of 61-46.

Ironically, Gillespie has even faced off against his former mentor, Coach Ronai, who currently coaches at Middletown High School. Gillespie’s Warriors got the best of Ronai’s squad in their last meeting two seasons ago.

“I have had the pleasure of watching Donnie grow as a teacher and coach, and for the past five years, as an opposing head coach,” explained Coach Ronai. “Donnie Gillespie is a man of faith, high principles and outstanding character, and he demonstrates that daily to anyone that has contact with him.”

The induction of Donnie Gillespie into the Urbana University Hall of Fame will take place following the Blue Knights’ homecoming football game on Saturday, October 17th. The Blue Knights take on the Pumas from St. Joseph’s College at noon. The induction ceremony is scheduled to begin about 30 minutes after the football game in the Urbana University Student Center.

The Mac-O-Chee Quarter Midget Racing Association members traveled to the Inaugural USAC National Quarter Midget’s “Battle at the Brickyard” event on July 8-11 in which over 200 drivers from around the nation converged at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway in hopes of capturing one of the top three award winning places to show that they are the top in the nation in their division.

Congratulations goes out to our local drivers: Jared Rupert – 3rd place in Heavy 160; Cooper Clouse – 3rd place in Senior Stock and Logan McPherson – 2nd place in Senior Honda. All members who attended received a commemorative medallion, went on a tour of Tony Stewart’s Race Shop in Brownsburg, IN and were able to meet Ryan Newman, Al Unser Jr., & Lyn St. James who stopped out throughout the week to watch the racing and give advice to the young drivers.

Racing action returns to the West Liberty Lion’s Club Park on Saturday, July 18 at 4:00pm. Admission is free. For more information check us out at www.macochee.org.

In the District Acme tournament loser's bracket final, Bellefontaine Powerbuilt handled West Liberty-Salem 11-1 in five innings Sunday afternoon at Blue Jacket Park.

Daulton Mosbarger fired a three-hitter and recorded four strikeouts in the win.

T.J. Garman sparked the offense by going three for three with a home run, a double, and five RBIs.

Conner Kellogg had two hits and three RBIs.

Josh Kauffman added two hits with a triple.

For West Liberty-Salem, Ryan Ropp had a triple and an RBI and Erik Thomas doubled.

The Tigers went 14-10 this summer.

Powerbuilt (29-5) will play Springfield in the district title game tonight at six o'clock.

Bellefontaine will have to win two games to advance to the state tournament.

Lima Shawnee will host the state tournament, which runs July 18th-25th.

Pony League:

In recent tournament action, Bellefontaine FOP defeated Bellefontaine All-Around Awards 14-3.

Colton Dement earned the complete game win and recorded seven strikeouts.

Tyler Shamblin had three hits, including a grand slam.

Dement and Josh Burton added doubles.

For All-Around Awards, A.J. Gorham had two hits.

Ryan Rogan and Trent Nichols each had a triple.

Cade Runion added a double.

T-Ball:

Washington II edged DeGraff V 20-19 in tournament action Sunday.

Nick McMillen and Josh Staley led the attack with three hits apiece.

Noah Steed added two hits.

McMillen, Allison Kinney, and Lukas Schwieterman played excellent defense.

In 16u travel softball, the Indian Lake Hurricanes placed third in the Jamie Snyder Memorial Tournament in South Vienna.

Indian Lake defeated the Ohio Players 11-4.

Lauren Bycynski had three hits with a pair of doubles.

Samantha Love and Kerstin Harmon tripled.

Deanna Dill added a double.

The Hurricanes beat the Urbana Lunachix 14-4.

Bycynski and Dill each went three for four with home runs.

Grace Poeppelman was three for three.

Love blasted a triple and a double.

India Slayback and Jenna Jordan each added a double.