Winter Sports Season Ends with Nail-Biting Action
Posted Date: 03/20/26 (05:50 PM)
The winter sports season came to an end Saturday for Bellbrook, with some great, nail-biting performances.
Here’s the full-winter sports wrapup.
BOYS BASKETBALLThe Bellbrook boys basketball team finished the season as District Runners-up March 7, falling short in a tight game against Cincinnati Hughes, 49-45 at UD Arena. The Golden Eagles fought the whole game and took their first lead on a pair of Aiden Caswell free throws with 2:13 remaining in the game, but Hughes took the lead back on a pair of free throws of their own on the next possession, extended the lead on the possession after that and never gave it back.
The Golden Eagles were down 18-7 at the end of the first quarter but cut the lead continually from that point, trailing 27-19 at the half and 35-31 at the end of the third. Jack Howard led the team with 14 points and Caswell scored 10. The Golden Eagles finish the season 17-8.
The team ended the regular season with a record of 15-7 overall and 6-4 in the Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division, good for third overall.
The Eagles won their first tournament game with a 64-59 win over Belmont Friday and are set to face off against Chaminade-Julienne on March 4 at Centerville.
Cam Reagan was voted to the First Team SWBL SW, and David Gregory and Jack Howard were Second Team. Aidan Caswell was Honorable Mention.
WRESTLINGThe wrestling season came to a close on the morning of March 7, as the four wrestlers surviving the first day of the District meet couldn’t punch their tickets to the state meet.
Tressel Blair (120) was the only Bellbrook wrestler who picked up a win, picking up a tech fall 20-3 but losing his next match in a close 7-3 decision. Brendan Schell (106) lost in his first match of the day, 11-6. Dominic Hummel (150) lost in his first match by pin. Devin Caito (144) lost by forfeit. Congrats to all our Bellbrook wrestlers for an outstanding season. Blair and Caito won first-round District matches on Friday.
Caito and Dominic Hummel placed second at the sectional, Schell was third and Blair was fourth. Nathan Fisher finished on the podium in fifth.
Schell and Hummel also took second at the SWBL meet. Sawyer Flanagan (126) was fourth and Blair, Ben Slagley (132), and Magnus Underbakke (215) were sixth.
For the girls, Camila Arduz Cuellar finished 6th at 125 in the sectional. She finished third in the SWBL meet. Scarlett Flippo (235) was fourth at the SWBL.
GIRLS BASKETBALLThe girls basketball team (24-3) dominated the Sectional and District tournaments, but fell short against Carroll on March 3 in the Regional Semifinal at Lakota East, 49-43. The Golden Eagles were barely tested through the sectional and district rounds, winning a combined 240-45 in four games.
The team finished the regular season with an impressive 20-2 record and a perfect 10-0 in the Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division to take the title.
The team swept the league awards as Libby Bunsold was the Player of the Year, and the Defensive Player of the year, and coach Jason Tincher was the Coach of the Year. Lauren Fabrick was named to the First Team and Zoe Howard, Macy Miller and Emmie Sears were named to the Second Team. Macy Westbeld was an Honorable Mention selection.
During the season, Tincher won his 400th career game on December 18 in a 65-49 win over Talawanda. Also during the season, Bunsold, a sophomore, broke the career steals mark at more than 335.
SWIMMING Michelle Dean etched her name into the Bellbrook record books this season with a second-place finish in the 200 free at state, with a time of 1:48.62. She backed that up with a third-place finish in the 500 free in 5:01.07. Dean won District Titles in both events.
Lillian Gaskill swam a 59.31 in the 100 butterfly prelims. Gaskill was ninth at state in the 500 free in 5:06.16. Gaskill won a district title in the 100 fly.
On the boys side, the 200 free relay team of Elijah Vawter, Nolan Dean, Luke Snyder and Luke Henley finished 15th in a time of 1:28.68. The 200 medley relay team of Nolan Dean, Ross Melton, Henley and Snyder swam 1:39.03 in the prelims to complete their season. Individually, Henley swam a 21.46 in the prelims of the 50 free at state. Henley won a district title in the event. Nolan Dean won a district title in the 200 Individual Medley.
This season, Michelle Dean set the school record in the 200 free, 200 back, 200 IM and the 500 free. Gaskill set school records in the 200 fly, 1,000 free and the 1,650 free. Nolan Dean set school records in the 100 IM, 200 breast and 400 IM.
BOWLINGThe bowling season came to an end at the District tournament on Feb. 27, which was an amazing way to start as the first year of a varsity sport.
Jack Dewitt rolled a 619 series with a high of 224 and Landon Fortkamp scored a 564 with a high game of 208. Dewitt carried a 200 average by season’s end.
The team bowled well throughout, finishing 10-5 overall, as DeWitt was first team SWBL Southwestern, Gabe Lease was second team and Josiah Wolverton was Honorable Mention.
The girls team was 4-8 overall. Lilana Carrion, Layla Hanks and Madalyn Skiles were second team SWBL Southwestern selections, and Sophia Hofacker was Honorable Mention. (Bowling photo contributed by Nicholas Studios).
CHEERLEADINGThe Bellbrook Cheer team finished a great competition season with great finishes at the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators state cheer competition at Big Walnut on Feb. 21.
The Game Day Competition team took third place in Division III, while the Traditional team was fifth overall. Scores were not published.
Senior Cali Harnish also walked away with the OASSA Scholarship, which is awarded to just two seniors in the state. Harnish had to fillout the application and submit an essay, as well as achieve at least a 3.25 GPA, be an active member of the OASSA and take either the ACT or SAT.
Here’s the full-winter sports wrapup.
BOYS BASKETBALLThe Bellbrook boys basketball team finished the season as District Runners-up March 7, falling short in a tight game against Cincinnati Hughes, 49-45 at UD Arena. The Golden Eagles fought the whole game and took their first lead on a pair of Aiden Caswell free throws with 2:13 remaining in the game, but Hughes took the lead back on a pair of free throws of their own on the next possession, extended the lead on the possession after that and never gave it back.
The Golden Eagles were down 18-7 at the end of the first quarter but cut the lead continually from that point, trailing 27-19 at the half and 35-31 at the end of the third. Jack Howard led the team with 14 points and Caswell scored 10. The Golden Eagles finish the season 17-8.
The team ended the regular season with a record of 15-7 overall and 6-4 in the Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division, good for third overall.
The Eagles won their first tournament game with a 64-59 win over Belmont Friday and are set to face off against Chaminade-Julienne on March 4 at Centerville.
Cam Reagan was voted to the First Team SWBL SW, and David Gregory and Jack Howard were Second Team. Aidan Caswell was Honorable Mention.
WRESTLINGThe wrestling season came to a close on the morning of March 7, as the four wrestlers surviving the first day of the District meet couldn’t punch their tickets to the state meet. Tressel Blair (120) was the only Bellbrook wrestler who picked up a win, picking up a tech fall 20-3 but losing his next match in a close 7-3 decision. Brendan Schell (106) lost in his first match of the day, 11-6. Dominic Hummel (150) lost in his first match by pin. Devin Caito (144) lost by forfeit. Congrats to all our Bellbrook wrestlers for an outstanding season. Blair and Caito won first-round District matches on Friday.
Caito and Dominic Hummel placed second at the sectional, Schell was third and Blair was fourth. Nathan Fisher finished on the podium in fifth.
Schell and Hummel also took second at the SWBL meet. Sawyer Flanagan (126) was fourth and Blair, Ben Slagley (132), and Magnus Underbakke (215) were sixth.
For the girls, Camila Arduz Cuellar finished 6th at 125 in the sectional. She finished third in the SWBL meet. Scarlett Flippo (235) was fourth at the SWBL.
GIRLS BASKETBALLThe girls basketball team (24-3) dominated the Sectional and District tournaments, but fell short against Carroll on March 3 in the Regional Semifinal at Lakota East, 49-43. The Golden Eagles were barely tested through the sectional and district rounds, winning a combined 240-45 in four games.
The team finished the regular season with an impressive 20-2 record and a perfect 10-0 in the Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division to take the title.
The team swept the league awards as Libby Bunsold was the Player of the Year, and the Defensive Player of the year, and coach Jason Tincher was the Coach of the Year. Lauren Fabrick was named to the First Team and Zoe Howard, Macy Miller and Emmie Sears were named to the Second Team. Macy Westbeld was an Honorable Mention selection.
During the season, Tincher won his 400th career game on December 18 in a 65-49 win over Talawanda. Also during the season, Bunsold, a sophomore, broke the career steals mark at more than 335.
SWIMMING Michelle Dean etched her name into the Bellbrook record books this season with a second-place finish in the 200 free at state, with a time of 1:48.62. She backed that up with a third-place finish in the 500 free in 5:01.07. Dean won District Titles in both events.
Lillian Gaskill swam a 59.31 in the 100 butterfly prelims. Gaskill was ninth at state in the 500 free in 5:06.16. Gaskill won a district title in the 100 fly.
On the boys side, the 200 free relay team of Elijah Vawter, Nolan Dean, Luke Snyder and Luke Henley finished 15th in a time of 1:28.68. The 200 medley relay team of Nolan Dean, Ross Melton, Henley and Snyder swam 1:39.03 in the prelims to complete their season. Individually, Henley swam a 21.46 in the prelims of the 50 free at state. Henley won a district title in the event. Nolan Dean won a district title in the 200 Individual Medley.
This season, Michelle Dean set the school record in the 200 free, 200 back, 200 IM and the 500 free. Gaskill set school records in the 200 fly, 1,000 free and the 1,650 free. Nolan Dean set school records in the 100 IM, 200 breast and 400 IM.
BOWLINGThe bowling season came to an end at the District tournament on Feb. 27, which was an amazing way to start as the first year of a varsity sport. Jack Dewitt rolled a 619 series with a high of 224 and Landon Fortkamp scored a 564 with a high game of 208. Dewitt carried a 200 average by season’s end.
The team bowled well throughout, finishing 10-5 overall, as DeWitt was first team SWBL Southwestern, Gabe Lease was second team and Josiah Wolverton was Honorable Mention.
The girls team was 4-8 overall. Lilana Carrion, Layla Hanks and Madalyn Skiles were second team SWBL Southwestern selections, and Sophia Hofacker was Honorable Mention. (Bowling photo contributed by Nicholas Studios).
CHEERLEADINGThe Bellbrook Cheer team finished a great competition season with great finishes at the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators state cheer competition at Big Walnut on Feb. 21.
The Game Day Competition team took third place in Division III, while the Traditional team was fifth overall. Scores were not published.
Senior Cali Harnish also walked away with the OASSA Scholarship, which is awarded to just two seniors in the state. Harnish had to fillout the application and submit an essay, as well as achieve at least a 3.25 GPA, be an active member of the OASSA and take either the ACT or SAT.