By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Jeramiah Israel, the leading scorer on the Lloyd boys basketball team that made it to the 9th Region semifinals for the first time in 10 years last March, has made a verbal commitment with Northern Kentucky University.
Jeramiah Israel
The combo guard averaged 16.1 points and 5.7 rebounds in his junior season with the Juggernauts, who posted a 22-8 record after finishing 7-11 the previous season. He shot 55.1 percent (166 of 301) from the field and made 77.6 percent (97 of 125) of his free throws.
Israel was the third leading vote-getter on the Division II all-star team selected by the Northern Kentucky Basketball Coaches Association. This summer, he played for Hoop Dreams in AAU tournaments to increase his college exposure.
In a post on Twitter, Israel said he accepted the Division I scholarship offer from NKU to continue his basketball career because it’s a program “where I can take my game to the next level and pursue my dream.”
He also received a Division I scholarship offer from Manhattan University in New York. The other in-state colleges that recruited him were Kentucky State, Campbellsville and Midway.
Ryle sophomore wins steeplechase event at AAU Junior Olympics
Ryle sophomore Allison Kopser won the 2000-meter steeplechase event in the girls 15-16 age group at the AAU Junior Olympics track and field championships on Saturday in Greensboro, N.C.
Allison and Renea Kopser
Kopser’s winning time was 7:26.22 in the challenging race that has fences and water ditches along the course. This is the first time she qualified for the AAU national meet in that event and finished first in a field of 30 runners from several states.
In other events, Kopser placed 13th in the 1500 run and 15th in the 3000 run. Olivia Holbrook of Campbell County finished sixth in the 1500 run to earn AAU All-America honors.
Both of those girls were among the top finishers in last year’s Class 3A state cross country meet with Kopser placing fourth and Holbrook placing seventh.
Kopser’s older sister, Renae, qualified to compete in the girls 17-18 age group at the Junior Olympics. She finished third in the 2000 steeplechase and seventh in the 3000 run to earn AAU All-America honors in both of those events and placed 10th in the 1500 run.
Villa Madonna coach retiring with more than 200 wins in two sports
Dave Meier is retiring from coaching at Villa Madonna Academy where he started the baseball program in 1995 and spent the last 10 seasons as head coach of the fast-pitch softball team.
Dave Meier
His softball teams compiled a 121-93 record and won four Division III conference championships. The Vikings won the 9th Region All “A” Classic championships and earned berths in the post-season region tournament the last two years.
Meier had a 107-131 record in 11 seasons as Villa Madonna’s first baseball coach. He got involved with fast-pitch softball as Notre Dame’s head coach from 2009-2011. He took charge of the softball program at Villa Madonna in 2013 and got to coach all three of his daughters — Alexa, Brooke and Camdyn — before retiring.
Villa Madonna athletic director Jim Demler, who is accepting applications for the softball coaching position, thanked Meier for mentoring Villa Madonna student-athletes.
“His programs have certainly set the bar high and have left a lasting legacy for our future teams,” Demler said. “We wish Dave and his family the very best moving forward.”
