By Terry Boehmker
NKy Tribune sports reporter
Notre Dame Academy volleyball player Morgan Hentz has been invited to a national training session that will select the United States team for the Girls’ Youth World Championship to be played Aug. 7-16 in Lima, Peru.
Morgan Hentz (Photo from NKYVC website)
Hentz is one 20 players from around the country invited to the training session to be held July 18-23 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. If she’s named to the 12-player national roster, she’ll continue training in Colorado Springs until the team departs for South America.
“I’m very excited,” she said. “I still have lots of work to do, but it’s really awesome to be going. I hope I can make it to the final 12.”
Hentz, 17, of Lakeside Park, has been participating in the USA Volleyball High Performance Program for three years. The program was set up to provide high-level training for players who want to reach the elite level in the sport.
Hentz was invited to the national training session as a libero defensive specialist. She played that position and outside hitter for the Notre Dame volleyball team that was 9th Region champion and state runner-up last season.
She also plays libero and outside hitter on the Northern Kentucky Volleyball Club under-17 age group select team that has already qualified for the USA Junior National Championships to be played June 28-July 1 in New Orleans.
“I love defense,” Hentz said. “Playing defense is definitely my favorite thing to do, but I like hitting, too.”
***************
Nicole Goderwis (Jackson Sports Photography)
Nicole Goderwis joined the local list of state record-holders in track and field when the Brossart senior won the girls’ 400-meter dash at the Class A state meet last Saturday at the University of Kentucky.
Her winning time of 56.95 seconds in the 400 broke the previous Class A girls’ state record of 57.10 that was held by two runners. After the results of the race were announced, Goderwis received a gold medal and a framed certificate from the Kentucky High School Athletic Association recognizing her as a state record-holder.
Northern Kentucky athletes now hold seven state records in Class A girls’ track and field events. The others are Maureen Egan of St. Henry in the 800 and 1600 runs, Adrienne Hundemer of Dayton in the 100 hurdles, Brianna McCarthy of Beechwood in the shot put and St. Henry relay teams in the 4×800 and 4×100 events.
***************
Two members of the state champion Holy Cross girls’ basketball team have agreed to play in Northern Kentucky senior and junior all-star games on Sunday, June 7 at Holy Cross. The junior game is set for 5 p.m. with the seniors taking the court at 6:30 p.m.
Senior center Ally Mayhaus and junior guard Dejah McClendon are the Holy Cross players on the all-star rosters. They were both named to the state all-tournament team last March after the Indians became the first 9th Region girls’ team to win the state title.
The rosters for the senior all-star game also include Lydia Graves of Highlands and Tori Wofford of Ludlow, who were voted the top players in Division II and Division III last season by local coaches.
Other juniors who agreed to play in the all-star games are Brianna Adler of Highlands and Hailey Ison of Walton-Verona. They both surpassed the 1,000-point mark in career scoring last season.
***************
Three members of the same family will be inducted into the Simon Kenton Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Friday, June 12 at the Twin Oaks Golf and Plantation Club.
The list of nine inductees includes Brenden and Jordan Stowers, who both scored more than 1,000 points playing basketball for Simon Kenton, and their younger brother, Evan, who was a state and regional champion in 1-meter springboard diving.
The other inductees will be Wayne Nuebauer and Matt Coppage for football, Mike Brock for boys’ basketball, Trenna Bustle-Currie for girls’ basketball, Jeff Everman for wrestling and Julie Clair for volleyball.
