A rainy week played havoc with softball schedules last week. The sectional tournament looms this week, but the Harrison Ladycats still have to wait to see if they will tie for first or second place in the Southwest Ohio Conference or slip all the way to fourth.

The Ladycats split two games with Edgewood and the Ladycats’ SWOC record now stands at 10-3. They currently are in a three-way tie with Edgewood and Wilmington, one game behind Ross, which has two league losses.

Matchups for the Harrison tennis team’s sectional tournament have been announced by the Southwest Ohio District Athletic Board.

The sectionals at Mason High School began Tuesday, May 14.

In singles, Kevin Kreinest gets a tough first-round match against Talawanda’s Alex Danielson. Danielson was recently named player of the year in the Southwest Ohio Conference.

Derek Reatherford matches up against Loveland’s Johan Harris and Ben Watson faces off against Andrew Beckerich of Milford.

On the doubles side, T.J. Stenger and Rick Seal team up against a doubles team from Talawanda, Andy Sens and Mason Miller. Jake Troutwine and Conner Davis take on Engel and Marty Fritsch from Hamilton.

It was not the week that Harrison baseball coach Shawn Sowders was hoping for. Sowders was looking forward to wrapping up the Southwest Ohio Conference title last week with a pair of wins over Edgewood and to get ready for this week’s sectional tournament action.

Rain forced cancellation of all but one game for the Cats last week, a 3-1 loss to Elder, and now the Cats hope to squeeze in the two remaining league games with Edgewood around the sectional tournament game Harrison hosts on Wednesday.

The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced the members of the 2013 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, and Dartmouth had four of its student-athletes selected including tight end Justin Foley,

The honor society is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college career.

With three powerful Catholic school teams in the meet, the Harrison girls’ track team took eighth place out of 10 teams in the Best of the West meet at Oak Hills last Thursday.

“It was a good meet with some great competition,” said Harrison coach Scott Menze. “We saw three schools from our league and a lot of teams from our district. We went in hoping to get some questions answered and I think we did.”

Senior Sammy Cliffe had another fine meet, placing in three individual events and in one relay team. Her best finish was in the 400 meters where she finished fourth with a time of 1:01.9.

The Harrison boys’ track team continues its struggles against good competition as the team finished eighth out of nine teams at the Best of the West meet at Oak Hills.

The good news is that four individuals and three relay teams placed in the competition, a dramatic increase over the previous week at the Ross Invitational.

“It’s been tough for the boys,” said Harrison coach Scott Menze.

Anglers can give all they got to become a Bass Fishing League winner and compete for a chance to win $500 in Bass Pro Shop gift cards, two season boat rentals and entry into the Bass Series Championship. Also, $25.00 gift cards will be given away nightly.

The Bass Fishing League will be held at Sharon Woods Lake, which has earned a reputation a tope bass lake in southwest Ohio. Schedule is on Wednesdays as follows:

April 17     5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
April 24     6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
May 1        6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
May 8        6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
May 15      6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Registration is due in advance at Sharon Woods Boathouse beginning March 30. The league is limited to the first 20 teams. Grand prize is based on league points at the end of the five week competition.

A valid Hamilton County Park District Motor Vehicle Permit ($10.00 annual; $3.00 daily) is required to enter the parks.

For additional information, visit greatparks.org or call 521-7275. Also, be sure to check out our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter to find out more about what’s happening at the parks.

Teens who enjoy golfing competitively are invited to join the Great Parks Junior Mini Tour.
Tour membership fee is $35 per player and tournament fees are $25 for tour members and $40 for non-members.

The four-tournament event will take place Saturday, April 6, Miami Whitewater Forest Golf Course; Saturday, May 4, Shawnee Lookout Golf Course; Wednesday, June 5, The Vineyard Golf Course at Woodland Mound; Wednesday, July 10, Sharon Woods Golf Course; Junior Mini Tour Championship, Sunday, July 21, The Mill Course at Winton Woods.

Tournaments will be divided into two divisions for boys and girls, age 13-15 and age 16-17. Players will earn points for each event, and overall points leaders will qualify to compete in the championship.

Register at http://www.greatparks.org/golf/great-parks-junior-mini-tour/index.html. For more information, call Andrew Horner at 825-3701.

A valid Hamilton County Park District Motor Vehicle Permit is required to enter the parks.

Populations of wildlife species such as the bobcat, bluebreast darter and trumpeter swan as well as Daughmer Bur Oak Prairie Savannah and Whipple State Nature Preserve have all benefitted from Ohioans supporting conservation efforts by donating to the tax checkoff program, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Donations made through the Wildlife Diversity Fund tax checkoff help support critical ecological management activities in Ohio, including efforts to remove non-native and invasive species that pose a serious and ever-growing threat to sensitive habitats. Wildlife checkoff funds also help support information programs such as field guides, which are provided free to the public from checkoff funds.

Taxpayers who are not receiving a refund this year may still contribute by sending a check to: ODNR Division of Natural Areas and Preserves’ Natural Areas Fund or ODNR Division of Wildlife’s Wildlife Diversity Fund, 2045 Morse Road, Columbus, Ohio 43229.

ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.com.

New statewide and specific site bass fishing regulations are now in effect for the 2013-2014 license year, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Statewide, a new 12-inch minimum length limit has been implemented by the ODNR Division of Wildlife on all public waters for largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass where there are no other special regulations.

The daily limit of five fish per day remains in effect for black bass, singly or in combination.

Some reservoirs that previously had special regulations were changed to the new statewide 12-inch length limit. he 12-15 inch slot length limit was removed from Timbre Ridge Lake, and 15-inch minimum length limits were removed from:

Caesar Creek Lake (Warren, Clinton and Greene counties),
Kenton Lake (Gallia County),
Lake Milton, including the Mahoning River connecting Berlin Lake and Lake Milton (Mahoning County),
Lake Vesuvius (Lawrence County),
Monroe Lake (Monroe County),
Monroeville Reservoir (Huron County),
Pike Lake (Pike County) and
Sippo Lake (Stark County).

Two new regulations have been incorporated to increase the size and number of bass.

These special regulations include a reduced number of largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass that anglers may keep per day and split daily limits, where anglers may only keep a specified number of fish of a certain length.

The first regulation is a special 15-inch length limit with a four fish split daily limit.

Anglers may keep two fish under 15 inches and two fish 15 inches or larger, for four fish per day.

The split daily limit allows limited harvest of bass less than 15 inches to promote growth of bass to larger sizes.

This regulation is referred to as a “15, 2-and-2.” It is in effect at these reservoirs:
Acton Lake (Preble and Butler counties),
Findley Lake (Lorain County),
Hargus Lake (Pickaway County),
Highlandtown Lake (Columbiana County),
Lake Snowden (Athens County),
New Lyme Lake (Ashtabula County),
Paint Creek Lake (Highland and Ross counties),
Salt Fork Lake (Guernsey County),
Silver Creek Lake (Summit County) and
Upper Sandusky No. 2 (Wyandot County).

The second split daily limit is referred to as a “Super Slot,” a 14-20-inch slot length limit intended to increase the chance of catching trophy bass.

Anglers may keep two fish under 14 inches and one fish 20 inches or larger, for three fish per day.

However, anglers are not allowed to keep any fish in the protected slot. This regulation will be limited to the following waters:

All American Electric Power (AEP) ponds and reservoirs, including AEP ReCreation Lands, Conesville Coal Lands and Avondale Wildlife Area, with all ponds and reservoirs included in each daily limit per angler (Coshocton, Guernsey, Muskingum, Morgan, Noble and Perry counties),
Belmont Lake (Belmont County),
Guilford Lake (Columbiana County),
Killdeer Plains Reservoir (Wyandot County),
Kiser Lake (Champaign County),
Long Lake (Summit County),
Oxbow Lake (Defiance County),
Spencer Lake (Medina County),
St. Joseph Wildlife Area ponds (Williams County),
Tycoon Lake (Gallia County),
Wingfoot Lake (Portage County) and
Wolf Run Lake (Noble County).

These adjustments in regulations were developed by the ODNR Division of Wildlife through an analysis of historical fish surveys, creel surveys and angler-reported tournament results, an evaluation of management options and fisheries objectives as well as extensive angler input through online surveys, creel surveys, open houses and meetings with sportsmen and women.

For more information, contact:
Vicki Ervin, ODNR Division of Wildlife
614-265-6325.
Jason Fallon, ODNR Office of Communications,
614-265-6860