News

For the fourth straight year, the Sycamore Aviators girls golf team dominated the field to capture the coveted league title. On this occasion, leading wire-to-wire over both days of the tournament, outstanding team balance carried the day. Led by medalist and three-time GMC “Golfer of the Year” Eva Becerril, the Aviators placed five golfers among the top ten finishers to seal the deal: 1st – Eva Becerril (142), 4th – Sahana Singla (158), 6th – Lucia Hardison (161), 9th – Allie Ward (173), and 10th – Marley Brumfield (176). The Aves tallied a blistering team total of 630 strokes, outdistancing second-place Lakota East (668) by 38 strokes.

Complete Results from Baumspage:  GMC Girls Golf Championships 2025 - Baumspage

GMC Girls Golf Champions 2025  Sycamore Aviators

(Photo compliments of Sycamore Athletic Department)

Without question, DICK'S Sporting Goods appreciates outstanding performances across a wide variety of sports. On this occasion, the Greater Miami Conference Boys Golf Championships provided the first opportunity for DSG to recognize the exceptional efforts of conference athletes.

Lakota West’s Toku Fujiwara earned tournament medalist honors by posting the two-day low score of 137 strokes. He combined two outstanding rounds of 67 and 70 to secure the title. A Firebird senior, Fujiwara is a four-time first-team All-Conference performer. His course presence, clutch play, and leadership will be greatly missed. His stellar tournament showing justifiably earned him the honor of being named the GMC Boys Golf “Athlete of the Year.”

By emphasizing fundamentals and guiding his team through an extremely challenging schedule, Lakota West Head Coach Steve Nguyen led the Firebirds back to the GMC winners’ circle this season after having captured the conference title in 2023. The Firebird contingent outdistanced conference and district rival Lakota East by a total of 21 strokes in to capture the GMC crown. Relatively new to the West head coaching scene, this marks Coach Nguyen’s first recognition as GMC “Coach of the Year.” Being selected by one’s coaching peers is perhaps one of the most meaningful honors a coach can achieve.

GMC "Coach of the Year" - Steve Nguyen  and GMC "Player of the Year" Toku Fujiwara

(Photo compliments of Sycamore Athletic Department)

Coach Nguyen (left) and Toku Fujiwara (right)

The Greater Miami Conference Girls Golf Championships are set for Tuesday, September 16th and Wednesday, September 17th at Walden Ponds Golf Course. The three-time defending GMC champions are the Sycamore Aviators. The Aviators are led by senior Eva Becerril, the returning 2024 GMC "Player of the Year" and Boise State University commit. 

With a wire-to-wire performance, the Lakota West Firebird boys golf team claimed the 2025 GMC Golf Championship. Their two-day total of 588 strokes secured a comfortable 21-stroke victory over the second-place Lakota East Thunderhawks, who finished with 609. The defending champions, the Mason Comets, followed closely behind with a total of 613. Led by strong performances by medalist Toku Fujiwara (137) and second place teammate, Griffin Wullenweber (139), the Firebirds placed three golfers in the tournament's top five.

Team scoring fell along these lines:

Lakota West 588, Lakota East 609, Mason 613, Sycamore 692, Fairfield 694, Hamilton 721, Oak Hills 747, Princeton 754, Colerain 814, and Middletown 964.

Complete tournament scoring found at Baumspage: Baumspage GMC Boys Golf Results 2025

GMC 2025 Champions - Lakota West Firebirds

(Photo compliments of Sycamore Athletic Department)

L to R - Matthew Krummen, Ben Miller, Alex Johnston, Toku Fujiwara, Griffin Wullenweber,     Greyson Treherne and Coach Steve Nguyen

GMC First Team All-Conference Performers

(Photo compliments of Sycamore Athletic Department)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE by Dan Hilen, Lakota East SID
(Photos compliments of East SID Dan Hilen)

Monday, September 8, 2025

Liberty Township, Ohio – Lakota East High School celebrates a historic milestone as sophomore quarterback Nile Knutson and senior running back Ryder Hooks set new school records, securing their spots in Thunderhawk gridiron history.

Nile Knutson -  Lakota East Quarterback

In a recent game against league rival Mason,  Knutson, the Hawks' sophomore quarterback, threw for an impressive 338 yards, exceeding the previous single-game record of 310 yards set last season by Jamison Kitna (11/8/24 vs Moeller). At last Friday's game against the Comets, Knutson was 27 of 29 passing, tossing three touchdowns.  His leadership and accuracy have played a key role in the Thunderhawks’ success this season.

Ryder Hooks - Lakota East Running Back 

Meanwhile, senior running back Ryder Hooks made his mark as the program’s all-time career rushing leader, finishing the game with 131 yards rushing to top Jay Boyd’s long-standing record from 1995-97.  Hooks is following up his outstanding junior campaign, when he ran for 1423 yards in the 2024 season.  With only three games into the 2025 season, Ryder has already rushed for 455 yards and will certainly push his all-time marks to even greater numbers before the end of his high school career.  Hooks’ steady performance and versatility in the backfield have made him a vital part of the Lakota East offense.

The Thunderhawks are excited to build on this momentum and continue their strong season. Fans are encouraged to support the Hawks as they pursue further success in the weeks ahead.  East will host the Hamilton Big Blue on Friday.