Ohio
Who are best OHSAA hockey players in central Ohio? See our list
Three members of state semifinalist Dublin Jerome highlight The Dispatch’s 2025-26 All-Metro hockey team.
The Celtics advanced to their first state tournament since 2019, losing a semifinal to Cleveland St. Ignatius 2-1 in three overtimes.
The Athlete of the Year in each sport – 30 in all – will be announced at the Central Ohio High School Sports Awards on June 22 at Upper Arlington High School.
Dylan Bell, St. Charles
One of the top goalies in the state, the junior helped lead the Cardinals to the regional final. Bell finished 13-3-1 with six shutouts, a 1.03 goals-against average and .957 save percentage. He was first-team all-state, all-Capital Hockey Conference and all-CHC-Red.
John Michael Beuselinck, Dublin Jerome
The senior proved to be a final strong line of defense for the Celtics, leading them to the state tournament. Beuselinck went 15-7-2-1 with five shutouts, a 1.58 goals-against average and .930 save percentage. He had 17 saves in a 2-0 win over St. Charles in the regional final. Beuselinck was second-team all-CHC and honorable mention all-state.
Connor Hagkull, Upper Arlington
After leading the Golden Bears to their first state title in 2025, the senior center capped his prep career by leading UA in scoring with 43 goals and 41 assists. He was first-team all-state and second-team all-CHC. The Bears lost to Jerome 3-1 in a regional semifinal.
Eli Hall, Thomas Worthington
The senior helped anchor the Cardinals’ defense as they won the CHC-White and advanced to a regional quarterfinal before losing 8-4 to Olentangy Liberty. Hall finished with 10 goals and 31 assists and was first-team all-CHC and all-CHC-White and second-team all-state.
Will Howard, St. Charles
The junior forward emerged as the leading scoring for the Cardinals, finishing with 21 goals and 32 assists to help them earn the No. 1 seed for the regional tournament. He was first-team all-CHC and all-CHC-Red and third-team all-state.
Drew Hunkins, Olentangy Liberty
The junior forward was the Patriots’ leading scorer, finishing with 29 goals and 37 assists to earn honorable mention all-state. Liberty advanced to a regional semifinal, losing 3-1 to St. Charles.
Luke Myers, Dublin Jerome
The junior forward played a key role in the Celtics’ march to the state tournament, leading the team in scoring with 25 goals and 26 assists. Myers was first-team all-CHC and all-CHC-Red and third-team all-state.
Tate Rook, Upper Arlington
The junior forward was a key contributor to the Bears’ success, finishing second to Hagkull in scoring with 38 goals and 45 assists. Rook was first-team all-CHC and all-CHC-Red and honorable mention all-state.
Henry Thackeray, Upper Arlington
The senior was a lockdown defenseman for UA and contributed nine goals and 32 assists. Thackeray was first-team all-state and all-CHC-Red and second-team all-CHC.
Tommy Scharfenberger, St. Charles
The senior recorded 14 goals and 26 assists to help the Cardinals win the CHC-Red and the Blue Jackets Cup for the Red Division. Scharfenberger was first-team all-CHC and all-CHC-Red and second-team all-state.
Brayden Scholl, Dublin Coffman
The senior defenseman helped the Shamrocks win the Blue Jackets Cup for the White Division and reach a regional quarterfinal, which they lost 5-1 to UA. Scholl collected 13 goals and 41 assists and was first-team all-CHC-White and second-team all-CHC.
Michael Wozniak, Watterson
The senior forward was a force on offense, leading the Eagles with 63 goals and 21 assists. Wozniak was first-team all-CHC-White and honorable mention all-state and all-CHC.
COACH OF THE YEAR: Pat Murphy, Dublin Jerome
Murphy, who helped form the program when the school opened in 2004, guided the Celtics to their fourth state tournament, their first state final since 2019 and a 25-11-2-1 finish.
He also moved within two wins of 500 for his career, ending the year 498-237-59-4.
Murphy coached at the junior varsity level for two seasons in the school district before taking over at Jerome.
In 2019, the Celtics became the first central Ohio team to reach the state final, losing 7-2 to St. Ignatius.
“Coach Murphy did an amazing job this season of uniting his team, battling through adversity and getting the boys playing at their peak by the time the postseason arrived,” athletic director Jay Schwanke said. “He continues to lead his program with skill, purpose and integrity.”
High school sports reporter Frank DiRenna can be reached at fdirenna@dispatch.com and at @DispatchFrank on X.
Ohio
Mary Lucille Young, Youngstown, Ohio
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Mrs. Mary Lucille Young, 74, of Youngstown, departed this life on Friday, April 10, 2026 at her residence where God welcomed her home.
Mary, affectionately known as “Mary Lou” and “Tang”, was born March 8, 1952 in Youngstown, a daughter of Lawrence and Ada Mae Alexander Hamilton Young.
She was a proud 1971 graduate of South High School.
Mary was a member of New Bethel Baptist Church.
She attended Louis Weinberger Hill Beauty School, and was accepted as a model with Barbizon Modeling Agency.
Mary worked and retired from Youngstown Sheet and Tube.
She enjoyed looking her best, dancing, shopping, casinos and decorating her home. Mary was strong, bold and took no mess. She was loved by many people.
She leaves to cherish her memories, her pride and joy, two daughters, Adalatesha Bright and Richlynn Bright; two sons, Ja-Juan Young and Dr. Ty-Juan Bright all of Youngstown; five grandchildren; two sisters, Cynthia (Floyd) Davis, Janet (Steve) Gardner both of Youngstown; and a host of family and friends.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by a son, Michael Lamar Young; three brothers, Isaiah, Edward, Lorenzo Young.
Private services were held at the L.E. Black, Phillips & Holden Funeral Home.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Lucille Young, please visit our floral store.
Ohio
NWSL announces expansion to Columbus, Ohio
The NWSL is once again expanding, this time the league is heading to Ohio where Columbus NWSL 2028 will take the field. Of course, Columbus NWSL 2028 is a placeholder for now and the the new team will unveil its name, crest, and uniform to build an identity around as it approaches its first season.
News of the club was announced yesterday, though this has been in the works for some time, in a press conference. Team owners, the Haslam Sports Group (HSG), Nationwide and Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards, spoke about what they hope the club will bring to Columbus and women’s soccer more broadly.
“Our family is thrilled to help bring an NWSL team to Columbus and further invest in Ohio, with the honor of bringing the 18th team into the league,” said Haslam Sports Group Managing Partner Whitney Haslam Johnson. “We believe in the power of women’s sports and are humbled to be part of the number one women’s soccer league in the world.”
Nationwide insurance has been a corporate partner in both NWSL and MLS for years and now joins an ownership group deepening those ties. “Today’s announcement is about inspiring young athletes across Central Ohio, elevating women’s professional sports and reminding the world that Columbus is a first-class sports city,” said Kirt Walker, Nationwide Chief Executive Officer. “As Nationwide marks 100 years, this is a powerful way to celebrate our milestone with the community that has been our home from the very beginning.”
The Edwards family has deep roots in the Columbus soccer scene with Dr. Pete Edwards serving as team doctor for the Crew in 1996 and the family joining the team’s ownership in 2019 during the Save The Crew effort. “Columbus is very important to our family. For over 30 years, we’ve supported the Columbus Crew and MLS. We’ve seen how a men’s professional soccer team has brought people together and created a positive impact in our community. It’s truly special to now welcome an NWSL club and the incredible women athletes who will also uplift our city on and off the pitch,” said Dr. Christine Edwards. “We’re very excited to partner with Haslam Sports Group and Nationwide for NWSL Columbus 2028, and we can’t wait to share even more memorable moments with fans, especially during the Club’s first game at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.”
The NWSL has continued its expansion with the announcement and the team will join Atlanta in its inaugural season in two years.
Ohio
Ex-Ohio State president Ted Carter’s girlfriend would sneak through campus garage to get to his office, report reveals
Disgraced ex-Ohio State President Ted Carter repeatedly snuck his alleged failing podcaster lover through a campus garage for secret visits to his office as he funneled university resources into her business ventures, a shocking new report claims.
The report into the circumstances behind Carter’s abrupt exit from his cushy $1.5 million-a-year role last month detailed his secret office rendezvous with Krisanthe Vlachos, host of “The Callout Podcast,” and at least five trips he took with her.
The duo jetted off to Richmond, Virginia; Orlando, Florida; Kansas City, Missouri; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Las Vegas – with the married 66-year-old allegedly cooking up a fake business excuse for one trip, the report released Tuesday by the college found.
One social media post showed the pair at a Colorado Springs conference in January, with the ex-prez smiling next to Vlachos, who is clad in an all-black leather getup.
Carter – married to Lynda Carter for nearly 45 years – admitted giving Vlachos “inappropriate access” to university leadership and public resources to boost her private business when he voluntarily resigned.
The probe found he tapped at least 14 staffers to help his purported paramour, who hosted a veteran-focused podcast, including efforts to score her a university job, campus space, support staff, and financial backing from the school and outside agencies like JobsOhio for different business ventures.
“Carter’s actions betrayed Ohio State’s shared values and violated university policy,” the 47-page report said, adding his “wide-ranging” efforts dragged on for almost two years.
“Carter had a close personal and business relationship with Vlachos and he allowed that relationship to improperly influence his actions and impair his judgement.”
JobsOhio shelled out $60,000 to the prexy’s reported flame to produce four podcast episodes about veteran issues – though only one was completed, the agency said last month.
The company, which said its decision to invest was driven by Carter’s recommendation, is now trying to “clawback” the funds after all of Vlacho’s poorly performing podcast episodes were hastily removed from YouTube and other streamers when the scandal erupted.
Carter – who served as a Top Gun pilot and instructor during 38 years in the Navy – admitted in one episode he was a “frequent flyer” on the floundering show, appearing as a guest at least nine times since 2024.
JobsOhio also dished out $10,000 to sponsor a January 2025 event for vets and military families at Ohio State, calling it an “opportunity that Ms. Vlachos brought our attention.”
The agency’s handouts for Vlachos came to an end after she requested a $2.9 million investment in her proposed mobile app, which aimed to help Ohio veterans get jobs.
An Ohio State spokesman previously confirmed officials were investigating an LLC registered to Vlachos at a university-owned building, in connection with the ex-leader’s departure.
Carter and Vlachos have not responded publicly to the relationship allegations.
With Post wires.
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