As daylight lingers longer and temperatures begin to rise, the LMHS winter athletic season is nearing its end, making way for the spring thaw. This winter, Panther athletics has much to be proud of, with numerous milestones to celebrate. Below is a quick roundup of each sport.
Wrestling
Under the leadership of second-year head coach Paul Winkler, the 2025-26 Little Miami Panthers varsity wrestling team secured a strong second-place finish in the competitive Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) for the second consecutive season.
Throughout the regular season, the Panthers delivered impressive performances, placing 12th at the SWOWCA Coaches Classic at Middletown, winning the Sycamore Invitational, and earning silver at the OHSAA Sectional Championships.
Individually, Morgan Miller (120) and Austin Dipzinski (165) claimed ECC titles and finished in the Top 10 at the prestigious Perrysburg Invitational. Teammates Carter Mirolo (106), Sam Like (144), and Austin Seta (150) also had standout seasons, each finishing as ECC runners-up.
Dipzinski continued his success by placing at the OHSAA District Championships at Trent Arena in Kettering, becoming the Panthers' sole qualifier for the OHSAA State Championships at The Ohio State University.
On the girls' side, the Lady Panthers saw strong performances from Isabella Agricola, Miya Diabra, Maddie Simmerman, and Baylee Vultaggio, all of whom advanced to Round 2 of the OHSAA postseason. Agricola made LMHS history by becoming the first Lady Panther to win an Eastern Cincinnati Conference championship.
Boys Basketball
In 2024-25, Scott Kerr and the LMHS Panthers continued to exceed expectations. The Cats finished the season with a 15-8 overall record (10-6 in ECC play), landing third in the ECC after a historic 17-8 campaign the previous year when they finished second. Kerr's two-year run at LMHS now stands at 32-16 overall (.667 win percentage), bringing his career total to 268 victories as a head basketball coach. Notably, these 268 wins are the most ever for a coach who has led the Panthers on the hardwood, even as he eyes the 300-win milestone—though Rob Blanton's 261-213 record over 22 seasons remains the longest tenure among Little Miami basketball coaches.
This season, the Panthers enjoyed big wins over GMC foes Mason and Sycamore, along with a victory over rival Lebanon and other ECC opponents. On the court, senior forward Carter Sellers earned first-team all-ECC honors, logging 317 points (averaging 13.8 points per game) and scoring more than 20 points in six games. Senior guard Ian Arthur was named second-team all-ECC with averages of 7.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, while senior guard Jackson Reynolds received honorable mention honors.
The Panthers will open the 2025-26 campaign at the Ohio Valley Hoops Classic, hosted at Mason Arena on November 28, 2025.
Girls Basketball
Since joining the Eastern Cincinnati Conference in 2020-21, the LMHS Lady Panthers have navigated the growing pains of moving into one of Southwest Ohio's most balanced and competitive conferences. In 2024-25, District 15 Co-Coach of the Year Felisha Hartmann and her team surpassed the .500 mark with a 12-11 overall record (7-9 in ECC play), marking their first winning season since leaving the former SWOC.
On December 12, led by freshman Avery Green's 17-point performance, the Lady Panthers defeated rival Kings for the first time in five seasons. The rivalry momentum continued January 13 when senior Bella Houillion scored 16 points and Green added 10, as LMHS outlasted Route 48 rival Lebanon 45-39 for the first time since January 15, 2022.
Several players earned postseason accolades for their contributions. Senior guard Bella Houillion solidified her place in the Lady Panthers' record book by netting her 1,000th career point on a free throw during a 64-31 nonconference win over Western Brown on February 3. Houillion, who finished her career ranked No. 4 all-time with 1,054 points, was named first-team all-ECC and earned a spot on the District 15 honor roll. Freshman Avery Green, a force in the paint, was also named first-team all-conference after scoring 246 points (No. 12 in the ECC) in her inaugural varsity season. Additionally, Lilah Dalraine earned second-team honors, and Emma Hartmann received an honorable mention accolade.
The Lady Panthers will kick off the 2025-26 season by hosting Mason in a pre-Thanksgiving nonconference matchup on November 25.
Bowling
For the first time since the program began prior to the 2013-14 season, LMHS second-year head bowling coach Ashley Brown led the Lady Panthers varsity bowling team to a winning season during dual matchup play. The team posted a 9-8 overall record (4-5 in ECC play), marking a historic achievement in school history. Final conference rankings were determined by a combination of single-round regular season matchups and team performance in the ECC postseason Championship Tournament, where Little Miami finished sixth in both the regular season and the tournament.
Junior Hannah Weigle led the Lady Panthers with an impressive season average of 180.1 and was the only Alley Cat to advance to the OHSAA District Championships as an individual, while also earning first-team all-conference honors. Senior Aubrey Ferrell received second-team ECC honors, while junior Brooke Thomas earned an honorable mention status.
The season was highlighted by a thrilling 1651-1529 victory over rival Kings, as well as participation in the Wright State Raiders Challenge.
For the boys' team, the Panthers finished 6-11 overall. Max Giller was the lone Cat to qualify for the OHSAA District Championship on February 27 at Beaver-Vu Bowl. During the regular season, LMHS secured wins against Walnut Hills, Winton Woods, Turpin, and Loveland in league play, while finishing sixth in the ECC postseason tournament. Giller's impressive 190.1 average earned him second-team all-ECC honors, and Aiden Dewey received an honorable mention.
Swimming
The LMHS boys' Aqua Cats placed fifth in the ECC with 111 points, led by first-team all-ECC honoree Caeden Woeste. Woeste earned recognition for his performance in the 200-Yard I.M. event and received second-team honors for his finish in the 100-Yard Breaststroke. He was also the lone Panther to advance through the OHSAA postseason, representing LMHS at the State Championship Meet in Canton. Additionally, head coach Kari Nofziger nominated Matthew Rose for an honorable mention after his impressive showing in the 50-Yard Freestyle event. The Lady Panthers placed ninth out of ten teams at the ECC's premier meet, with Violet Owsley earning honorable mention for her performance in the 200-Yard Freestyle.
