WILMINGTON
It was probably the most challenging season, but also the most rewarding.
Clermont Northeastern overcame low roster numbers and some reshuffling for the girls program to win back-to-back National Division titles for the first time since the league kept track in 2009. It’s the program’s fourth league title dating back to 2016.
The Rockets won the regular season with a 9-1 record in the National Division and unofficially beat out East Clinton and Georgetown at the Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference Tournament on Sept. 24 with 36 points. The Astros and G-Men unofficially tied with 33. The conference did not release official tournament points as of Sept. 28, but the Rockets would have had to finish fourth place or worse to not win the divisional crown.
“Our numbers were the lowest we have had in several years, and the girls who stuck around put in the work and won a league championship; this one means a little bit more,” Rockets coach Liz Benjamin said. “We really weren’t expecting it, and with both of our seniors being out half the season, our players wanted the league championship bad, and we had people willing to play different positions that they weren’t comfortable with to make it work.”
After years of finishing runner-up in the National Division standings, the Rockets broke through last season thanks to their doubles team, but the Rockets in 2026 had a strong singles lineup behind junior Jada Smith, who won the tournament at that position with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Georgetown’s McKella Housh.
Smith went 8-0 in SBAAC play and 10-1 overall on the season. The junior entered the tournament as the top seed and went 2-0 on the day to take the title. In her last two seasons as a singles player, Smith is 16-0 in SBAAC play and 19-4 overall. The hope is Smith will win Player of the Year honors, which would make her the first Rocket to accomplish that feat since Leah Decatur did it in back-to-back seasons in 2017 and ’18.
“In her freshman season, she played doubles, and from her sophomore and junior seasons, she transitioned to a singles player,” Benjamin said. “She put together a strong sophomore campaign, and she put in so much work in the offseason by going to everything that we offer, and she does a lot of stuff on her own. So she took it upon herself to earn that first singles position.”
The Rockets’ singles lineup racked up 25 of the team’s 36 tournament points. Nella Campbell won second singles and finished the season 3-0 in SBAAC, and Annalee Woyak placed second.
“We’ve had to rely on our singles more than we ever had to do,” Benjamin said. “We had some other athletes step up big time, and after league play, we only had one loss in singles play. It’s pretty impressive.”
With the mixture of singles players Benjamin had to shuffle around throughout the season, the Rockets’ singles lineup finished 21-1 in SBAAC, including American Division opponents.
Benjamin’s saving grace was the CNE girls golf team stepping onto the court when numbers for tennis began to dwindle.
“Halfway through our season, our senior (Raina Eichenlaub), who was playing at our second singles position, played a two-and-a-half-hour match in the heat and ended up in the hospital,” Benjamin said. “She’s on a heart monitor and hasn’t been cleared by her doctor, and she has won four matches in league play. Nella Campbell stepped up and took over that position right where Raina left off and finished the season with a combined undefeated record at second singles.”
Benjamin also had to shift Woyak, a doubles player, to the team’s third singles position. The sophomore finished second in the tournament at third singles, and 2-1 in SBAAC play.
During National Division play, the Rockets had to forfeit positions in matches against Georgetown and East Clinton because the team didn’t have enough players, but the addition of golfers Alyssa and Kinslee Leever, the latter earning second-team all-conference in golf, filled out Benjamin’s doubles teams. Myra Langdon and Kinslee Leever placed fourth at first doubles, and Kylie Busam/Bailey Blankenship took third at second doubles.
“They played some quality doubles matches for us and they were a huge help,” the coach said.
“One of my very good friends is the golf coach, and as soon as I sent out a message, he was willing to help and told me that he had two athletes for me, and they are athletes in the sense; they are softball players, they are competitive and they are coachable kids. I am very grateful that they were willing to help another CNE program, and I think they like tennis enough to maybe play both sports next year.”
Benjamin made sure to give a shoutout to her assistant coaches, Sean Fraunfelter and Bobbie Sandrin, for helping the program win another division title.
“They’re volunteers and not many schools get one tennis coach, let alone three,” Benjamin said. “That really helps. Whenever I get the chance, I love giving those two credit as well.”
AMERICAN DIVISION
New Richmond had three runner-up finishes and took third place to finish second in the American Division tournament Sept. 22.
Western Brown won the tournament by winning every position, and the Broncos took the divisional title, followed by New Richmond with 31 points from the tourney and second place in the standings.
The Lions finished second at first and second singles and first doubles, and third place at third singles.
Cassidy Crone took second place at first singles, Eleanor Conrad was second at second singles and New Richmond’s first doubles duo of Kadynce Roberts and Morgan Catron finished behind Western Brown’s Xavian Barr and Kymme Harmon. New Richmond’s Sara Arthur beat Wilmington’s Morgan Mertz for third place at third singles.
Batavia tied with Clinton-Massie for third place, led by Brielle Quisno’s runner-up finish at third singles. Taylor Rose also finished strong, taking third at first singles.
Goshen had 16 points, behind the fourth-place finish from the second doubles team of Josie Hall and Kendall Woods.