5 teams and athletes who made the Dayton area proud this month

The Dayton Daily News has reporters covering the best moments in sports, year-round, across the Miami Valley.

Here are five of the best moments in athletics from this past month:

🏅Centerville brings home first state basketball title

The Centerville Elks’ Gabe Cupps scored 16 points and the Elks survived a 3-point attempt at the buzzer to win the school’s first Division 1 boys state basketball championship over Westerville Central on Sunday at UD Arena.

The Elks (25-3) led most of the game but fell behind 39-34 with 5:42 left. The Elks responded with a 9-0 run to take a 43-39 lead. Central had to inbound with 2.3 seconds left on the baseline after a Centerville foul. Landon Tillman got off an off-balance shot from the right corner over Rich Rolf. When the shot missed the buzzer sounded and the Elks were champions.

🏅Wright State shocks Arkansas for first NCAA tourney win

The 13-seeded Wright State Raiders pulled a 66-62 upset over fourth-seeded Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA women’s tournament Monday in Austin, Texas.

The Raiders (19-7) built leads of 20-12 after one quarter and 38-26 after two on the way to their first tourney win in their third appearance.

🏅Miami East’s wrestler first female to place at state tournament

Senior wrestler at Miami East High School Olivia Shore took her place — literally — among the best high school boy wrestlers in the state when she won a second-round consolation match at the Division III Ohio High School Athletic Association state championship meet earlier this month.

Shore is the first female to place at the OHSAA wrestling state tournament, regardless of division. In 2019, as a sophomore, Shore became the first female to win a championship-round match.

“I think I made a name for myself as a girl now that I’m a senior,” she said. “I think everyone realizes who I am and that I’m no joke. They wrestle me just like the boys.”

🏅Fairmont grabs first state bowling title

Earlier this month, the Fairmont Firebirds have finally secured their spot as the best team in the state when they won the Division I state championship title for the first time in nine tries.

“This is validation for our program and for our bowlers,” head coach Jeremy Fleck said. “I’m on cloud 9.”

🏅Fairmont grad spurs NCAA tournament upset

Fairmont High School graduate Madison Bartley scored five crucial points in the final 65 seconds, as 12th-seeded Belmont upset No. 5 seed Gonzaga, 64-59, in the first round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament Monday.

Bartley scored off a pass from Jamilyn Kinney with 1:03 to play to put Belmont ahead 59-55, but Gonzaga cut the margin back to two points with 45 seconds to play.

With the shot clock winding down, Wells drove the right side of the lane and dished to Bartley, who had to rip the 50-50 ball away from a Gonzaga defender before converting the layup. She was fouled on the play and made the free throw to give Belmont a 62-57 lead with 18 seconds left.

Credit: Sam Simpkins

Credit: Sam Simpkins