ADA - With three-time league Player of the Year Melina Woods moving on to college ball at Canisius and an exceptional strong senior class having graduated, the 2018 Ada varsity volleyball team has a new look with a new head coach this fall.
Sliding down to coach JV is long-time mentor Melissa Gossard, while former assistant Kyleigh Tabor moves up a rung to take over the varsity reins. Tabor served as the junior varsity coach the past two years after two prior seasons as Bulldog freshman coach, plus one season at the seventh grade level in Ada.
ADA - Five experienced runners and one ace senior newcomer will combine to lead the Ada cross country team this fall.
Third-year head coach Josh Klein has stayed positive despite seeing his combined Bulldog harrier roster shrink from 14 in 2016 to 12 overall last year to eight this campaign.
"We have low numbers and not enough to field a full girls team," admitted Klein. "Yet the kids we have out want to run and are passionate about it. We are young, but we have some good leaders."
ADA - The Ada boys soccer team took a big step forwward last year to register their best season in years.
This fall, the Bulldogs return 10 lettermen in an attempt to take the next step to championship contender status.
A total of 18 players comprise the solid roster, with five starters and seven seniors back from last fall's squad that finished 12-6 overall, 4-1 in the Northwest Conference and 3-4 in the tough North Central Ohio Soccer Association.
Fifth-year Ada head coach Jason Okuly feels the team "has good cohesion. They work well together, have fun and don't complain. There is a good team attitude.
ADA - Second-year Ada varsity girls soccer head coach Doug Poling is hoping his rising young team can set a program record for single-season wins this fall.
Toward that end, the Lady Bulldogs return eight letter winners from a squad that finished 5-11 overall and 4-3 in Northwest Conference play last fall.
The solid, experienced core will combine with some strong newcomers to comprise an improved, dangerous Ada club.
"We want to have at least a .500 record, set a program record for wins and finish second in the NWC," said Poling. "Everyone improved their skills and got better over the off-season."
Ohio Department of Insurance director Jillian Froment is reminding college students and their parents to ensure that adequate insurance protection is in place for the upcoming school year.
“An insurance review with an agent should be part of getting ready to go back to school,” Froment said. “Both students and parents will have that much more peace of mind knowing they have an up-to-date financial protection plan.”
