COLLEGE

Men’s Basketball

Bradds earns all-district honors

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Belmont University men’s basketball junior Evan Bradds (Jamestown Greeneview) has been named to the 2015-16 Men’s All-District Team, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) announced earlier this week.

Bradds, who was named 2016 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year last week, ranks in the top 50 nationally in six statistical categories, including first in field goal percentage (.720).

The 6-foot-7 forward led the nation in field goal percentage last season as well, and is on pace to become the first NCAA Division I men’s basketball player to lead the nation in shooting two consecutive seasons since former Bruin Adam Mark did so in 2002 and 2003.

Thus far in 2015-16, Bradds has recorded 26 double figure scoring games, including 12 games of 20 or more points.

A three-time OVC Player of the Week honoree, Bradds averaged 20.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game during the month of January. Bradds was named to the Lou Henson Award Midseason Watch List – an award presented annually to the top mid major player in college basketball.

Bradds ranks among OVC leaders in five statistical categories, including fourth in scoring (17.8) and second in rebounding (9.4).

During non-conference play, Bradds was an integral part of notable Bruin victories over Marquette and Valparaiso, among others. He also earned Legends Classic Subregional Most Valuable Player honors after making 22 consecutive field goal attempts during a three-game stretch.

This becomes the 10th time a Belmont men’s basketball player has earned All-District honors of some sort, but first from the USBWA.

USBWA District 4 encompasses programs from the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.

For perspective, the other nine honorees on this year’s All-District Team hail from major conference programs. Dorian Finney-Smith, Florida, Damian Jones, Vanderbilt, Damion Lee, Louisville, Sheldon McClellan, Miami, Stefan Moody, Mississippi, Jamal Murray, Kentucky, Retin Obasahan, Alabama, Kevin Punter, Tennessee, and Tyler Ulis, Kentucky were the other honorees.

In addition, Bradds is only the fifth Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball player to earn USBWA All-District honors (since records began in 2003).

Raiders fall in Horizon title game

DETROIT — The Wright State men’s basketball team fell behind by 15 midway in the first half and could not recover as Green Bay won the Little Caesar’s Horizon League Championship game Tuesday night, 78-69, at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

Green Bay shot 47 percent overall, hit six of 13 three-pointers and made 22 of 31 free throws compared to 38 percent shooting, seven of 22 threes and eight of 10 at the line for the Raiders.

Wright State (22-13) was led by Michael Karena’s 14 points while Joe Thomasson posted a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds. Justin Mitchell had 10 off the bench while J.T. Yoho, who was selected to the All-Tournament team, had eight along with six rebounds and five assists.

All five of Green Bay’s (23-12) starters scored in double figures as Fouse had 16, Charles Cooper 15, Kenneth Lowe 12 and Khalil Small and Carrington Love 10 each.

Baseball

WSU wins home opener

FAIRBORN — The Wright State baseball team defeated Xavier, 4-1, in its home opener Tuesday night at Nischwitz Stadium.

Trevor Swaney (2-1) picked up the win by not allowing an earned run in four innings, striking out three. Mark Meyer, E.J. Trapino, Logan Blair and Jack Van Horn blanked the Musketeers over the final five innings, giving up just three hits. Van Horn earned his third save of the season by pitching the ninth.

Mitch Roman finished with two hits and two runs scored to lead the Raider offense while Peyton Burdick drove in two.

Wright State (7-6) visits crosstown rival Dayton for a 3 p.m. contest on Friday, March 11.

Honors

“Buckeyeman” earns OSU alumni award

Former Fairborn resident Larry Lokai, of Urbana, was one of the nine alumni from The Ohio State University to be honored at the annual 2016 Alumni Awards held at The Ohio Union on Saturday March 5. Lokai taught at Northwestern-Clark High School from 1967 to 1989 and was named the Ohio Vocational Teacher of the Year in 1985 while the Northwestern-Clark program was selected as the Outstanding Vocational Agriculture Program in 1988 for Ohio and one of the top six in the nation.

During his 30-year career he coached and advised 195 top-10 judging teams with 120 winning banners, 23 state champion judging teams in 11 different areas with 75 teams advancing onto regional and national competition. Additionally he advised five state FFA officers, five state FFA public speaking winners plus three state champion parliamentary procedure teams. Seventeen students earned the American FFA Degree with 81 earning the Ohio FFA State Degree.

Upon retirement he additionally coached state winning teams from Versailles FFA and West Liberty-Salem FFA plus has continued to work with over 20 different schools and FFA programs. From 1998 to 2001, Lokai served as an adjunct instructor at The Ohio State University coaching the OSU Poultry Team to top five finishes in the nationals. Since 1983, he has served as a judge and committee member of the National FFA Poultry Career Development Committee plus served from 1986 until 2006 as a member of the National FFA Milk Quality and Products Committee.

For 36 years Lokai served as a field inspector for Ohio Certified Seed Improvement Association, spent 25 years as a Division of Wildlife Hunter Education Instructor. In 1997, he received the 4-H Ruby Clover Award for serving as a 30 4-H Advisor.

For the past 48 years he has served as a Junior Fair Poultry Judge and has judged in 82 Ohio Counties and 96 different shows in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and California.

Upon retirement he became active in politics serving 9 ½ as a member of Urbana City Council, twice served as president of Champaign County Retired Teachers and President of Ohio Hi-Point Alumni and Friends board. In 1998 he became OSU Buckeyeman and has supplied fans and students 1,300,000 buckeyes, 35,000 buckeye necklaces plus donated over 1200 buckeye seedlings.

He is married to Elaine Caldwell-Lokai, has four children, Shelly Gier of West Liberty, Susan Farr of Paulding, Brad Lokai of Centerville and Amy Denlinger of Versailles. Additionally he has 17 grand children and four great-grandchildren.