Sycamore High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Encyclopedia
Sycamore High School is a four-year public high school
in the north-east suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio
. It is the only high school in the Sycamore Community School District
. The current building was built in 1974 in a very modern architectural style employing the progressive and experimental open classroom
concept wherein no walls separated classrooms. It was built to accommodate 2000 students and has been expanded many times over the years. However, walls have been added that now separate the classrooms from one another, even though some of the walls include windows.
score of 1132, higher than the state and national averages. Sycamore also regularly has among the highest number of National Merit Scholars
in Ohio. In 2009, 31 students earned the award.
In 1999, Sycamore had a record 35 National Merit Scholars
, the highest number for any public school in Ohio. That year, four students also scored perfect scores on the major college entrance examinations, including the only two perfect ACT
scores in Ohio that year (out of sixteen nationwide).
Sycamore regularly places nationally in the National Science Bowl, including as high as fourth place in 2002. Sycamore also excels in mathematics, having placed first in the Ohio Math League competition in 2004–05, 1999–2000, 1998–99, and 1997–98, and won first place in Ohio in the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics competition in 2007, 2001, and 2000. In 1998, Sycamore High School student Kevin Lacker placed in the top six in the country on the USA Mathematical Olympiad, earning a berth on the national team at the International Mathematical Olympiad
in Taipei
.
(NJCL).
Other Team State championships
Individual State championships
Wrestling
Boy's Track
Girl's Track
Diving
Boys Swimming
Girls Swimming
Boys Golf
Boys Tennis
Girls Tennis
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in the north-east suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. It is the only high school in the Sycamore Community School District
Sycamore Community School District
Sycamore Community School District is a school district in southwestern Ohio, USA, mainly in its Hamilton County. It is commonly referred to as "Sycamore Community Schools" in the area...
. The current building was built in 1974 in a very modern architectural style employing the progressive and experimental open classroom
Open classroom
An open classroom is a student-centered classroom design format popular in the United States in the 1970s. In its most extreme form, entire schools were built without interior walls, which made teaching loud and disruptive in worst case scenarios - for most schools this has not been as big a...
concept wherein no walls separated classrooms. It was built to accommodate 2000 students and has been expanded many times over the years. However, walls have been added that now separate the classrooms from one another, even though some of the walls include windows.
Academics
Sycamore offers a total of 42 accelerated and Advanced Placement courses, and 7 global languages. The school has a 99.1% graduation rate, and 90% of students go on to attend college. The class of 2009 had a composite SATSAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
score of 1132, higher than the state and national averages. Sycamore also regularly has among the highest number of National Merit Scholars
National Merit Scholarship Program
The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and college scholarships administered by National Merit Scholarship Corporation , a privately funded, not-for-profit organization. The program began in 1955...
in Ohio. In 2009, 31 students earned the award.
In 1999, Sycamore had a record 35 National Merit Scholars
National Merit Scholarship Program
The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and college scholarships administered by National Merit Scholarship Corporation , a privately funded, not-for-profit organization. The program began in 1955...
, the highest number for any public school in Ohio. That year, four students also scored perfect scores on the major college entrance examinations, including the only two perfect ACT
ACT (examination)
The ACT is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in November 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test...
scores in Ohio that year (out of sixteen nationwide).
Sycamore regularly places nationally in the National Science Bowl, including as high as fourth place in 2002. Sycamore also excels in mathematics, having placed first in the Ohio Math League competition in 2004–05, 1999–2000, 1998–99, and 1997–98, and won first place in Ohio in the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics competition in 2007, 2001, and 2000. In 1998, Sycamore High School student Kevin Lacker placed in the top six in the country on the USA Mathematical Olympiad, earning a berth on the national team at the International Mathematical Olympiad
International Mathematical Olympiad
The International Mathematical Olympiad is an annual six-problem, 42-point mathematical olympiad for pre-collegiate students and is the oldest of the International Science Olympiads. The first IMO was held in Romania in 1959. It has since been held annually, except in 1980...
in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
.
Clubs and activities
Sycamore's Latin Club functions as a local chapter of both the Ohio Junior Classical League (OJCL) and National Junior Classical LeagueNational Junior Classical League
The National Junior Classical League is a youth organization of secondary school students sponsored by the American Classical League...
(NJCL).
Athletics
Sycamore High School competes in the Greater Miami Conference. Prior to 1989, Sycamore High School competed in the Eastern Hills League (EHL).GMC Championships
- Boys TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
– 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 - Girls TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
– 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 - Boys SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
– 1989–1990, 1993–1994, 1995–1996, 1996–1997, 1997–1998, 1998–1999, 1999–2000, 2000–2001, 2001–2002, 2002–2003, 2003–2004, 2004–2005, 2005–2006, 2006–2007, 2009–2010, 2010–2011 - Girls SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
– 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 - SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
– 1997–1998, 1998–1999, 1999–2000 - WrestlingWrestlingWrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
– 2003–2004 (one season) - Girls TrackTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
– 1996–1997 (one season) - Girls BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
– 1992–1993, 1993–1994, 1999–2000 - Boys BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
– 1995–1996, 1996–1997 - Girls VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
– 2003 - Boys Soccer 1991, 1993, 1996,2008
- Girls Soccer – 2006, 2007, 2008
- Boys Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
– 2002, 2007 - Girls Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
– 2009 - Boys GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
– 1993, 1997, 1998, 2008 - Boys VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
– 2001–2002, 2003–2004, 2004–2005 - Co-Ed ChessChessChess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
– 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11 - Co-Ed Academic Team – 1993–1994, 1995–1996, 1997–1998, 1998–1999, 2000–2001, 2003–2004, 2004–2005, 2006–2007, 2007–2008, 2008–2009, 2009–2010, 2010–2011
State championships
OHSAA Team State championships- OHSAA BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
– 1948 - OHSAA Girls SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and DivingDivingDiving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
– 1992
Other Team State championships
- Boys Water PoloWater poloWater polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
* State Champions – 1976, 1978, & 1985 - Girls Water PoloWater poloWater polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
* State Champions – 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 - Boys LacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
Division II State Champs – 2004 - Girls LacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
Division I State Champions – 2007 (20–0, undefeated) - Girls LacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
Division I State Champions – 2009 (21–0, undefeated)
Individual State championships
Wrestling
- Omar Scruggs – 1999 (140 weight class)
Boy's Track
- Glenn Terry – 1988 & 1989 (300 IM Hurdles and High Hurdles)
- Lafeyette Butch Anderson – 1959 (Long Jump)
Girl's Track
- Berry, Titus, Lowish, Noble – 1988 (800 Relay Team)
Diving
- Gary Kuhr – 1976 (One Meter)
- Kim Fugett – 1981 & 1982 (One Meter)
- Dean Panaro – 1988 & 1989 (One Meter)
Boys Swimming
- Craig Leonard – 1977 (100 yd. Freestyle)
- John Ravenhall – 1978 (500 yd. Freestyle), 1979 (200 yd. Individual Medley)
- Greg Higginson – 1979 (100 yd. Freestyle), 1979 (100 yd. Breaststroke)
- David Fairbanks – 1984 (500 yd. Freestyle), 1985 (200 yd. Individual Medley), 1985 (500 yd. Freestyle)
- David Fairbanks, Brad Tieke, Mark Erdmann, Jeff Steinebrey 1985 (400 yd) Freestyle Relay Team
- Dan Ketchum – 1998, 1999 & 2000 (200 yd. Freestyle), 1998 , 1999 & 2000 (500 yd. Freestyle)
Girls Swimming
- Leigh Bassler 1992 & 1993 100 yd. Backstroke
- Leigh Bassler, Liz Neal, Laurie Kerns, Kerry Bennettz – 1992 (400 yd. Freestyle Relay Team)
- Mandy Commons 1997 & 1999 100 yd (91.4 m). Breaststroke
- Mandy Commons, Lindsey Commons, Jill Ursini, Lori Bednarchik – 1999 (200 yd. Freestyle Relay Team)
Boys Golf
- Scott Ross – 1989 State Individual Medalist
Boys Tennis
- Cliff Riester – 1984 (Singles)
- Eric Pittman – 1998 (Singles)
- Brad Goldberg & Scott Marshall – 1991, 1992, & 1993 (Doubles)
- Eric Pittman & Brent Sitarski – 1997 (Doubles)
Girls Tennis
- Alison Levy & Amy Spiegel – 1990 (Doubles)
Other athletic accomplishments
- Boys LacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
Division III State Runner-Up with a 14–5 record – 1997 - Girls SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
– Division I State Runner-Up – 2002 - Boys BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
Division I District Champion – 2004 - Baseball Division I Regional Runner-Up- 2004
- Boys Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
Division I District Champion 2005 - FootballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
Division I State semifinals playoffs with a 10–2 record-2006 - FootballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
Division I first round playoffs with a 9–2 record – 2007 - Girls LacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
Division I State Runner-Up – 2008 - Boys soccer Division I District Champions and Regional Runner-Up (final 8 teams) – 2010
- Boys tennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
Division I Ohio Tennis Coaches Association (OTCA) Southwest District Runner-Up (final 8 teams) – 2008, 2011
Notable alumni
- Jane FrenchJane FrenchJane French is an American singer/songwriter. French is well known for her song "Breathe", which was the theme song for the NBC soap opera Passions....
, Emmy-nominated American singer–songwriter. Best known for her song "Breathe," the theme song for the NBC soap operaSoap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
PassionsPassionsPassions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008....
. - Dan KetchumDan KetchumDaniel "Dan" Ketchum is a former American swimmer. Ketchum won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He swam for the University of Michigan during his collegiate career. Prior to the he swam for the Cincinnati Marlins club and Sycamore High School...
, gold medalist in swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Stewart MandelStewart MandelStewart Lance Mandel is an American sports writer who focuses on college football and college basketball. Mandel was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, attending Sycamore High School, and is a graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in Journalism....
, Sports writer for SI.com. - Michael MatthewsMichael Matthews (American football)Michael Lee Matthews is an American football tight end for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Georgia Tech.Matthews earned a Super Bowl ring with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII...
, Super Bowl XLIISuper Bowl XLIISuper Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
Champion, tight endTight endThe tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
for the Virginia Destroyersof the United Football LeagueUnited Football LeagueUnited Football League may refer to:*United Football League , an association football league in the Philippines.*United Football League , an American football league which operated from 1961 to 1964... - Kenny SchoeniKenny SchoeniKenny Schoeni is a retired American soccer player.-Youth and College:Schoeni attended Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio before going to play college soccer at Vanderbilt University from 2003 to 2006, when the Commodores soccer program was discontinued...
, Goalkeeper for the Columbus CrewColumbus CrewThe Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
. - Kevin YoukilisKevin YoukilisKevin Edmund Youkilis , also known as "Youk" , is an American professional baseball player with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball...
, 2-time All Star, Gold Glove winner, 2004 World Series2004 World SeriesThe 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
and 2007 World Series2007 World Series-Game 1:Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsThe Red Sox cruised to a blowout win in Game 1 behind ALCS MVP Josh Beckett, who struck out nine batters, including the first four he faced, en route to his fourth win of the 2007 postseason...
Champion, starting first basemanFirst basemanFirst base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
for the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. - Daniel StrausDaniel StrausDaniel Straus , formerly known as Daniel Mason-Straus, is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter. He currently fights for Bellator Fighting Championships.-Wrestling Career:...
, Mixed martial artsMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighter who fights for Bellator Fighting ChampionshipsBellator Fighting ChampionshipsBellator Fighting Championships is a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. "Bellator", which is Latin for "Warrior", is organized into seasons with each event hosting the rounds of championship knockout tournaments for three-five weight divisions.-History:In its first season,...