• NHS Induction Ceremony - Nov. 19 @ 6:30 pm
  • Board of Education Meeting - Nov. 20 @ 7 pm
  • No School - Professional Learning Day - Nov. 22
  • No School - Thanksgiving Break - Nov. 25-29
The student voice of Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Leaf
The student voice of Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Leaf
The student voice of Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Leaf
Jason Merkel

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer

Hey, I’m Jason Merkel. I am a sophomore at SHS, and this is my first year as a part of the staff of The Leaf. I joined because I enjoy writing, and I could get a break in my day to be creative. Outside of school, I play water polo and swim. I have been a part of the Varsity swim team since freshman year. Water polo is an important part of my life throughout the year. In the spring and summer, I play for a club team, and participate in many tournaments around the midwest. This summer I will be traveling to California for a Junior Olympic tournament with my team. I also enjoy traveling. I have been to all but seven states in the US, and I have been to three other countries around the world, France, Germany, and Canada. My favorite thing to do outside of school is to play sports and be active.

All content by Jason Merkel
READY. Before each game, the Lady Aves run drills to warm up. The drills are done to get into the atmosphere of the match and ready their skills. They also help the team stretch dynamically and get their muscles warmed up before the game.

Girls lacrosse’ travels to state

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
May 19, 2017
SAVE. Evan Schuster, 12, is the goalie for the Varsity boys’ Lacrosse team. He has recently committed to Indiana Tech for lacrosse. He is also the second all-time goalie for career saves.

Lacrosse gets back to winning

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
May 10, 2017
GOAL! Junior Kevin Russel and Mather have both been part of the program for multiple years. Last season, Mather set the freshmen records in season assists and points, and he also tied the previous record for goals in a season. Mather also made the U.S. Box Lacrosse U18 National team and hopes to do so again next year. Both Russel and Mather are looking to help bring the team to a winning record and finish the season strong.

Boys lacrosse starts rough, but keeps positive outlook

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
April 28, 2017
How much do you really know about Blue Ash?

How much do you really know about Blue Ash?

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
April 10, 2017
Campbell swam for both relays last weekend in her first trip to the state meet. She hopes to make a return next year as part of all three relays. “I am extremely happy with how we did this year, and I hope that we can do it again next year,” Campbell said.

Swimming finishes strong at state

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
March 6, 2017
FLY. Noah Patterson, 10, swam individually in the 100 fly (shown) and the 200 freestyle. Though he did not qualify in his individual events, he will be swimming in both the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays. Hw and the rest of the team are happy with how they swam and are excited for state.

Swimmers speed towards state

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
February 23, 2017
Scheutz has qualified for both the 100 and 200 freestyle. He believes that he can qualify for the state meet in both and is also looking to qualify in two of the relays, the 200 freestyle relay and the 400 freestyle relay. This season is the last of his high school career, and he hopes to finish it strong.

Sectionals determine qualifiers for districts

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
February 14, 2017
Carl, Choi, and Tenbarge placed first in the 500 freestyle, 100 backstroke, and 200 IM and 100 breastroke, respectively. Despite these excellent preformances, the swim and dive team placed second with an overall score of 468.0. The swimmers now turn their attention to sectionals on Feb. 10.

Sycamore sees success at swimming despite second place

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
February 8, 2017
Captain Matt Scheutz, 12, is the fastest seeded swimmer for the Aves in the 200 freestyle and 100 freestyle. Last year, he placed first in the GMC for the 100 freestyle. Scheutz and the rest of the team hope for a similar performance to last year and to keep the GMC trophy until next year.

Swimming sprints towards championship meets

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
February 3, 2017
In the week before the event, each sibling carries a jug to collect donations. Students decorate their jugs and write on it the name of their charity, some funny pictures, and a creative name. The group that collects the most money before Friday night gets an unspecified prize.

Sibling pairs battle it out for charity

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
January 26, 2017
The South Korean Foreign Minister and US Ambassador discuss plans to respond to North Korea’s Jan. 6, 2016 test. South Korea and the United States have also been strong allies since the Korean War, and both are enemies of North Korea. South Korea is the closest nation to North Korea, and with high tensions between the two nations, South Korea is a primary target for nuclear attacks. Photo courtesy of MCT.

North Korea claims to have working nuclear missiles

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
January 13, 2017
Sports seasons' outlooks

Sports seasons’ outlooks

Jason Merkel, Mark Huffer, and Jacob Wittenbaum
January 10, 2017
The Sycamore swim team hosted their first meet of the season on December 6. Both the mens’ and womens’ team had strong swims, defeating opposing teams Moeller and MND, respectively. Their excellent performances has set the scene for the rest of the season.

Swimming dives into new season with win

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
December 9, 2016
An Avro RJ85, carrying 81 member of a football team from Chapecoense, crashed near Medellin, Columbia. The team was scheduled to play Wednesday night in the first round of the Copa Sudamerica. The club had recntly rose from a low level to a division one team, and the 200,000 residents of Chapecoense were devastated by the loss.

Brazilian football team crashes in Columbia

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
December 2, 2016
The mens’ swim team placed first last year at GMC championships. Multiple swimers and relay teams qualified for District and State meets, but the team did not place at State. The returning swimmers are looking to win the GMC for the second year in a row and believe they have a really strong chance to do so.

Swim team proves ready to make splash

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
November 7, 2016
The mens’ swim team placed first last year at GMC championships. Multiple swimers and relay teams qualified for District and State meets, but the team did not place at State. The returning swimmers are looking to win the GMC for the second year in a row and believe they have a really strong chance to do so. Photo courtesy of Aves Swimming.

Swim team proves ready to make splash

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
November 5, 2016
Connor McGowan, 11, was a leading scorer for Sycamore against XU. The final score of the game was 14-10, with excellent performances by every member of the team. The group hopes to play just as strong this weekend.

Water polo faces off against college teams

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
October 27, 2016
JV also has a state tournament. The tournament will be hosted by St. Francis and Sylvania on October 14 and 15. The mens and womens JV teams will both play for first against more than 12 other JV teams in the state.

Water polo gears up for state competition

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
October 13, 2016
Charlotte protestors took to the streets for multiple days after the shooting of Keith Scott. On the second night, another man was shot in the protests, Justin Carr. Police and national guard are now working to stop the rioting and to persecute the individuals responsible for the destruction of multiple stores in the area.

Riots erupt in Charlotte

Jason Merkel, Staff Writer
September 30, 2016
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