The 1983 Princeton football team was special as it marched through the Ohio state tournament, capturing the state championship and was ranked the No. 2 team in the nation in the final USA TODAY national poll. In the state tournament, the Vikings destroyed Fremont Ross, 35-7, in the semifinals. They went on to face Akron Garfield - then ranked No. 3 in the nation - and registered a 24-6 victory to earn the Ohio state championship.

“We didn't have superstars,” says Princeton head coach Pat Mancuso, a LaRosa's Hall of Fame coach. “We had kids who weren't afraid of practicing hard. Everyone was committed to the team. Our best team? It's difficult to say. Talented, yes. Hard working, yes. Dedicated, without a doubt.”

The Vikings, however, did have superstars - defensive back Harlon Barnett would go on to star for seven seasons in the NFL before becoming a head college football coach at Michigan State University; tight end Alex Higdon played four seasons at Ohio State and two years with the Atlanta Falcons; quarterback Michael Taylor had a record-setting career at the University of Michigan.

All in all, the team boasted an incredibly gifted squad as nine other players went on to play Division I college football in James Brown (Michigan), William Reice (Michigan State), Bill Franklin (North Carolina), Michael Brown (Iowa State), Vince Munlin (Cincinnati), Shane Curry (Miami), Mark Mitchell (Eastern Kentucky), George Thomas and Curtis Williams (Akron), and John McKinney.

“I don't care what USA TODAY says,” said Harlon Barnett after the victory. “We're still the No. 1 team in the nation.”

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Behind the coaching of Tim Beerman, the 2001-02 Ursuline Academy swim team - winners of two previous Ohio state championships - showed the tenacity to three-peat behind a true team of individual swimmers. It marked the school's fifth state swimming title.

Powered by LaRosa's Hall of Famer Whitney Myers, and freshman Abby Cooper, the Ursuline Lions compiled a 9-1 dual meet record and captured first place in every Invitational during the season.

When tournament time came around, Ursuline powered through the Girls Greater Cincinnati League, as well as the sectional and district championships. Ursuline would go on to qualify 13 team members to the state meet. At the state meet, Myers started it off by setting a state record in the 200-freestyle in the prelims, then broke that mark again in the finals with a blistering pace of 1:47.19. She repeated that performance in the 100 Butterfly, setting the state mark in 54.08.

Team depth proved Ursuline's true championship caliber. Team tri-captain Maggie Bulla placed second in her first-ever 100-freestyle event, then fourth in the 100-backstroke. Abby Cooper finished 4th in the 50 free and 3rd in the 100 breaststroke. Other point scorers included: Margy Keefe, Katie Greiner, Meredith French, Kelli Krallman, Kelly Hagen, Tiffany Lipari and Marisa Mackos.

Ursuline capped off the meet with a state record 1:35.28 time in the 200-free relay (Bulla, Lipari, Cooper and Myers). Whitney Myers wound up being named Ohio Female Swimmer of the Year.

The team placed third in the Speedo National Rankings and second in the NICSCA Powerpoint Rankings - finishing first in its division for a third straight year!

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