Badin junior Emily Lewis is an outstanding artist, and that talent was confirmed during a recent exhibition at Studio San Giuseppe at Mount St. Joseph University. Lewis had two pieces of artwork chosen for the Studio San Giuseppe Selections 2025 Art Exhibition at MSJ. One of those selections, Lewis’s graphite drawing entitled “Silverware”, was a winning entry in the show, good for a $2,000 Junior Art Scholarship, which would be available to Lewis should she decide to enter Mount St. Joseph following her graduation from Badin in 2027. The scholarship is also renewable for her entire career based on satisfactory progress toward a degree. Emily is the daughter of Badin Spanish teacher Mrs. Joyce Lewis.
Eric Hickey ’87 has stepped down after a successful 13-year run as the head coach of the Badin boys soccer program. Hickey closed out his tenure by guiding the Rams to the best season in the history of the program. The boys played in the district championship game for the first time since 2004, won a district crown for the first time since 2003, and went to the state Division III Final Four for the first time ever following an initial regional title.
The 2025 boys went 17-4-3, giving up just three goals in the wins. They beat Dayton Carroll for the first time ever in the regional semifinals, 1-0 on penalty kicks. “Badin is a special place with special people,” said Hickey.
In his 13 years at the helm, Hickey went 107-96-37, including 61 wins in the last five seasons. He earned all-GCL Coed and all-Greater Cincinnati coaching honors as well during a coaching career that included five years with the Talawanda High girls and four years with the Edgewood High girls.
“Eric has taken a program that wasn’t very good and created a culture that helped build great young men,” BHS Athletic Director Geoff Melzer ’87 said. “Winning has been a byproduct of the positive culture Eric has built over the last 13 years.”
Seniors Luke Hickey and Colt Long were named first team All-GCL Coed Division as well as All-Southwest Ohio. Luke Hickey added more honors, voted All-Ohio by the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association and All-Region by the United Soccer Coaches Association. Both young men have committed to play college soccer at Marietta College.
The girls soccer accolades continue to pile up for Badin senior Braelyn Even. She was the Player of the Year in the GCL Coed Division, was All-Southwest District, All-Ohio, All Region and, most recently, named an All-American by the United Soccer Coaches. She’s been involved with the United States U/18-19 women’s national soccer team, including an international trip to Portugal, in the last few months. Even helped spearhead the Badin girls soccer team to the Division III state finals. She’ll play women’s college soccer at the University of Cincinnati. In addition, the 5-foot-10 point guard is on track to be the leading scorer in the history of the Badin High basketball program, girls or boys.
Three Badin football players signed “early” to play college football. During a reception at Badin’s Mulcahey Gym on Dec. 3, Lem Grayson (Grand Valley (Mich.) State), Andrew Lipp (University of Dayton) and Pete Pendergest (Bowling Green State University) officially committed to play at the next level. There was a certain synergy involved in the signing – Grayson will graduate as the leading career rusher in the 60-year history of Badin High School football, and Lipp and Pendergest were offensive tackles who helped clear the way for his excellence. Grayson rushed for 3,194 yards over four seasons, and also set the school record with 54 touchdowns. All three student-athletes were all-GCL Coed Division and Division III All-Southwest Ohio selections. The Rams finished 10-2 this season as they inaugurated the school’s new on-campus Matandy SportsPlex.
Badin had never had a Holiday blood drive before, but when Versiti Blood Center asked BHS Science Department chair Angela Breetz ’01 to set one up, she couldn’t say no. On Friday, Nov. 21, Versiti rolled up two donation vans behind the school, and the drive was “fabulous,” according to Breetz. A total of 75 Badin students attempted to donate and 61 were successful – including 34 first-time donors. That donation number will save up to 183 lives. Badin seniors in the Physiology II class helped facilitate the event. “We had a short window to make everything happen,” Breetz said, “but our students really stepped up. I’m glad we did it!”