By LISA GAYLE GRAYSON

The Post sports writer

North Royalton seniors Ned Tomic and Andrej Markovic continue to be solid representative of the Bears basketball program even though their final prep season ended more than a month ago.

Tomic, a 6-foot-6 center, was named Academic All-Ohio by the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association. The Cornell recruit was one of 10 division I players in the entire state to receive this honor and the only boy from the Northeast Ohio Conference.

Tomic has a 4.22 grade-point average and is ranked first in his graduating class. He also finished with a 22.3-point scoring average and set North Royalton's single-season record with 293 rebounds.

This is the 18th year the OHSBCA has recognized all-state academic teams. Honorees are selected based on their achievements in the classroom and contributions to their basketball programs.

He joined Markovic in the 27th annual Greater Cleveland Basketball Coaches Association All-Star games held at Brecksville High School. Tomic finished with 13 points while playing for the West in the second game. His team defeated the East 109-98.

Markovic participated in the third game and led the West with 20 points. The East won that contest 91-88.

Softball

Even if the weather has been predominantly chilly and wet this spring, North Royalton's softball team has been off to a hot start. Heading into this week the Bears were 5-1 overall, 2-0 in the NOC Valley Division.

They were slated to play defending division champ Elyria on Wednesday and then participate in the Keystone Tournament this weekend. North Royalton's first opponent in the tourney was Medina and it would play either Tallmadge or softball power Keystone in its next game.

"I don't think we have much of a chance getting anything in this week, but as quick as the weather changes here, who knows," North Royalton head softball coach Jim Hoover said.

Both conference wins came against respectable opponents. North Royalton beat Brunswick 3-2 last Monday and then two days later defeated Strongsville 3-1.

The game against the Blue Devils was a much anticipated pitchers duel with McKenna Galloway and the Bears' Kaylin Clarke. The latter got the win as she pitched a complete game. The senior gave up four hits, walked three, hit one batter with a pitch, had two earned runs and eight strikeouts.

North Royalton scored two of its runs in the first inning and then the winning run in the top of the third. The Blue Devils scored both of their runs in the bottom of the third.

Against Strongsville, the game started off ugly as the teams walked in one run each. Clarke and Kelsey Matovich were walked and Katie Newman reached base on an error. Nikki Newman walked in Clarke for the Bears' run.

North Royalton eventually came through with their bats as Kristen Koch and Nicole Balodis had run-scoring singles.

In the fourth, Koch batted in pinch runner Halle Ezell. Lauren Oster singled to lead off the inning. Madison Svec hit a sacrifice fly and Megan Mave flew out to center to advance Ezell to third.

Balodis scored Nikki Newman in the fifth. The sophomore reached base on an error with two outs.

"They're having a lot of fun right now," Hoover said. "I think we're young but with some good veterans."

Baseball

The Bears are trying to find their ground with a roster made up mostly of inexperienced varsity players. They were off to a decent 4-4 start before having their doubleheader with Normandy rained out last Saturday.

North Royalton defeated Stow, Oregon Clay twice and Brunswick in a NOC River Division contest. It fell in back-to-back games with co-defending division champ Medina, lost its second meeting with Brunswick and then fell to Solon in a NOC crossover contest.

The win over the Blue Devils came with a 5-4 decision thanks, in part, to Scott Brooks. The senior put together three innings of shutout relief pitching.

North Royalton scored all five of its runs in the first inning.

In the first loss to Medina, the Bears led 1-0 until the Bees tied the contest in the seventh inning and scored the winning run in the eighth.

Weather permitting, North Royalton was scheduled to see Elyria a couple of league games this week and then head to Youngstown on Saturday to face Cardinal Mooney and Brush at Cene Park.

Track

North Royalton was looking to build on its win at the Nordonia Knight Relays when it headed to the Dover Relays, but eventually returned home without competing a single event due to unfavorable weather conditions last Saturday.

The week was not a complete wash for the Bears, however, as both the boys and girls teams defeated Normandy in NOC Lake Division action last Wednesday. The boys won 88-49, the girls defeated the Invaders 99-38.

Leading the way with multiple wins for the boys were Charlie Altizer, Derek Kilgo, Troy Richert and Logan Pearce.

Altizer won the 400-meter dash (53.1) and joined Kilgo in the 4x400 (3:36.8). Kilgo teamed with Pearce in the 4x200 (1:35.9) and then Pearce ran with Richert in the 4x100 (45.4). Richert's second win came in the 100 (11.8).

Other individual winners for the Bears were Jake Smolik in the long jump (19-9), James Holodnak in the high jump (5-10), Corey Nehoda in the pole vault (12-0), Mike Pence in the 110 hurdles (18.7).

Nicole Hudec (long jump, 100, 4x100), Ellyn Hanford (4x800, 4x100), Sami Narducci (4x800, 4x100), Atiyyah Herron (400, 4x400), Allison Harbart (3,200, 4x800) and Hannah Neczypor (200, 800, 4x400) were multi-event champs for the girls.

Earning wins in open events were Briana Krieger (10-6) in the pole vault, Mary Okicki in the 300 hurdles (49.5), Genna Mori in the 1,600 (5:47.4) and Natasha Medic in the high jump (5-2).