Kyle Rowland

Ohio

Sports Reporter and Writer at The Toledo Blade

College sports reporter and golf writer at the Toledo Blade. Tips, story ideas and requests: [email protected] or DM me.

Articles

Perrysburg sophomore Reed Gerken is next great northwest Ohio offensive lineman

1 day ago | toledoblade.com | Kyle Rowland

Welcome to beautiful northwest Ohio, where offensive linemen grow on trees. Or something like that. In the past five recruiting cycles, nine local offensive linemen have signed with Division I schools: Luke Montgomery, Carter Lowe, Marc Nave, Tyrell Green, Carter Fouty, Cade Zimmerly, Grant Zimmerly, Austin Collins, and Ethan Green. Reed Gerken is next in line.
Mud Hens OF Brewer Hicklen gets moment in the sun with Tigers

3 days ago | toledoblade.com | Kyle Rowland

Brewer Hicklen had lived the good life before, albeit briefly. In 2022, the outfielder appeared in six games for Kansas City. He made it back to the major leagues in 2024, playing in three games for Milwaukee. Both stints, however, ended the same: zero hits. The dream for every youngster is to make it to The Show, round first base, and display one of the widest grins in sports, reserved exclusively for a player’s first hits. Finally, on Thursday, Hicklen’s dream became reality.
Game recap: Cubs beat Hens 3-1 in series finale

4 days ago | toledoblade.com | Kyle Rowland

One pitch was the difference in Sunday’s series finale between the Toledo Mud Hens and the Iowa Cubs. The Cubs notched a 3-1 victory on the strength of a two-run seventh-inning home run by designated hitter Reese McGuire. Iowa added an insurance run in the eighth. The Hens only had two hits, one in the second inning and another in the third.
Heather Downs ownership strives to return golf course to its roots

5 days ago | toledoblade.com | Kyle Rowland

The first sign of progress at Heather Downs Country Club came last summer when a customer walked from the parking lot back to the patio to shake hands with general manager Brian Garzony and thank him for the improvements. When Tony Garzony purchased the club in February, 2023, from Al Mocek, the Bowling Green native had business on his mind — increasing revenue and decreasing expenses.
St. John's Jesuit lacrosse tops Anthony Wayne 11-10 in overtime thriller

5 days ago | toledoblade.com | Kyle Rowland

Hours before their regular-season finale, the St. John’s Jesuit lacrosse team found out it was the No. 2 seed in the Ohio High School Athletic Association tournament. Then the Titans played like one of the best teams in the state on Friday night at Anthony Wayne — until the final 1:25 of regulation. The Generals manufactured an unlikely rally, scoring three times in less than a minute to tie the game at 10 and force overtime.
Central Catholic's Nave and Green reunite at Purdue

1 week ago | toledoblade.com | Kyle Rowland

When Marc Nave, Jr., and Tyrell Green entered the transfer portal, reuniting wasn’t part of the plan. The former Central Catholic all-state offensive linemen spent last season in the same state — Nave at the University of Kentucky and Green at Eastern Kentucky — and continued their daily conversations. Eventually, Purdue came into focus. The duo each announced their transfer destination on April 22.
Six advance from Highland Meadows to U.S. Open sectional qualifying

1 week ago | toledoblade.com | Kyle Rowland

Patrick Wilkes-Krier’s last week on the golf course has been unbelievable. And not in a good way. At least according ot him. Last week, the Ann Arbor native missed a chance to qualify for the PGA Championship by one stroke. It left Wilkes-Krier upset and stewing about the blown opportunity.
Sunday Chat with former Toledo All-American Greg Mancz

1 week ago | toledoblade.com | Kyle Rowland

Sunday Chat is a weekly feature appearing in The Blade’s print and digital platforms each Sunday. Greg Mancz was an all-state offensive lineman at Cincinnati Anderson, where he won a state title and played in the Big 33 game. But college offers weren’t plentiful, and even at Toledo, he redshirted his first season and didn’t harbor professional football aspirations.
University of Toledo athletic department goes all in raising blood cancer awareness

1 week ago | toledoblade.com | Kyle Rowland

Tyler Fisher understood the travails of living with an ailment. The Maumee native was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease as a high school sophomore and dealt with pain and the inconveniences associated with health predicaments. But a decade on, he had a nagging pain in his chest and back. It persisted for two years, eventually reaching an unbearable level that required him to leave early from his job in the University of Toledo ticket office last May to seek immediate medical attention.
Power surge: Home-run record propels Toledo softball's late-season momentum

2 weeks ago | toledoblade.com | Kyle Rowland

Something had to change. The University of Toledo softball team was 8-22 overall and 3-8 in the Mid-American Conference following a doubleheader demolition by Miami on April 1. It was no laughing matter for coach Jessica Bracamonte, who led the Rockets to the MAC tournament last season for the first time since 2019. The Rockets were supposed to continue their upward trajectory this season, but were derailed by an anemic offense, scoring one or zero runs in nine games during a 15-game losing streak.