Nexxt Level posts winning records at Run 4 Roses

Five Nexxt Level girls basketball teams finished with a combined record of 12-6 at the prestigious Run 4 Roses Classic in Louisville, Kentucky, last weekend. The 2027 team — made up of incoming juniors — had the best performance, going 4-1 and losing in the Platinum division championship game. That team was led by Bellevue's Carrington Savage and Ellie Freitag and Norwalk's Emmie Leber and Alyssa Gruhlke. The 2026 team went 3-2 and lost in the Gold championship game. Margaretta's Cassidy Lane picked up a scholarship offer from NCAA Division II power Ashland University. Other standouts on the '26 team included Margaretta's Elyse Schaefer and Norwalk's Trinity Lazzara. "It's always awesome to get wins down there," said Nexxt Level's Tony Haerr. "We got all our girls in front of a ton of college coaches. That's what it's all about." Haerr heads up the Nexxt Level AAU program and coached the 2027 team. He also is an assistant coach at Margaretta. The 2028 team went 2-2 and the 2030 squad finished 3-1, losing in the Gold final. Platinum is the highest division, followed by Gold. All Nexxt Level teams — which played under the Buckeye State Blast umbrella in Louisville — participated in Level 4. Level 1 is the highest division with Level 5 the lowest. "It was a great experience for the girls," Haerr said. "We beat a team from Utah and one from Wyoming and played a team from California. It's neat to see all those different teams." The Run 4 Roses is considered the country's largest girls basketball exposure event and attracts thousands of teams and college coaches.