BRYAN — Bryan High School has enjoyed a historic amount of success the past four years in softball, girls basketball, and girls soccer.
For all of the conference, district, and regional trophies the Golden Bears have brought back to the northwest corner of Ohio, Ella Voigt and Kailee Thiel have been right there for every moment.
The senior three-sport standouts have had a historic high school career at Bryan that includes 10 Northwest Ohio Athletic League championships, five OHSAA district titles, and several of the best tournament runs in school history. The duo’s skillset, dedication, and leadership have stood out in setting a sky-high standard for the Golden Bears.
“I think it’s huge because if you look at it, it’s not just one or two seasons that they’ve had success with. You’re talking three, four years with that to where they have raised the bar with Bryan athletics,” Bryan athletic director Nathan Keel said. “They’re the first people in the weight room, they’re the last ones to leave. They’re in there in the morning, they’re in there in the evening, in the summer.
“ … The amount of time that they put in, it’s kind of like an iceberg. You only see about 10 percent of it, and you don’t see the work that they put in day in and day out, week in and week out, season in and season out. It’s very rare to see three-sport athletes like that.”
The latest thrill Voigt and Thiel got to experience together was winning a third straight Division II district softball title after Bryan blanked Napoleon 7-0 on Saturday.
They don’t take their success and the memories they have created for granted.
“It’s so rewarding,” Voigt said. “All the practices, we’ve just been playing with each other since we were little. We were so young playing with each other, and I think the friendship was what brought us all together. That’s what created a strong connection with each other to play well.”
Added Thiel: “There’s no breaks, but you only do this for four years. If you think about it, in the grand scheme of things, that’s such a short time. So just embracing every moment is so important, especially when you have such amazing teammates you’re surrounded by.”
Perhaps the most impressive stat for Voigt and Thiel is the combined winning percentage of the teams they have excelled on. Between the three sports, Bryan has a .816 winning percentage in the past four years.
“Ever since we were little kids, we were always so competitive,” Thiel said. “Always wanted to come out with the win, and I think that’s just carried on.
“Our coaches have [instilled] that throughout every season of every year, and I think just having that mentality no matter what situation you’re in is a big difference maker.”
In softball, the Golden Bears’ district championships the past three years were their first in program history. Bryan is 80-18 overall (24-4 NWOAL) with outright conference titles the past two seasons and a shared crown with Evergreen in 2021; the Golden Bears’ only other league championship in the sport came in 2017.
“Obviously, super great athletes but ultimately, they’re better kids and great students,” Bryan softball coach Samantha Molina said. “It’s been nothing but amazing to be able to coach them for four years straight, and so excited for them. Hopefully, we can get an even bigger title for them to finish out their senior year.”
On the basketball court, Voigt and Thiel helped Bryan make its first OHSAA Division II state semifinal appearance in 2023. Last season, the Golden Bears were Division II regional runner-up for their second-best tournament run in program history.
Four outright titles and a 27-0 NWOAL record (88-14 overall) in girls basketball highlighted their success on the hardwood and certainly motivated them in other sports.
“I think seeing how far we can go and how fun it is just makes us want to go in each sport,” Voigt said. “For example, like basketball when we went to state, the feeling was just incredible and I think we want to do the same for softball.
“I feel like each sport helps the other one. You get a high sports IQ too. You just get a better understanding of how a team works and how to be a good teammate.”
On the pitch, Bryan has also won back-to-back NWOAL titles after sharing the 2021 crown with Evergreen for their first conference championships in soccer. The Golden Bears won at least 15 games each of the last three seasons and went 54-15-3 overall (19-3-2 NWOAL) the last four years.
Individually, Voigt has earned All-Ohio honors three times. She has been second-team Division II All-Ohio in soccer as a defender the past two seasons, as well as honorable mention in basketball last season.
The 6-foot-1 Thiel was a special mention all-Ohioan in basketball each of the last two years.
Both have regularly appeared on the NWOAL’s all-conference lists; Voigt has been first team in each sport as a senior, while Thiel was first team in soccer and basketball, as well as second team in softball.
As Bryan prepares to face Maumee in Wednesday’s Division II regional softball semifinal at Shelby, their impact has certainly been felt from other players on the team, as well as younger kids watching from the stands.
“It’s amazing, and I’m so proud of them and I’m so grateful to be on the team with them. They’re just great leaders and people I look up to,” Bryan sophomore pitcher Thea Staten said.
Added Keel: “A lot of times with the younger kids, we preach leadership and you’ve got to lead by example. Kids will follow, so when your best players, your best athletes are also your best leaders, you end up with some really special teams.”
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