By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Notre Dame swimmer Lainy Kruger won the girls 200 freestyle and 100 breaststroke at the Kentucky state championship meet on Saturday at the University of Kentucky’s Lancaster Aquatic Center.
Kruger finished first in the 100 breaststroke for the second consecutive year in a time of 1:01.34. Her winning time in the 200 freestyle was 1:46.14. The University of Florida recruit placed second in that event last year.
Two third-place finishers in the girls state meet were St. Henry junior Emma Littrell in the 100 freestyle (52.38) and Notre Dame freshman Sadie Hartig in the 500 freestyle (5:04.43). None of the local teams finished among the top five in girls relay events.
In the boys state meet on Friday, Ryle placed fifth in the 200 freestyle relay (1:29.87) and Highlands senior Sam Jones finished sixth in the 500 freestyle (4:39.19) to lead the local contingent of state qualifiers.
Ryle placed fifth in the boys teams standings and Notre Dame was seventh in the girls.
Ryle wrestlers qualified to compete in 11 weight classes at the state championship tournament by placing among the top eight in semi-state competition on Saturday at Great Crossings High School in Georgetown.
The Raiders had six wrestlers make it to the semi-state finals and four of them won weight class titles to earn top seeds in the state brackets. Two of Ryle’s top-seeded wrestlers are seniors Cole Thomas and Noah Duke, who both won state titles last year.
Campbell County, Simon Kenton and Conner each have state qualifiers in six weight classes. Walton-Verona will take five wrestlers to the state championship tournament on Friday and Saturday at George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester.
SEMI-STATE WRESTLING WEIGHT CLASS FINALS
106 — Sebastian Vega (Conner) over Jonah McCloskey (Simon Kenton), 0:38
113 — James Morris (Johnson Central) over Mason Orth (Campbell County), 5-3
120 — TJ Meyer (Walton-Verona) over Rider Trumble (Ryle), 5-1
126 — Joseph Sander (Ryle) over Adam Williams (Johnson Central), 3-2
132 — Cole Thomas (Ryle) over Isaac Thornton (Walton-Verona), 3-2
138 — Jonah Bowers (Campbell County) over Jonathan Gilbert (Madison Central), 3:32
144 — Reece Goss (Johnson Central) over Jasitin Kubwimana (Lafayette), 3:31
150 — Micah Bowers (Campbell County) over Owen Lamer (Taylor County), 10-2
157 — Carter Messerly (Ryle) over Carter Akers (Prestonsburg), 9-2
165 — Brayden Giannone (Lafayette) over Zack McCourt (Johnson Central), 13-5
175 — Noah Duke (Ryle) over John Bronson (Frederick Douglass), 0:22
190 — Chase Price (Johnson Central) over Trey Fleek (Ryle), 4-1
215 — Jesse McCoy (Johnson Central) over Rocky Whitehead (Madison Southern), 6-3
285 — Branson Smith (Martin County) over Dashaun Stevenson (Holmes), 4:38