By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
With two weeks left in the regular season, Northern Kentucky high school basketball players are among the leading contenders for state scoring titles. Holy Cross junior guard Jacob Meyer leads the boys points race with a 38.8 average and Newport Central Catholic junior forward Rylee Turner’s 26.1 average is second among girls.
Meyer sat out two of his team’s last three games due to an ankle injury, but he’s expected to be back in the lineup at 4 p.m. Saturday when Holy Cross visits Beechwood in an important 35th District seeding game.
The Indians will close out the regular season with three home games that give Meyer a chance to maintain his lead over Robertson County senior Justin Becker, who has a 34.7 average with seven games remaining.
When those two players faced each other early in the season, Meyer scored 58 points and Becker netted 48 in a game on Dec. 21 at Bellevue High School.
Lawrence County junior point guard Kensley Feltner took the lead in the girls state scoring race by netting 343 points in her team’s last 11 games to push her average to 27.3. Lawrence County has seven regular season games remaining with the last three at home.
Turner scored 106 points in the last four games for NewCath to remain second behind Feltner. NewCath has six games remaining with the last three on the road.
The other Northern Kentucky girls among the state’s statistical leaders are Notre Dame guard Noelle Hubert, who is tied for first in 3-point goals per game with a 3.6 average, and Conner guard Anna Hamilton, who ranks third in free throw percentage (85.3).
The other local boys among the state leaders are Covington Catholic center Mitchell Rylee, who ranks third in field goal percentage (71.4), and Highlands guard William Herald, who is tied for third in 3-point goals per game (3.6).
Conner boys cross country coach receives national award
Conner became the first Northern Kentucky high school to win a Class 3A state championship in boys cross country last season and Ian Johnstone has been named Kentucky Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for his team’s accomplishment.
“I’m honored to win the award,” Johnstone said. “Our state has some amazing coaches, and to be recognized as the best this year is truly special. I think it shows how lucky I am to coach this group. They are the hardest working young men I’ve ever met. This award is only possible because of their dedication over the last several years.”
With five runners among the top 11 finishers, Conner won the large school state meet by a commanding 66-point margin. After finishing second and third in the previous two state meets, the Cougars were thrilled to become the first team from Conner to win a state championship since 1983.
The team’s first two finishers were seniors Ryan Hanak and Joseph Impellittle, who placed fifth and sixth. They were followed by teammates Logan Warth (eighth), Drew Moore (10th) and George Johnson (11th). They all finished in a span of 26 seconds, a tight pack that none of the other 35 teams in the state meet could match.
Johnstone is still waiting for the Coach of the Year award to arrive. He’s also waiting for the state championship rings the school ordered for the cross country runners.
“We discussed doing the ring ceremony during a basketball game, but no details have been finalized,” he said. “Maybe if the rings and award are here at the same time we will do them together.”
Cooper grad on college team to be featured in Sports Illustrated
Cooper graduate Lexi Held is a senior guard on the DePaul University women’s basketball team that will be the subject of a feature story in next week’s Sports Illustrated magazine, according to a post on the team’s website.
DePaul leads NCAA Division I women’s basketball in scoring at 90.2 points per game with an uptempo style of play that’s carried the Blue Devils to an 18-6 record. They also rank second in assists per game (19.9) and 10th in 3-point attempts (589).
Held has played a major role in what’s become known as “DePaul Ball.” She’s the team’s third leading scorer with a 14.1 average and has a team-high 137 assists, which ranks sixth in the nation. She’s also the team leader in 3-point goals (54) and 3-point shooting 43.9 percent (54 of 123).
Held has started 79 consecutive games since she was a sophomore. Her current career totals are 1,498 points and 352 assists in 112 games. Last season, she was an All-Big East first-team selection and named Big East Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Highlands wins first Region 5 girls bowling title since 2018
Highlands won the Region 5 girls bowling championship for the first time since 2018 with a three-game sweep against Newport Central Catholic in the final match of the eight-team bracket. In the boys final, Pendleton County needed five games to defeat Dayton and carried off the championship trophy for the second straight year.
The total pin leaders in the boys and girls qualifying rounds — Pendleton County freshman Kyan Brewer and Simon Kenton senior Annabelle Wilson — won Region 5 singles championships.
In a rematch of last year’s boys final, Brewer defeated Simon Kenton senior Jacob Billiter, 180-144, to repeat as champion. Wilson, who placed fourth in girls singles last year, defeated Campbell County senior Tatum Audos, 175-144, to win her first title.
The Region 5 finalists in team and singles competition advance to the state tournament Feb. 7-9 at Strikes and Spares in Louisville. The state qualifiers in the Unified Team division are champions Sam and Leroy Bryant of Pendleton County and Brian Raleigh and David Puchta of Dayton.