By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Eight years ago, Ryle boys and girls golf teams swept region tournament titles and the Raiders are in position to do pull off a sweep once again this fall.
Both teams have several veterans returning from last season when the girls placed first and the boys placed second in Region 7 tournaments. Their lineups include two golfers who qualified for the championship round of the state tournament.
Ryle senior Anika Okuda was Region 7 girls runner-up and tied for 22nd in the state tournament. She’s the region’s top returning golfer since four-time champion Reagan Ramage of Cooper has graduated.
Okuda’s returning teammates include juniors Lacey Wilson and Elizabeth Dickson, who placed fourth and ninth on last year’s region tournament leaderboard, and senior Morgan Poe.
Four of the five golfers on the Ryle boys team are back. The lineup includes senior Paxton McKelvey, who placed fourth in the region tournament, and eighth-grader Hayden Li, an individual qualifier for the state tournament.
Their returning teammates are junior Jake Roscoe and sophomore Thomas Leone. They both tied for 10th place in last year’s region field with Li just one stroke behind them.
The Ryle boys golf team is off to a good start this season. The Raiders won the Highlands Invitational at Kenton County-Pioneer on Wednesday after placing second in the Blue Bird Invitational in Lexington on Monday.
In the season opener, McKelvey carded a five-under 67 to finish second in a field of 99 golfers. Ryle’s team leader in the second tournament was junior Chandler James with a 6-under 66 that took medalist honors.
Basketball player makes junior college commitment
Yamil Rondon, a starting point guard for two boys basketball teams that played in the 9th Region tournament each of the last four seasons, has made a verbal commitment with Danville Area Junior College in Illinois.
Rondon scored 1,195 points during his four-year varsity career. The 5-foot-11 floor leader played three seasons for Cooper before transferring to Newport for the 2024-25 season. He averaged 14.8 points for the Wildcats last season and was named to the NKAC Division II All-Conference team.
Two years ago, Rondon played on Puerto Rico’s under-17 boys national team that won the Centrobasket Championship in Belize. He was eligible because both of his parents were born in Puerto Rico.
Rondon had shoulder surgery after his senior season, but he expects to be fully recovered for his freshman year. Danville made it to the semifinals in one of the National Junior College Athletic Association region tournaments last season and finished with a 16-13 record.
Holy Cross grad among top 20 volleyball players
Holy Cross graduate Jill Hunt was among 20 players named to the Big 10 preseason all-conference volleyball team going into her sophomore season at the University of Washington.
In her freshman season, the 6-foot-2 middle blocker led the Huskies in blocks per set (1.18) and attack percentage (.330) with 1.70 kills per set. She had double-digit kills in six matches and ranked third on the team with 27 aces.
Hunt was named to the All-Big 10 Freshman Team and voted Pacific North Region Freshman of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
After her senior season at Holy Cross, Hunt was named Ms. Kentucky Volleyball and Gatorade Player of the Year in Kentucky. She finished that season as the state leader in kills with 658 in 95 sets for a 6.93 average.
She had more than 2,200 kills and 500 blocks during her five-year varsity career and was invited to the USA National Team Development Program each year from 2020-23.