By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Newport Central Catholic will conduct a dedication ceremony on Tuesday, April 14 for the Ciafardini Family Athletic Complex that’s nearing completion on campus.
John C. Iffert, bishop of the Diocese of Covington, will preside over Mass at 1 p.m. and then bless the complex. Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, guests will be able to tour the facility.
Money for the athletic complex was obtained through the Looking Up Campaign that raised more than $14 million in pledges that were also used to eliminate the school’s debt, upgrade infrastructure and build a science learning center.
Anthony Ciafardini, a 1966 NewCath graduate, provided a major gift to the school in support of the long-awaited athletic facility on campus.
It features a synthetic turf field lined for football and soccer, a six-lane track, stadium seating for 1,500, press box, concessions and more.
“The Ciafardini Family Athletic Complex is a testimony to the strength and commitment of the NCC community, and we are thrilled to celebrate this milestone,” school officials said in a media release.
The diocesan high school built in 1955 on a hill at the south end of Newport has never had a home field on campus for football, soccer or track. The athletic complex was built on a plateau adjacent to the school parking lot that was once a baseball field and used for football practice.
NewCath is one of three high schools in northern Campbell County that have recently made improvements to athletic facilities. Dayton built a synthetic turf field and field house on its campus. Bellevue Independent Schools renovated Leo Gilligan Field and Ben Flora Gymnasium.
Cooper sophomore wins Region 6 girls archery title
Cooper sophomore Joannah Hibbett posted the highest score in the Region 6 girls archery tournament on Saturday at Boone County High School.
Hibbett, who placed 28th in last year’s region tournament, took this year’s title with a 287 total. She scored 10s on 18 of her 30 shots from distances of 10 and 15 meters.
The top two teams that qualified for the girls state tournament were Simon Kenton and Cooper. The individual state qualifiers were Stella Holtz of St. Henry, Prisha Shah of Ryle and Rylee Schmidt of St. Henry.
The best score in the Region 6 boys tournament was 287 by Ethan Pauciulo of Ryle and Kyle Kirkpatrick of Cooper. Pauciulo won the title because he had more 10s on his scorecard.
Ryle and Cooper had the top two Region 6 boys team scores for the third consecutive year to earn berths in the state tournament. Individual state qualifiers were Ari Edmonds of Scott, Connor Thurber of Dixie Heights and Cameron Rupe of Conner.
The boys and girls state archery tournaments are scheduled for April 21 at Central Bank Center in downtown Lexington.
REGION 6 BOYS ARCHERY TOURNAMENT
Top 5 teams
Ryle 1965, Cooper 1940, Scott 1919, Simon Kenton 1915, Highlands 1888.
Top 10 individual scores
287 — Ethan Pauciulo (Ryle), Kyle Kirkpatrick (Cooper). 285 — Mark Mamari (Ryle). 283 — Wyatt Filling-Fant (Ryle). 282 — Ari Edmonds (Scott), Brayden Nevels (Cooper), Aaron Eckler (Ryle). 280 — Connor Thurber (Dixie Heights), Cameron Rupe (Conner), Bryan Lundy (Simon Kenton).
REGION 6 GIRLS ARCHERY TOURNAMENT
Top 5 teams
Simon Kenton 1963, Cooper 1958, Scott 1937, Ryle 1932, St. Henry 1916.
Top 10 individual scores
287 — Joannah Hibbett (Cooper). 286 — Karina Usman (Simon Kenton), Stella Holtz (St. Henry), Kylie Luckhardt (Simon Kenton), Prisha Shah (Ryle). 285 — Addison Beach (Cooper). 284 — Rylee Schmidt (St. Henry), Lexus Goff (Scott), Sarah Beckham (Notre Dame) 283 — Emily Grindstaff (Cooper), Delaney Getz (Scott).