By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Ryle freshman Hayden Li was the top local golfer on the leaderboard after Wednesday’s final round of the boys state championship tournament at Bowling Green Country Club.
Li finished with a 36-hole total of 151 to tie for 24th place in a field of 89 golfers for the two-day event. He carded a 4-over 76 in the final round and 75 in the first round to top the list of local qualifiers for the season finale.
St. Henry junior Parker Isaacs and Covington Catholic senior Joseph Mangine tied for 32nd place with 9-over 153 totals.
Scoring totals for other local competitors were Dixie Heights senior Jack Woodwine (159), CovCath junior Carson White (162) and Walton-Verona senior Adam Gutman (164).
Andrew Lange of Frederick Douglass in Lexington won a playoff with Luc Kelty of Louisville St. Xavier for medalist honors after they both finished with 4-under 140 totals.
St. Xavier repeated as team champion with an 8-under 568 total that was seven strokes better than Christian Academy of Louisville.
Northern Kentucky did not have a team among the eight state qualifiers for the boys championship finals.
The girls state championship finals will be played Friday and Saturday at Bowling Green Country Club.
Conner is among eight teams competing for a state title with a lineup that includes juniors Sofia Seals, Bella White and Evie Maurits and eighth-graders Eva Fey and Cam Broering.
The individual girls state qualifiers include St. Henry eighth-grader Reese Anthony, Ryle seniors Elizabeth Dickson and Lacey Wilson and Notre Dame senior Maria Penaranda.