By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Campbell County bowler Kaylee Hitt will get another shot at the girls state singles championship that she lost by two pins last year.
Hitt won the Region 5 singles title last week to qualify for a return trip to the state tournament Feb. 7-8 in Louisville. Last year, she returned home with the state runner-up trophy after losing to Kellie Kidder of Louisville Manual, 155-153, in the title match.
This is the third time in four years that Hitt has qualified for the state singles tournament. She placed 25th in 2016 before making a run at last year’s state title that came up two pins short.
In the Region 5 singles tournament, Hitt posted the highest pin total in the qualifying rounds to earn the top seed in the stepladder finals bracket.
In the title match, the junior defeated two-time defending champion Mirena Combs of Newport, 188-181, to reclaim the regional championship she won in 2016.
Jonathan Cummins of Simon Kenton made it to Region 5 boys singles final for the fourth time in the last five years and defeated Alex Bach of Highlands, 202-185, to win his second regional title.
Cummins placed fifth in the qualifying round at last year’s state tournament. He was 10 pins shy of advancing to the stepladder finals won by Highlands senior Andy Campbell.
The Region 6 singles champions were Ashley Bruce of Beechwood in girls and Reiley Ulanday of Cooper in boys. Bruce had to win three matches in the stepladder finals to become the first Beechwood girl to claim a regional singles title in bowling.
The Region 5 team champions were the Simon Kenton boys and Campbell County girls. In Region 6, the Dixie Heights boys and Cooper girls took first-place trophies. Boone County had won the Region 6 girls team title the last six years, but the Rebels lost to Notre Dame in the semifinals.
There was also a Unified Team bracket, where one bowler with intellectual or physical disabilities and a partner without disabilities competed in a doubles format. Teams from Simon Kenton and Ryle won region titles to qualify for the state tournament in that division.
The state tournament at Executive Strike and Spare in Louisville begins Thursday Feb. 7 with boys and girls singles competition. After two qualifying rounds, the top four bowlers based on total pin counts will compete in a stepladder bracket to determine the champions.
In the state team competition on Friday, Feb. 8, qualifying rounds will determine seeds for a 16-team single-elimination bracket in both boys and girls. Teams will then compete in matches leading up to the championship finals.
Lane assignments and schedule for the 2019 state bowling tournament will be posted on the khsaa.org website after all the regional tournaments are completed. Here is a complete rundown of the Region 5 and Region 6 state qualifiers:
BOYS TEAMS
Region 5 – Simon Kenton, Campbell County
Region 6 – Dixie Heights and St. Henry
GIRLS TEAMS
Region 5 – Campbell County, Highlands
Region 6 – Cooper and Notre Dame
BOYS SINGLES
Region 5 – Jonathan Cummins (Simon Kenton), Alex Bach (Highlands), Cameron Bechtol (Campbell County), John Ivey (Simon Kenton).
Region 6 – Rieley Ulanday (Cooper), Kyle Zamborsky (Ryle), Alex Radford (Dixie Heights), Andrew Melching (St. Henry).
GIRLS SINGLES
Region 5 – Kaylee Hitt (Campbell County), Mirena Combs (Newport), Errel Woody (Highlands), Abby Bach (Highlands).
Region 6 – Ashley Bruce (Beechwood), Ranelle Ulandy (Cooper), Kara Strong (Boone County), Skylar Brinkley (Boone County).
UNIFIED TEAMS
Region 5 – Simon Kenton, Pendleton County
Region 6 – Ryle No. 7, Ryle No. 5
ADAPTED SINGLES
Region 6 – Crystal Williams (Ryle)