By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Clare Herfel’s first Region 7 championship meet as a member of the Notre Dame Academy girls swim team couldn’t have gone any better than it did Saturday at Scott High School.
The freshman won gold medals in two individual and two relay events and led the Pandas to first place in the team standings by a 94-point margin over Highlands, the team she was on last year as an eighth-grader.
Herfel won the 200 and 500 freestyle events and was a member of the Notre Dame 200 medley and 400 free relays teams that placed first. The Pandas also had second-place finishers in six events and ended up with 438 total points.
Highlands placed second in the girls team standings with 344 points. The Bluebirds’ scoring leader was senior Sarah Jones, who earned gold medals in the 50 freestyle, 100 backstroke and 200 free relay.
The other double-winner in girls individual events was Ryle senior Reese Yauger in the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly. Highlands sophomore Keira Kobida won the 100 freestyle and was on the winning 200 free relay team.
Ryle claimed the Region 7 boys team title for the third consecutive year by a 507-467 margin over Highlands. The Raiders won five of nine individual events and two of three relays to come out on top.
The scoring leaders for Ryle were senior Andy Pleiman and junior Chase Knopf. They both won two individual events and swam on the 200 and 400 free relay teams that placed first.
Highlands opened the meet with a victory in the 200 medley relay and won the last two individual events on the schedule.
The Bluebirds’ first-place swimmers were sophomore Luke Deegan in the 100 backstroke and senior Griffin Barlow in the 100 breaststroke. They were also members of the 200 medley relay foursome.
The first round of state competition will be held Saturday at Scott High School. The top two finishers in each event from Regions 7-9 will compete in that meet along with at-large berths going to the next 10 fastest times recorded in each event from those regions.
REGION 7 GIRLS TOP TEAM SCORES
Notre Dame 438, Highlands 344, Ryle 271, Beechwood 258, St. Henry 210.5
GIRLS EVENT WINNERS
200 medley relay – Notre Dame (Abby Carnes, Sadie Hartig, McKenna Bien, Clare Herfel) 1:47.70.
200 freestyle – Clare Herfel (Notre Dame) 1:49.86.
200 individual medley – Reese Yauger (Ryle) 2:06.98.
50 freestyle – Sarah Jones (Highlands) 24.64.
1-meter diving – Chris Nowak (Cooper) 400.25.
100 butterfly – Reese Yauger (Ryle) 56.64.
100 freestyle – Keira Kobida (Highlands) 53.00.
500 freestyle – Clare Herfel (Notre Dame) 4:52.57.
200 free relay – Highlands (Keira Kobida, Ellie Niese, Ragan Moore, Sarah Jones) 1:39.78.
100 backstroke – Sarah Jones (Highlands) 57.58.
100 breaststroke – Gabriella Stephens (Ryle) 1:06.29.
400 free relay – Notre Dame (Clare Herfel, Liv Wallace, Danaka Tucker, Sadie Hartig) 3:34.86.
REGION 7 BOYS TOP TEAM SCORES
Ryle 507, Highlands 467, Covington Catholic 295, Scott 165, Simon Kenton 151.
BOYS EVENT WINNERS
200 medley relay – Highlands (Luke Deegan, Griffin Barlow, Charlie Herfel, Chanith Abeysinghe) 1:35.50.
200 freestyle – Chase Knopf (Ryle) 1:41.14.
200 individual medley – Chase Denigan (Ryle) 1:54.46.
50 freestyle – Andy Pleiman (Ryle) 20.93.
1-meter diving – Isaiah Reinhart (Simon Kenton) 441.70.
100 butterfly – Ty Dropic (Villa Madonna) 52.47.
100 freestyle – Andy Pleiman (Ryle) 46.32.
500 freestyle – Chase Knopf (Ryle) 4:33.22.
200 free relay – Ryle (Nash Parsons, Andy Pleiman, Lucas Dilger, Chase Knopf) 1:27.71.
100 backstroke – Luke Deegan (Highlands) 52.77.
100 breaststroke – Griffin Barlow (Highlands) 56.93
400 free relay – Ryle (Andy Pleiman, Nash Parsons, Chase Denigan, Chase Knopf) 3:09.23.
NOTE: Complete Region 7 results are on the khsaa.org website.