By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
With three of the top five scorers on the final leaderboard, Ryle won the team title at the Region 7 boys golf tournament on Tuesday at Boone Links.
The Raiders’ winning total of 293 was 10 strokes better than runner-up Covington Catholic in the team standings. This is the third time in five years that Ryle took home the championship trophy.
Ryle senior Paxton McKelvey was medalist with a 2-under 70 and his sophomore teammate Thomas Leone was one stroke behind him. CovCath junior Joseph Mangine placed third with a 73.
McKelvey is the first Ryle golfer to win a boys region tournament since 2017. The Raiders’ other two scorers were eighth-grader Hayden Li (75) and and junior Chandler James (77), who tied for fourth and 10th on the leaderboard.
The top two Region 7 teams advance to the first round of the state tournament scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 1 at Pendleton Hills Country Club. Three of the region’s 10 individual state qualifiers were Dixie Heights golfers Jack Woolwine (75), Will Steczynski (77) and Kyle Flynn (80).
In the Region 8 girls tournament on Tuesday at Eagle Creek, Owen County won the team title for the fifth consecutive year to earn a berth in the first round of the state tournament on Monday at Pendleton Hills Country Club.
Several girls teams from Northern Kentucky competed in the Region 8 tournament, but complete results were not posted on the khsaa.org website before 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
REGION 7 BOYS GOLF TOURNAMENT
Ryle golfers — Paxton McKelvey 70, Thomas Leone 71, Hayden Li 75, Chandler James 77, Jake Roscoe 83.
CovCath golfers — Joseph Mangine 73, Carson White 75, Brady Pagnotto 76, Matt Noe 79, Marcis Diiulio 81.
Individual state qualifiers — Jack Woolwine (Dixie Heights) 75, Tyler Bandstetter (Villa Madonna) 75, Jace Hammonds (Beechwood) 76, Will Steczynski (Dixie Heights) 77, Parker Isaacs (St. Henry) 77, Jake Montgomery (St. Henry) 78, Adam Gutman (Walton-Verona) 78, Kayden Sautter (Beechwood) 78, Kyle Flynn (Dixie Heights) 80, Max Brunkel (Conner) 80.