By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
The Brossart girls track and field team was a scoring machine that produced points in nearly event during the Class 1A, Region 4 meet on Friday at Brossart.
In 11 of the 18 events, Brossart picked up 10 points or more and finished with a 166 team total to claim its seventh consecutive region title. Beechwood took second place with 108.
The boys small school meet was a much tighter scoring battle. Beechwood came out on top with 150 points, followed by Brossart with 133.
The Brossart girls netted 106 points in 12 track events even though they had only three first-place finishes. They capped it off with 60 points in six field events.
The team’s only double-winner in individual events was senior Ava Walters in the shot put and discus. She’s the defending Class 1A state champion in both of those events.
Beechwood’s girls won six individual track events to account for 60 of their 108 points. The Tigers’ gold medal winners were junior Caroline Nordman in the 100, 200 and 400 meter dashes, senior Lily Parke in the 800 and 1600 runs and junior Winter Wyant in the 100 hurdles.
Parke won the 800 and 1600 runs in the last two state meets. Last year, she set Class 1A state records in both of those distance races.
In the boys region meet, Beechwood had six first-place and five second-place finishes that accounted for 100 points. The team leaders were sprinters Brody Aylor and Nathan Pabst. They placed first and second in the 100 and 200 dashes and were members of the winning 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams.
Beechwood also won the 4×400 relay with a foursome that included sophomore Charlie Skeen, who finished first in the 1600 run and second in the 800 run.
The outstanding performer in boys field events was Villa Madonna senior Max Watson, who won the shot put and discus.
Complete results from the Class 1A, Region 4 boys and girls track meet are posted on the khsaa.org website.
The top two finishers in each event qualify for the Class 1A state meet on Thursday at the University of Kentucky. At-large qualifiers will be added based on times and distances posted in region meets around the state.
Ryle boys fall to nationally ranked opponent in volleyball
Louisville St. Xavier entered the boys volleyball state tournament ranked No. 5 in the nation by USA Today and Ryle found out why in the quarterfinal round on Friday.
St. Xavier extended its perfect record to 29-0 with a methodical 25-18, 25-18, 25-11 win. Final stats showed the Tigers had a .367 hitting percentage compared to .045 for the Raiders.
This is the second consecutive year that Ryle’s season ended with a loss to St. Xavier in the state playoffs. The Raiders finish the season with an 18-4 record.
The balanced St. Xavier attack registered 44 kills and nine service aces. Senior setter Isaac Lotze had 32 assists with seniors Briley Codey and Walt Baker getting 15 and 10 kills.
Ryle junior setter Ryoto Kondo was limited to 11 assists. His team’s kill leaders were junior Ishan Senthill with five and senior Anthony Rieffer with four. Senthill is one of four starters the Raiders will have returning next season.
Ryle girls tennis team wins first Region 9 tournament
Ryle will make its debut in the girls team tennis state tournament after defeating Notre Dame, 3-2, in the Region 9 championship on Friday at Boone Woods.
This is the third straight year that the two teams met in the region final and the first time that Ryle has taken the title. The teams played three singles and two doubles matches. The Raiders posted victories in three of them.
Ryle will play the Region 10 champion in the opening round of the 16-team girls state tournament on May 28 at Lexington Sayre High School. Scott will play either Montgomery County or Bourbon County in the Region 10 final at 1 p.m. Saturday at Mason County High School.
Covington Catholic won the Region 9 boys team tournament for the third straight year. On Friday, the Colonels won a semifinal match against Beechwood and the championship match against Highlands by 3-0 scores.
CovCath won the boys state team tournament the last two years and will play the Region 15 champion in the opening round of this year’s 16-team bracket on May 28 at the University of Kentucky.