Ryle defeats Dixie Heights in the regional semifinal

By John Lachmann   Kypostsports@yahoo.com

ERLANGER, Ky. – How good is Ryle’s pitching?

In 2011, the Raiders rode Haylee Smith’s arm to a regional title, as she allowed just three runs in the three-game tournament and won a pair of games at state.

This season, Smith – now a freshman – is playing shortstop for Ryle and sophomore right-hander Ali Crupper is the Raiders’ regular starter in the circle.

Crupper struck out 11 for the second straight night as the Raiders beat Dixie Heights, 7-1 in a Region 9 semifinal at St. Henry on Tuesday.

“I love pitching, it’s one of my favorite things to do in the whole world,” Crupper said. “Haylee does a great job too, so it’s just been a lot of fun.”

Ryle will face Conner in the regional final for the sixth straight year at 7 p.m. on Thursday. The Cougars beat Newport Central Catholic, 10-1 on Tuesday.

“We started out the season, we knew we had two good pitchers and we knew we had to fill a hole at shortstop,” Oliverio said. “We were just going back and forth with them, and Haylee makes us a better team at shortstop and Ali stepped up and has done the job on the mound.”

In addition to playing outstanding defense, Smith – hitting in the No. 3 hole – is 4-for-7 in the regional tournament. She drove in a run and scored twice on Tuesday.

“I do whatever it takes to get us back to state,” Smith said. “By moving to shortstop it makes us stronger, so I’m fine with it.”

Crupper faced the minimum through three innings, striking out six the first time through the Colonels’ lineup.

Dixie Heights eighth-grade right-hander Bailey Spencer matched zeroes through the first two innings, but the Ryle offense came to life in the third inning.

With two outs and no one on, Raiders senior center fielder Kate Rouse – who struck out in her first at-bat – worked the count for a walk. Junior second baseman McKell Oliverio followed with a base hit.

Smith gave Ryle the lead with a line drive single up the middle, scoring Rouse. The next batter, sophomore left fielder Katelyn Stephens, pounded a double into the right center field gap, plating Oliverio and Smith to make it 3-0.

Dixie Heights trimmed the lead to two in the top of the fourth on a two-out RBI double to left center by freshman right fielder Haley Schulte.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Raiders put the game out of reach. Smith walked and was bunted to second, and sophomore first baseman Kelsey Hammes lined a double down the left field line to score Smith.

Hammes eventually scored on a wild pitch to give Ryle a 5-1 lead. Senior right fielder Sydney Langsdale lifted a sacrifice fly later in the inning, and a base hit by sophomore designated player Hannah Brumbach extended the Raiders’ lead to six.

Crupper allowed five hits and did not issue a walk. In 12 innings in the regional tournament thus far, Crupper has allowed nine hits and fanned 22.

“Ali – she’s doing a great job for us,” Ryle coach Patti Oliverio said. “She’s getting big strikeouts when we need them, which take a lot of pressure off of our defense.

Ryle has won consecutive regional titles and six of the last seven. Conner won a Region 9 championship in 2009.

D.HEIGHTS 000-100-0—1 5 0 
vs. RYLE 003-040-X—7 8 0

WP: Crupper (16-6, 11 K’s). LP: Spencer. HITTING LEADERS: R—Stephens 2-3, 2 RBI; Hammes 2B; Crupper 2-3. DH—Schulte 2B. RECORDS: Ryle 20-13, Dixie Heights 20-14.

Read more: http://www.kypost.com/dpp/sports/ryle-conner-win-in-regional-semis#ixzz1wLfzdaeG

Ryle and Conner will meet for Ninth Region title again

by Marc Hardin, NKY Enquirer

The venue has changed, but the Ninth Region softball tournament finalists remain the same as Ryle and Conner will meet in Thursday’s 7 p.m. championship at St. Henry.

Conner crushed Newport Central Catholic, 10-1, in Tuesday’s first semifinal. Two-time defending champion Ryle defeated Dixie Heights, 7-1, in the nightcap.

“It seems like we always play Ryle in the final so we might as well play them again,” said Conner senior shortstop Ellery Kring, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI against the Thoroughbreds. “I’m happy we’re back. It’s a big relief, but we need to jump on them early if we want to win.”

It's the sixth year in a row and the seventh time in eight years that the 33rd District rivals have met for the regional championship. Ryle went 2-1 against Conner during the regular season, winning the past two meetings.

“We’re focused,” Raiders coach Patti Oliverio said. “And we’re extremely confident.”

Ryle has beaten Conner five times in the championship game with the Cougars’ lone regional crown coming in 2009. They first met in the 2005 final at Scott. Ryle also won in 2007 at Conner, in 2008 at Dixie and in 2010-11 at Northern Kentucky University.

The Raiders have outscored the Cougars, 20-7, in the final but had to eek out close wins in 2005 (1-0), 2007 (1-0), and last year (3-0).

“We need to hit,” Conner coach Kristin Koors said. “The best part about today against NCC was we hit from the bottom of the lineup.”

Conner (26-11), ranked second behind top-ranked Ryle in the Enquirer Northern Kentucky coaches’ poll, scored in every inning in which it batted against NewCath (20-14) except the third. Kring’s run-scoring ground ball to second base in the first tied the score at 1.

The Cougars scored the go-ahead run in the second on an infield throwing error. Kring’s two-run single in the fourth made it 6-1 in support of winning pitcher Elizabeth Sims, who was dominant with 11 strikeouts.

“I had different movement on my pitches today,” said Sims, who got a game-ending out at second base when catcher Katelynn Halcomb threw to Kring for her 10th runner caught stealing.

Ryle (20-13) took control with a three-run third against seventh-ranked Dixie (20-14). Katelyn Stephens’ two-run double in the inning made it 3-0. Kelsey Hammes’ run-scoring double during a four-run fifth made it 5-1.

Winning pitcher Ali Crupper struck out 11 and went 2-for-3. Stephens went 2-for-4 for the Raiders.

“I’m ready for Conner,” Crupper said. “I can’t wait.”

Downs' pitching, clutch hitting help Ryle reach semifinals

by Richard Skinner, NKY Enquirer


Ryle senior pitcher Mark Downs has been good enough this season to not only consistently shut down opposing batters, but at times apparently mesmerize his own teammates at the plate, too.

Those teammates snapped out of their trance long enough to get three straight two-out RBI hits, Downs went six strong innings and the Raiders survived a seventh-inning rally to hold off Holy Cross, 4-2, in a first-round game of the Ninth Region Tournament on Monday at Florence Freedom Field.

Ryle (27-11-1), which is participating in its first Ninth Region Tournament since 2009, advances to play Newport Central Catholic in a semifinal game at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Florence Freedom Field. NewCath (22-16-1) advanced with an 8-1 win over St. Henry in Monday’s final first-round game behind five shutout innings by junior Josh Cain, who also added a two-run triple in a five-run sixth inning. Senior Andy Miller drove home NewCath’s first two runs with a single in the fifth.

As was expected, Downs, a University of Cincinnati signee who struck out 18 in Ryle’s 1-0 win over Cooper in last week’s 33rd District semifinal, and Holy Cross senior right-hander Kyle Fuller were hooked up in a pitcher’s duel through the first three innings, with each having allowed a run in the first.

Ryle sophomore right fielder Eric Clarkson led off the bottom of fourth with a single, but was still at first two outs later. Junior left fielder Tyler Mason, then doubled Clarkson home with an opposite field double down the line in third baseline, junior second baseman Jackson Brennan then singled home Mason and Brennan came home when junior center fielder Thomas Baumann doubled to deep center, putting the Raiders on top 4-1.

“Sometimes we sit around watching (Downs) work and we don’t hit, but they came through with two outs,” said Ryle coach Pat Roesel. “There have been a few times we’ve done a good job with two outs.”

Downs, who allowed a run-scoring triple to Fuller in the first, retired 13 batters in a row from the second inning through the first batter in the sixth inning. He allowed three hits, one walk, hit one batter and struck out nine, including at least one batter in each of the six innings he pitched.

Roesel pulled Downs after six innings to allow him to come back to start Thursday’s championship game if Ryle makes it that far.

Senior Brian Ernst started the seventh and got the first two outs, but then junior Michael Hewitt reached on an error, senior Sam Mershon, the No. 9 hitter, lined a 3-2 pitch for a single and senior Connor Callery singled home Hewitt to cut the deficit to 4-2.

Roesel brought Tanner Pulice in to face Rick Pangallo and after falling behind 3-0, Pulice threw two strikes and got Pangallo to fly out to left field to end the game.

Downs was warming back up and would have faced Holy Cross junior standout Blake Tiberi, who has committed to the University of Louisville, if Pangallo had reached.

After Holy Cross took its 1-0 lead in the top of the first, Ryle answered with a run in the bottom of the inning when senior shortstop Leiff Clarkson led off with a single, stole second, went to third when Fuller threw a ball into center trying to pick Clarkson off and then scored on senior Bryan Comora’s ground out to short.

“It was really big to answer,” said Clarkson. “It gave our team confidence and gave us a little push and it kind of set up the fourth inning for us.”

Downs threw 86 pitches in the game, 62 for strikes and allowed only two balls to be hit out of the infield from the second inning through the first batter in the sixth.

“He was up with his in the bullpen before the game and the pitch to Fuller was up, but once he started getting it down and his curve was working pretty well he was on,” said Roesel. “It took him an inning. He’s got a level head. That obviously didn’t rattle him at all. I wasn’t worried about it, because of his head.”

Downs said he felt like get got into a nice rhythm after the first inning.

“I was just trying to basically get through the first 4-5 guys in the lineup and thought I would be pretty good after that,” said Downs. “It feels good to get some run support.”

Have a Great Memorial Day!

Memorial Day is a day to remember the men and women that have served our country.  

And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
~Lee Greenwood

Boone County Schools a national example

by Justin Duke, Boone Co. Recorder

When eight of the largest education organizations in the nation came together to redefine the future of education, they pointed to Boone County Schools as an example of how to do it.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten and leaders of the other organizations came together at the 2012 Labor Management Conference to sign the “Transforming the Teaching Profession” document, which is a call to action for changing many traditions in education to help teachers grow students who are ready to take on the changing world.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, center, meets with the Boone County Schools team at the Labor Management Conference in Cincinnati. With Duncan is: Ed Massey, left, Tom Haddock, Rick Jones and Ken Cook.

“We all felt that sense of urgency,” Duncan said.

The document signing was historic because it was the first time that many organizations agreed on such large changes.

“I think we’re going to redefine the educational system in the next few years,” said Council of Chief State School Officers executive director Gene Wilholt.

In a panel discussion of the leaders, they described the need for school district administrators, boards of education and teachers to work together, and not in opposition as they often do, to help students succeed.

National School Boards Association executive director Anne Bryant pointed to Boone County Schools as an example of a district that is already doing this.

“They recognized they didn’t have what they needed,” Bryant said.

A few years ago, the three parties realized there wasn’t money, staffing or a system in place to keep their teachers growing in their profession, she said.

The Boone district created instructional coaches to work with teachers throughout the year that allowed for continuous professional development without adding any additional costs, Bryant told the panelists.

The cooperation continued again this year as teachers agreed to not take raises in order to save 46 teaching positions while the district was suffering funding cuts, she said.

“It’s a rubber meets the road story,” Bryant said.

Boone County Schools was invited to present the district’s labor management techniques at the conference.

Despite the conference taking place in Cincinnati with more than 100 districts from 40 states presenting, Boone County was the only district from Kentucky invited.

Raiders win District Championship!

Congratulations to Mitch Lawson, Mark Downs,and Brian Comora for being named to the All-Tournament Team.  Brian Comora was name the tournament MVP.  The Raiders will play in the 9th Region baseball tournament next week at the Florence Freedom Champion Window Field.

RYLE 14, CONNER 4 – With the score tied at four, the Raiders belted seven hits en route to a seven-run fourth inning that put away the 33rd District final at Cooper.

Ryle senior catcher Marshall Long singled home two in that frame, and junior center fielder Thomas Baumann plated two with a triple.

Senior right-hander Mitch Lawson allowed four runs in the first three innings, but he recovered to toss three scoreless frames – facing one over the minimum in that span – to finish the game for Ryle.

It was the first district title for the Raiders since 2009.

CONNER 103-000—4 4 2 
vs. RYLE 004-712—14 18 2

WP: Lawson (4-3). LP: Herrmann. HITTING LEADERS: R—L. Clarkson 2-5; E. Clarkson 3-5, 2 RBI; Comora 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Long 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI; Baumann 3B, 2 RBI; Hughes 2-4, 2 2B; Lonnemann 3-4, 2B. C—Fogle 2-3; Williams 3B; Maines 2B, 3 RBI. RECORDS: Ryle 26-11-1, Conner 16-21-1.

Read more: http://www.kypost.com/dpp/sports/523-base-st-henry-edges-dixie#ixzz1vmOtddVT

Ryle softball 5 - Cooper 2

RYLE 5, COOPER 2 – Sophomore designated hitter Hannah Brumbach drove in three runs for the Raiders in a 33rd District semifinal at Cooper.

Brumbach keyed a three-run fourth inning by belting a single past the third baseman, plating two runs. She also singled home a run in the sixth to extend Ryle’s lead to four, 5-1.

Raiders sophomore left-hander Ali Crupper fanned 11 and allowed just one earned run to pick up her 13th win of the season.

Ryle will face Wednesday’s Conner-Boone County winner in the district final at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

COOPER 000-001-1—2 5 2 
vs. RYLE 010-301-X—5 9 2

WP: Crupper (13-6, 11 K’s). LP: Carson. HITTING LEADERS: R—Oliverio 2B; Smith 2-4, 2B; Stephens 2B; Hammes 2-3, 2B; Brumbach 2-3, 3 RBI. C—Koors 2B. RECORDS: Ryle 17-13, Cooper 10-14.

Read more: http://www.kypost.com/dpp/sports/522-soft-dixie-squeezes-past-ludlow#ixzz1vggEylyc

Downs strong in Ryle victory

by Richard Skinner, NKY Enquirer

There was at least one Major League Baseball scout watching Ryle senior Mark Downs pitch on Monday and he had to be pretty impressed with what he saw.

Downs, a left-hander who has signed with the University of Cincinnati, struck out 18 and scattered three hits, and Ryle senior first baseman Brian Comora drove in the game’s only run with a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the fifth to lead the Raiders to a 1-0 win over Cooper in a 33rd District semifinal game at Cooper.

Ryle (25-11-1) qualifies for next week’s Ninth Region Tournament and will play the winner of today’s Boone County-Conner game in Wednesday’s district championship game.

There have only been 21 pitchers in state history who have recorded more strikeouts in a seven-inning game, according to the Kentucky High School Athletic Association record book. There are 10 listed who struck out 20, including former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Don Gullett (in 1969 for McKell against Portsmouth Clay) and former Major League outfielder Brad Wilkerson (in 1995 for Owensboro Apollo against Daviess County), and 11 who struck out 19.

Downs struck out at least two batters in every inning, including the side in the second, third, sixth and seventh innings.

Ryle sets K mark vs. Cooper

By John Lachmann 
Kypostsports@yahoo.com

Senior left-hander Mark Downs set a school record with 18 strikeouts as Ryle edged Cooper, 1-0 in a 33rd District semifinal at Cooper on Monday.

Downs fanned the final batter in the first inning to start a string of eight straight strikeouts, and he blanked the final seven hitters he faced as the Raiders clinched their first regionals berth since 2009.

Downs held the Jaguars to just three hits en route to the shutout, his ninth win of the season.

With the game scoreless, Ryle junior third baseman Tyler Lonnemann singled in the bottom of the fifth inning, and he ultimately scored on a line-drive single over shortstop by senior first baseman Bryan Comora.

The Raiders will face Tuesday’s Boone County-Conner winner in the district final at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

COOPER 000-000-0—0 3 0 
at RYLE 000-010-X—1 6 0

WP: Downs (9-1, 18 K’s). LP: Collins. HITTING LEADER: C—Kilburn 2-3. RECORDS: Ryle 25-11-1, Cooper 9-21-1.

Read more: http://www.kypost.com/dpp/sports/521-base-ryle-sets-k-mark-vs-cooper#ixzz1vb7wz6fm

Ryle's Leone wins state in discus

Raiders finish in eighth place, only Northern Kentucky school in top-10

by Marc Harden,  NKY Enquirer


Ryle produced its first Class 3A track and field boys’ individual state champion Saturday with a win by Michael Leone in the discus and the Raiders enjoyed their highest finish in 15 years, placing eighth in the final team standings. 

“This is by far the best we’ve finished at state in a while,” coach Russell Harden said. “We set three school records today. Michael Leone broke his own record twice.” 

Leone, Tanner McConvey, Nathan Davis and Nick Kennedy have re-written the Ryle record books. Leone became the first Ryle individual champion since 1997 when B.T. Pickett won the high jump with a leap of 6-2 at the Class 2A meet. 
Davis since has broken Pickett's record. McConvey set the school record in the pole vault.

On Saturday, McConvey (110- and 300-meter hurdles), Kennedy (long jump) and Davis (high jump) combined for four fifth-place state finishes. Kennedy set a school record with a leap of 22 feet. They say it's for the good of the team. 

Ryle's Brandon Mefford

“It’s a great personal gain when you do well but it means even more to help the team do something monumental,” Leone said.

The senior had a winning discus throw of 145 feet, 3 inches. An earlier toss erased his previous school mark of 143-6. Leone grabbed 10 points with the victory. That was more than the seven points the entire Raiders team had scored at state in a six-year span from 2005-2010.

“We had nothing in 2008 then two points in 2009 and five in 2010,” Harden said. “We got 17 last year and we almost doubled that.”
Ryle accrued 29 points, well behind team winner Bryan Station (66). Boone County (3) finished 30th in the final standings, followed by Scott (2) and Dixie Heights (2) in a tie for 32nd place, and Cooper (1) in 34th.

Ryle baseball 6, Covington Catholic 5

Ryle 6, Covington Catholic 5: Ryle scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Raiders were led by senior shortstop Leiff Clarkson who went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

from the NKY Enquirer

Ryle softball flexes muscle for win

by Richard Skinner, NKY Enquirer


Both the Ryle and Notre Dame softball teams faced measuring sticks in different ways when they faced each other on Wednesday afternoon and both showed that they measured up just fine in different ways.

Ryle, which has won six of the last seven Ninth Region championships, showed despite its mediocre record that it’s still among the teams to beat for the regional title again this season, while Notre Dame showed that it’s continuing to make giant strides as a program in the 5-0 Ryle win in Union.

Ryle (15-13) started the season with a 1-6 record and was 3-8 at one point thanks in large part to a difficult schedule that featured games against teams from South Carolina and Tennessee, but the Raiders have lost just two games all season to Ninth Region teams (4-2 to Conner on April 12 and 4-1 to St. Henry on May 10).

“I knew going in we were going to have to fill in some positions, but I didn’t weaken the schedule at all, because I think as they play tough competition they learn to make adjustments and learn their weaknesses real quick and it allows us to come back to practice and work on those weaknesses,” said Ryle coach Patti Oliverio. “We’re getting better.”

That’s due in large part to the emergence of sophomore Ali Crupper as a pitcher. Crupper, who allowed just two hits, walked none, struck out 10 and allowed just five balls to be hit out of the infield, has eased the move of former standout pitcher Haylee Smith to shortstop. Smith, a freshman, was the Enquirer Northern Kentucky Player of the Year last season.

“Ali’s done a great job for us,” said Oliverio. “She’s averaging 10-11 strikeouts a game and that takes a lot of pressure of our defense and has allowed our defense to develop and relax behind her. We’re just a better team with Haylee at shortstop.”

Crupper, who needed just 79 pitches (56 of which were strikes) in Wednesday’s win and retired the first 11 batters in a row to start the game, said facing such a tough schedule this season has helped her learn to focus on locating her pitches.

“You really have to hit your spots or they hit off of you,” said Crupper. “Those games definitely helped me become more consistent and hit my spots.”

Oliverio said Crupper missed just one spot the entire game and that came when Notre Dame sophomore catcher Lauren Finke looped a two-out single to center in the sixth inning.

“You can tell them how important it is to hit spots and if you’re facing weaker competition it doesn’t expose itself, but against good competition if they don’t hit their spots they get hit,” said Oliverio. “Mentally that has brought her along.”

Notre Dame sophomore Bridget Stewart matched Crupper almost pitch for pitch through the first three innings before Ryle broke through for a run in the fourth.

Smith hit a looping double to right center that narrowly eluded a diving attempt by Notre Dame sophomore center fielder Amanda Meagher and scored when Stewart knocked down sophomore Katelyn Stephens grounder through the box and threw to first where the ball glanced off the glove of sophomore first baseman Maria Schaefer allowing Smith to score.

Ryle then plated four more runs in the sixth on two hits and two more Notre Dame errors. Sophomore first baseman Kelsey Hammes drove in two runs with a bases-loaded double down the left field line. Another run scored on a sacrifice fly by Crupper and the final run came home on a wild pitch.

Despite the loss, first-year Notre Dame coach Joe Stephenson was upbeat about his team’s performance. The Pandas, who started eight sophomores, a junior and an 8th-grader (who was the assigned hitter), fell to 21-7 on the season. The program began making strides last season when it went 15-16 under Dave Meier after having won just 33 games in its previous five seasons under three different coaches.

“I think it was a huge measuring stick,” said Stephenson. “We beat some really good teams this year, but Ryle sets the bar around here. That’s who everybody compares themselves to. We were in it for five innings, but one or two mistakes and that shows how young they are. I think we can play with anybody, but we have to play error free. We’re right there and I think the region is wide open, but somebody needs to get it in their mind they can beat Ryle and Conner, including us.”

Ryle students advance to national art contest

From the Union Recorder . . .

Ryle High School had the most first-place wins in the senior division of the Kentucky State PTA Reflections contest.

Three Ryle students received first place at the state level. Sydney Langsdale, visual arts; Rena Ryumae, musical composition; and Michael Youngblood, film production, will go on to represent Kentucky at the national competition.

Ryle had five students place in the top five. Katherine Poe won third in dance choreography and Chrissa Gray placed fifth in visual arts.

Reflections, a cultural arts program, is open to students, grades P-12. Students may submit entries in six categories: literature, musical composition, photography, visual arts, dance choreography and film production. Reflections entries are judged at the local, district and state levels. Kentucky PTA winning entries are sent to National PTA.

2012 Ky Governor's Scholars Program

Twelve junior students at Ryle have been selected to attend the Kentucky Governor's Scholars program this summer.  This 4 week summer program is highly selective and includes students from all over the Commonwealth.


Congratulations to the following students for their selection:


        Beck, Julie
        Costello, Emma
        Eleniak, Meghan
        Gale, Alana
        Gebka, Sydney
        Gentry, Jasmine
        Gonzales, Emily
        Kirby, Sam
        Pinkston, Allison
        Schmalzl, Ellie
        See, Mitchell
        Tursic, Kelly

For more information on the Governor's Scholars program go to http://gsp.ky.gov/

Ryle's boys win first regional title in 15 years

By Marc Hardin, NKY Enquirer


Fueled by seven individual champions, including three first-place finishes by junior Nick Kennedy and two by senior Tanner McConvey, the Ryle boys' track and field team won its first regional title in 15 years at Thursday's Class 3A meet at Scott.

Campbell County, paced by three wins from sprinter Christina Heilman and one each by pole vaulter Angela Lauer and discus thrower Brianna Schraer, won the girls' Region 5 championship for the fourth year in a row, edging runner-up Notre Dame Academy. Ryle's girls placed third.

"It was 1997 the last time we won it, according to the banner in the gym," boys' coach Russell Harden said. "I had my eye on the score all night long."

The Ryle coach had good reason. When Boone County's Philip Mensah won the shot put, it enabled the Rebels to pull with seven points of the Raiders at 89-82. After that, Ryle outscored Boone by 10 points and won by 17.

The Raiders finished atop the final team standings with 123 points. The Rebels totaled 106. Cooper placed third with 86 for its best finish at the meet.

Kennedy won the 100- and 200-meter races and the long jump. He finished the 100 with a clocking of 11.27 seconds. He ran the 200 in 23.07. He won the long jump with a leap of 21 feet, 7 inches. McConvey won the 110 hurdles in 15.38 seconds and the 300 hurdles with a time of 41.36. He also placed second in both the triple jump and pole vault.

The top two finishers in each event qualified for next week's state meet in Louisville.

"The team winning, that's the ultimate goal," McConvey said. "Honestly, I don't care how I did as long as we win."

There were some anxious moments along the way for Ryle. With Boone County taking three relays and finishing second in another, coach Harden thought quality performances in the field events were especially important for the Raiders as they bared down on the illusive crown. He wound up getting three wins in the field.

"Getting first place in the discus, long jump and high jump was big," Harden said.

Nathan Davis won the high jump with a leap of 6-4. Michael Leone won the discus with a throw of 141 feet and 10 inches.

Ryle Baseball 6 - Campbell Co. 3

By John Lachmann 
Kypostsports@yahoo.com

A wild pitch brought home the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning for the Ryle, which beat Campbell County, 6-3 on Wednesday.

Junior left fielder Tanner Pulice squeezed home a run after the wild pitch, and junior second baseman Jackson Brennan singled to give the Raiders a three-run lead.  Senior left-hander Mark Downs allowed just one unearned run in the first six innings, and he came back to the mound to finish off the seventh after Ryle’s bullpen struggled.  Raiders senior Bryan Comora threw just six pitches in the bottom of the eighth to earn his first save of the season.

It was the third time in five games Ryle has gone extra innings.

RYLE 100-200-03—6 7 0
at CAMPBELL 100-000-20—3 5 1

WP: Downs (7-1, 8 K’s). LP: Perrin. SV: Comora (1). HITTING LEADERS: R—L. Clarkson 2-3, 2B; Mason 2-3, 2B; Baumann HR, 2 RBI. CC—T. Kramer 2-3; Miller 2 RBI. RECORDS: Ryle 20-11-1, Campbell County 10-16.

Read more: http://www.kypost.com/dpp/sports/59-base-ryle-tops-campbell-in-extras#ixzz1uSdOHQWK

Ryle Softball 5, Walton–Verona 4

From the NKY Enquirer . . .

Ryle 5, Walton–Verona 4:  Sophomore pitcher Ali Crupper struck out eight batters in her complete game win on Wednesday, moving her season total to 115 strikeouts. Trailing 2-0 after the first, Ryle would score all five of its runs in the second inning. Junior McKell Oliverio was 2 for 3 with an RBI to lead the way for the Raiders. Freshman Haylee Smith added two RBI in the second inning, moving Ryle to 12-11 on the year.

Ryle Softball 6 - Cooper 2

RYLE 6, COOPER 2 – Senior center fielder Kate Rouse and sophomore first baseman Kelsey Hammes plated two runs each in the Raiders’ win.

Rouse smacked a two-run single in the second inning, and Hammes belted RBI hits in the first and fourth innings.

Junior second baseman McKell Oliverio added four hits for Ryle, including a double.

COOPER 100-000-1—2 4 2
at RYLE 120-300-X—6 13 2

WP: Crupper (8-4, 8 K’s). LP: Carson. HITTING LEADERS: R—Oliverio 4-4, 2B; Rouse 2-4, 2 RBI; Hammes 3-4, 2 RBI; Miller 2B. C—Koors 2B. RECORDS: Ryle 11-11, Cooper 7-12.


Read more: http://www.kypost.com/dpp/sports/58-soft-lloyds-stewart-no-hits-dayton#ixzz1uMkHtjwF

Ryle Baseball 5 - Danville 2

By John Lachmann 
Kypostsports@yahoo.com

Sophomore shortstop Leiff Clarkson belted a solo homer to tie the score in the bottom of the fourth, and junior designated hitter Jackson Brennan singled home another run in the decisive frame as Ryle beat Danville, 5-2 on Friday.

The Raiders scored their other two runs that inning on passed balls.
Ryle senior left-hander Mark Downs went the distance to earn the win.

DANVILLE 000-110-0—2 2 1
at RYLE 000-401-X—5 4 2

WP: Downs (6-1, 8 K’s). LP: Belden. HITTING LEADERS: R—L. Clarkson HR; E. Clarkson 2B. D—Harmon 2B. RECORDS: Ryle 17-9-1, Danville 21-6.

Read more: http://www.kypost.com/dpp/sports/54-base-ryle-lloyd-winners#ixzz1tzDKyPG6

Ryle reunions celebrate 20 years

UNION — As the 20th school year winds down at Ryle High School, the community is ready to celebrate.

Two reunion events are coming up for Ryle.

The faculty reunion, open to anyone who ever taught at Ryle, will be Friday, May 11, at Receptions in Erlanger.

Ryle teachers have worked hard to make Ryle a nationally recognized school, and this will be an opportunity for everyone to celebrate together, said Sarah Meece, a former Ryle teacher who’s been helping plan the reunion.

Any teacher who hasn’t made reservations can email teacher Robyn Bain at robyn.bain@boone.kyschools.us.

The main event of the reunion weekend will be at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 12, at Ryle’s Borland Stadium.

The ceremony is open to everyone from the Ryle community including former students, parents, relatives and neighbors.

“We’re trying to include everything that makes Ryle such a special place,” Meece said.

The event will have multiple presentations and guest speakers.

“We have a really nice program scheduled with both the Ryle family and the Cooper family.

The school was named after Larry Ryle, former Boone County Schools superintendent. Randy Cooper was the school’s founding principal and held the job until he died in 2006.

Along with honoring the families, the ceremony will recognize some of Ryle’s highlights over the last 20 years.

After the ceremony, current Ryle students will give tours of the building.

“Many people haven’t seen the addition,” Meece said.

For more about your community, visitwww.NKY.com/union

Ryle SportsFest 2012

The Raider Athletic Club hosted the Ryle SportsFest 2012 this past Monday night at Receptions in Erlanger.  Approximately 270 people attended the event where Zach Koehler, Creston Stickells, and Steve Wetter were inducted into the Ryle Athletic Hall of Fame.  Special guest speakers were Jeff Sheppard and David Fulcher.  Thanks to Richard Skinner for serving as emcee of the event.

Former UK Wildcat, Jeff Sheppard

Form Cincinnati Bengal, David Fulcher