Dieter family

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Dieter family as they cope with this terrible tragedy.

Ryle victim of grad rate formula

by William Croyle    wcroyle@nky.com

UNION - A new graduation rate formula that schools are now required to use has victimized Ryle High School.

The federally mandated formula, used for No Child Left Behind accountability purposes, produces the Average Freshman Graduation Rate.  Ryle's AFGR tumbled from 83.67 in 2008 to 69.37 in 2010, according to data released last week by the Kentucky Department of Education. 

The reality is that Ryle's 2010 rate was likely much higher than that, but the formula, combined with a state law, will not acknowledge it.

"It shows what nonsense some of these formulas are," said Randy Poe, Boone County Schools' superintendent.

Ryle posted the fourth-highest composite ACT score (21.1) last year among its juniors out of 22 Northern Kentucky public high schools and has generally had a good academic reputation statewide.

So what happened in regard to the formula?

When the new Cooper High School opened five miles from Ryle in 2008, more than 200 of Ryle's freshmen were reassigned to Cooper. That knocked Ryle's enrollment down 11 percent.  According to state law, a school can be classified as "reconfigured" when it has a population shift of 20 percent or more. When a school is considered reconfigured, not all formulas used in acquiring data on it are applied since the data can be skewed by the large population change.

For example, more than 20 percent of freshmen at the district's Conner High School were also moved to Cooper in 2008, so Conner's 2010 AFGR was not reported last week.  But because Ryle didn't meet that threshold, the formula had to be used. The rate is basically determined by dividing the previous year's ninth and 10th grade enrollments by the number of diploma recipients in the current year.

"We had 206 kids leave, and they don't count in the formula as graduating from our school," said Ryle Principal Matt Turner.

Lisa Gross, spokeswoman for the state education department, acknowledged Ryle is a "victim of circumstances that are out of its control."  "The (formula) has its downsides. At the heart, it's an average, and averages are not forgiving," she said. "But this is the rate the U.S. Department of Education is making us use."

Poe said changes must be made to No Child Left Behind.  "You can't give much credence to No Child Left Behind when something like this happens," he said.

The good news is that the formula is temporary. A new one will be used in three years by all states nationwide, and it will track each child (even if he or she moves to another school) rather than using averages.  But that's in three years.

District and school administrators sent letters to parents this past weekend, explaining what happened.
"The parents know they have a good school and good school system, and that this is nonsense," Poe said. "We're not going to change course because of a faulty formula."

Ryle victim of grad rate formula

Advanced Placement Scholars

Congratulations to these Ryle students for earning an AP Scholar Award for 2011.  These students have demonstrated achievement at the college-level through AP courses and exams.

National AP Scholar (Scored 4 or higher on 8 or more AP exam; at least 4.0 avg on exams)
Emilie Garnier

AP Scholar with Distinction  (Scored 3 or higher on 5 or more AP exams; at least 3.5 avg on exams)
Alanna Briggs
Jonathan Crase
Amber Deja
Meredith Eckstein
Marshall Fegenbush
Emilie Garnier
Gabby Gonzales
Liz Johnson
Samantha McKeough
Matt See
Andrew Tursic
Andrea Wilhoite

AP Scholar with Honor  (Scored 3 or higher on 4 or more AP exams; at least 3.25 avg on exams)
Desirae Carron
Andrea Howes
Tyler Lawson
Lindsay Otis
Hannah Rosenberg
Kelcy Tobey
John Walker
Jessica Wilson

AP Scholar  (Scored 3 or higher on 3 or more AP exams)
Jessica Ankenman
Victoria Aulick
Erin Bellhorn
Christina Bennett
Joseph Bloom
Erna Blythe-Reske
Michael Carlton
Darby Cochran
Olivia Coleman
Jessica Coots
Erin Deja
Alice Deters
Duong Do
Ashley Dunsing
Leonora Edwards
Aaron Elam
Hannah Gamble
Mallory Gardner
Tabatha Gregory
Carl Groathouse
Cassie Hamilton
Jessica Harden
Jacob Hart
Sarah Hodge
Jacob Hughes
Leonard Hydera
Nathan Jacobson
Meredith Johnson
Brina Joiner
Dylan Judd
Robert Kidd
Francis LaRosa
Chris Lower
Elliot Maynard
Taylor McGlasson
Amber Mercedes
Michaela Mullikin
Lauren Nolan
Katie Ollier
Nathan Otero
Grant Palmer
Robert Parmele
Amanda Postolowski
Kim Rymers
Jenna Sander
Alissa Stieha
Austin Stinson
Scott Stuckenschneider
Ryan Trostle
Sarah Truskot
Jessica Wagner
Renee Wilson
Sara Wood
Kara Worley
Elliot Yoakum

Boys' golf rivals expect to keep on rolling

CovCath, Ryle set to vie for regional again

By Marc Hardin, Enquirer Contributor

Expect the neck-and-neck golf rivalry between Covington Catholic and Ryle to continue unimpeded this season.  "It's us and them every year for the title," Ryle senior Blake Hamilton said. "Last year, they beat us in the regional after we won three years in a row. We definitely don't want them to win twice in a row."

The Colonels and Raiders have represented the region at the state tournament each of the past nine years. Last season, CovCath ended Ryle's run as three-time Seventh Region champion, but Hamilton became the Raiders' fifth individual winner in nine years. CovCath won the team crown from 2001-06, but did not make the first-day cut at last year's state event, in which Ryle placed tied for eighth.  The Colonels, winners by four shots at the regional, lost three of their top five scorers. The Raiders are returning their top four players. Hamilton, 20th at state, is joined by fellow senior Chris Desmarais, junior Paul Clancy and sophomore Zach Adams. Sophomores Davis McNichol and Hunter Hughes and freshman Logan Gamm comprise a strong top seven.

"I like how a lot of our guys are younger," Desmarais said. "It means we'll still be strong after the seniors leave."

Ryle coach Jonathan Ehlen won the region as a Raider in 2002 before embarking on a successful golf career at Northern Kentucky University. He has been exposed to a variety of ways to improve play and evaluate talent. His Wednesday team tryouts at the Golf Ranch in Burlington involved a skills test featuring 15 playing stations at which each golfer had three swings to score. Each shot received a score of 1-3.

"Davis had the best score, so that says how deep we are," Ehlen said. "I think our top seven or eight guys are pretty close in ability and that allows me a lot of flexibility for all these tournaments we're going to be playing in."

By the time they reach the regional, the Raiders will have been tournament-tested. Ryle is slated to participate in 13 tournaments and an Aug. 17 18-hole event against CovCath at Triple Crown.

"We are not playing one 9-hole match all season," Ehlen said. "In college, I learned how tournaments help you get better. One of the things about a tournament setting is it allows kids to play against other golfers and on other courses that they don't see as much, in a college setting. And college coaches come to these tournaments."

The Raiders will begin their season Monday at the Shelbyville Invitational at Weissinger Hills Golf Course, and they will play in six events the first two weeks. They will have new uniforms and new gear.

"We let the team pick out everything, from shirts and pants to bags and shoes, and we let them design the bags," Ehlen said. "Everything is trendy, right down to the white belt that (PGA golfer) Rickie Fowler likes to wear. We think it boosts their confidence when they step to the tee and look the part of a successful golfer."

Also new is the Raiders' conditioning program, which focuses less on lifting weights and more on running and building range of motion and power through compound movements that simulate a golf swing. Workouts will begin at 6 a.m. each school day.

"The kids don't like me for it, but it will pay off in the end," Ehlen said.

Boys' golf rivals expect to keep on rolling

Ryle's Desmarais wins Jr. title

Written by Marc Hardin, Enquirer Contributor

Chris Desmarais continued a Ryle High School tradition during Tuesday's final round of the Northern Kentucky 7-Up Junior Golf Tour Championship at Boone Links by becoming the third Raider in a row to win the 18-under boys' title.

Desmarais, an incoming senior, shot a two-day score of 10-over-par 153. He edged runner-up Brad Litzinger (154) of Mason County. Incoming Northern Kentucky University freshman golfer Zach Wright (158) placed third among the six 18-under golfers who made the first-day cut.

Ryle senior-to-be Blake Hamilton won the 18-under event the past two years.  Desmarais carded five birdies for a 77 the first day at Lassing Pointe, but that was only good for a three-way tie with Wright and Dixie Heights' Blake Adkins. Desmarais had just one birdie during the second round. But he came in one shot better, with a 76, thanks to bevy of pars.

"The first day, I started well and I ended well," Desmarais said. "Usually, I start slower. But I birdied 4 and 5 and then I birdied 12, 15 and 18. That gave me momentum for the second day."  It was Desmarais' third birdie-propelled victory on tour this season. He won with six birdies at Fairways en route to a score of 4-under 67 and he carded five birdies while shooting 5-under 67 at Triple Crown.

"My irons have been better and I'm hitting a lot of greens. I'm a good putter, so that helps," said Desmarais, who relies on accuracy off the tee as a way to compensate for a still-developing long game.

"A win like this gives me a lot of confidence and a lot of momentum for the high school season."

Ryle's Desmarais wins Jr. title

Ryle grad scored national Word honors

By Justin B. Duke • jbduke@nky.com

A Ryle High School grad’s word processing skills earned her national recognition.  Kathleen Langsdale, who just graduated from Ryle, was named a finalist in the United States Competition on Microsoft Office for using Word 2007.

Langsdale got into the competition through a program at Ryle that would help her become certified in the software.  Langsdale’s teacher Lora Evans told her a company named Certiport offers a competition along with the certification.  “I thought, ‘Sure, I’ll try it,’” Langsdale said.

Langsdale was one of 72,000 students who competed.  The competition involved tests on a number of skills needed to make use of all that Microsoft Word does.  “It’s just a bunch of different things,” Langsdale said.

Langsdale took her test during the school year, and didn’t hear anything for some time until she was on vacation after school ended. She was notified she won third place in the U.S.  “I was really surprised,” Langsdale.

Langsdale is getting ready to head to the University of Kentucky where she plans to study marketing. She’ll take advantage of her Word skills a lot over the next few years, she said.

“It’ll be pretty useful, I think,” Langsdale said.

Ryle grad scored national Word honors

Former Ryle standout flourishing on UK’s golf course

By Adam Turer • kysports@communitypress.com

When you’re comfortable playing against PGA Tour pros, facing off against the country’s top collegiate golfers is not quite as fearsome as it would otherwise be.

For Ryle High School alum and University of Kentucky golfer Cody Martin, playing against the best helps him improve his game.

Martin was a five-time letterwinner for the Ryle golf program and graduated in 2009. He redshirted his first year at UK and was one of the team’s top players last season.  Martin spent part of his offseason trying to qualify for the U.S. Open.

For the second time in three years, he advanced to the sectional qualifier, the second step in qualifying for the Open. In June, he competed in the sectional qualifier in Columbus. Martin was in a grouping with PGA Tour pros, but was not intimidated by their play.

“It was definitely a good learning experience,” said Martin, who shot a 67 in the first round before fading over the next two days. “The pros are a little more polished than I am. Our good shots are the same, but their bad shots are better than my bad shots. I’m close, they’re just a little ahead of me now.”

It is no surprise that Martin feels at home competing against professionals considering that his father, Doug, spent nine years on the PGA Tour. The elder Martin was a three-time All-American golfer at the University of Oklahoma and has been Cody’s personal coach since the son picked up his first club.
Living in Lexington, the biggest challenge for Cody has been not having his father nearby to help him with his game. When he was in high school, Martin could come home from school or practice and ask his dad to critique his game. Now, that assistance comes primarily over the phone.

“The biggest difference now is that I can’t see my dad every day,” Martin said. “I’ve learned how to figure things out on my own and become a student of my own game.”  There are several other differences between the college game and high school that Martin has noticed. If you were the best golfer on your high school team, as Martin was at Ryle, chances are each of your teammates and opponents was the best player on their high school team as well.

“In high school, most of us were the big fish in a little pond. Now, it’s the opposite,” said Martin. “In high school, I could have an off day and still win the tournament. Now, I can play three great rounds and still finish out of the top 10 if I have one bad round.”

The courses are also much nicer and more consistent at the college level, said Martin. He particularly enjoys playing Bulls Bay in South Carolina each year. Martin had his best tournament last season at Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Ala.  “The worst course we play in college would probably be one of the best, if not the best, courses we played in high school,” Martin said. “That’s definitely one of the best things about playing college golf.”

The Wildcats play their first tournament in September, but Martin said he has been preparing for this season since February. Entering his redshirt sophomore season, Martin has high expectations for himself and his teammates.

“I think this will be our best team since I’ve been here,” he said. “We return our top three players from last fall. I think we’ll be a deeper and more consistent team this year.”

Former Ryle standout flourishing on UK’s golf course