By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Notre Dame’s volleyball team was voted No. 1 in the state coaches poll after winning the Asics Challenge Tournament in Chicago last weekend with a 5-0 record that included a win over Louisville Assumption, the state’s previous top-ranked team.
With a 23-2 record and 14-match winning streak, Notre Dame was also ranked No. 12 in the nation on the MaxPreps website on Tuesday. The Pandas were not in the Top 25 national rankings last week.
Notre Dame became the first Northern Kentucky team to win the Asics Challenge that included teams from eight states. After winning two pool play matches, the Pandas won championship bracket matches against Assumption, Marist of Illinois and Skutt Catholic of Nebraska.
Notre Dame’s kill leader in all five tournament matches was senior Ava Tilden, who was named to the all-tournament team. The Xavier University recruit and Ms. Kentucky Volleyball candidate has 301 kills in 69 sets for a 4.36 average.
Early in the season, Notre Dame placed third in the Nike Tournament of Champions in Florida that also included teams from several states. The Pandas’ first loss came in that tournament and they lost a regular season match to Louisville Sacred Heart.
The other local teams in the latest state coaches rankings are No. 4 St. Henry, No. 6 Ryle, No. 18 Simon Kenton and No. 20 Beechwood. Notre Dame as a match at Ryle on Wednesday.
Local golfers get off to shaky start in first round of boys state tournament
Northern Kentucky golfers had a tough time in the opening round of the boys state golf tournament on Tuesday at Bowling Green Country Club.
The lowest score by a local golfer was 5-over 77 by Highlands senior Nate Surrey. He will start Wednesday’s final round tied for 30th place, seven strokes behind co-leaders Charlie Spiller of Lexington Catholic and Tucker Jones of Madison Central.
Defending state champion Madison Central moved into the top spot in the team standings with a 4-over 292 total. St. Henry enters the final round in eighth place after posting a 329 total that was 37 strokes behind the team leader.
Here are first-round scores for other local golfers: 80 – Talen Beane (Campbell County), 81 – Hayden Li (Ryle), Ben Carter (St. Henry). 82 – Will Hammond (St. Henry). 83 – Jake Montgomery (St. Henry), Will Carter (St. Henry). 84 – Joseph Mangine (CovCath). 88 – Parker Isaacs (St. Henry).
CovCath cross country runner reclaims state’s top time at weekend meet
Covington Catholic senior Will Sheets once again posted the state’s fastest time in cross country this season with a 14:44.57 finish at the Nike XC Town Invitational in Indiana last weekend.
Sheets had the top spot in September with a 15:03.05, but that was surpassed by three other runners. He reclaimed it at the Nike XC Town Invitational when he placed third as a solo runner behind the top two finishers from Tennessee and Michigan.
CovCath’s team won the Milford (Ohio) Invitational on Saturday without Sheets. The team leaders in that race were junior Joe Mayer and sophomore Luke McLain, who placed first and second.
Local teams will compete in the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday at Idlewild Park in Boone County.
