By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Northern Kentucky high school athletes will compete for state championships in four sports this week at sites both near and far.
The Kentucky All “A” Classic state tournaments for baseball and softball will take place in Owensboro on Saturday and Sunday. The eight-team baseball bracket includes Walton-Verona and St. Henry. Villa Madonna is the only local team in the 16-team softball playoffs.
Walton-Verona senior Travis Smith has a 4-0 pitching record.
Walton-Verona has a 1-6 record in six previous trips to the small-school state baseball tournament. This is the first time St. Henry’s baseball team and Villa Madonna’s softball team have played for a state title. Schedules for both tournaments are on allaclassic.org website.
State championships for archery and swimming and diving will take place at various sites in response to COVID-19 restrictions on indoor events. The split format ensures that the usual number of state qualifiers get to compete in both sports.
Ryle will be one of four sites for the state high school archery championships on Friday and Saturday. The scores will be matched with ones from three other sites to determine state champions.
The state qualifying teams from the Region 6 archery tournament were Ryle and Simon Kenton in boys along with Simon Kenton and Dixie Heights in girls. The top three individual scorers not on those teams earned at-large berths to the state championships.
State diving competition is set for Thursday at Falling Springs in Versailles with the boys at 10 a.m. and the girls at 6 p.m. Swimming events will be held Saturday at three sites with state qualifiers from Northern Kentucky competing at Union College in Barbourville.
Swimming finals will be conducted at 11 a.m. for boys and 5 p.m. for boys at all three sites. Results from each of the three finals will be aggregated throughout the competition into final state meet results and posted to the khsaa.org website following the completion of each event.
Based on winning times and scores recorded in regional swim meets, Northern Kentucky has the top state qualifier in six boys events and two girls events that are listed below.
GIRLS EVENTS
1-meter diving — Peytton Moore (Cooper) 433.60
100-yard breaststroke — Lainy Kruger (Notre Dame) 1:02.15
BOYS EVENTS
200-yard freestyle — Eli Shoyat (Beechwood) 1:39.86
50-yard freestyle — Mac Russell (Highlands) 20.86
1-meter diving — Aidan Stigall (St. Henry) 444.80
100-yard freestyle — Mac Russell (Highlands) 45.10
500-yard freestyle — Eli Shoyat (Beechwood) 4:46.30
400-yard freestyle relay — Highlands (Mac Russell, Sam Jones, Will Griffith, Jack Banks) 3:08.61
