As she drove to a junior varsity track meet at Boone County Wednesday afternoon, Toni McKee was maybe more joyful than she was the day before. Such glee was possible because McKee and Campbell County won their first Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Division I title since 2012 on Tuesday at Notre Dame, a 101.5-89 win […]
Author Archives: Ray Schaefer
Posted inSoftball
Another milestone: Highlands’ Dixon reaches 1,000 strikeouts
The rise ball Kaitlyn Dixon threw Tuesday looked like a few thousand others. But it wasn’t. Highlands senior pitcher struck out Dixie Heights first baseman Madison Skees and reached another milestone – her 1,000th career. She now has 1,004 after fanning six in the Bluebirds’ 14-3, five-inning win at Winkler Field. You wouldn’t have known […]
Posted inTrack & Field
Speedy siblings: Blettner twins lead CovCath, Notre Dame
When sprinting is the subject at the Blettner house in Park Hills, the dinnertime conversation sometimes features playful trash-talking. It doesn’t take much for Notre Dame senior Kate Blettner and her older by seven minutes fraternal twin brother, Covington Catholic senior Rhett Blettner, to tease each other. Rhett starts with his quicker times – a […]
Posted inSports
Milestone day: NewCath unveils athletic complex, Walton-Verona launches new weight room
Newport Central Catholic athletic director Jeff Schulkens wondered when the school’s athletic complex would ever be finished. On Tuesday, Schulkens – and the entire NewCath community – had an answer. A ceremonial Mass dedicated the Ciafardini Family Athletic Complex. Schulkens called the day “awesome,” and NewCath principal Kenny Collopy knew work on the $10 million […]
Posted inVolleyball
Pioneer production: Simon Kenton boys volleyball remain undefeated in inaugural season
Lacey Maley has a theory about the Simon Kenton boys volleyball team she coaches. “They like to hit things,” she said Friday. It’s been a working hypothesis so far. Including Thursday’s 3-0 win over Collins (25-19, 25-17, 25-17), the Pioneers have served, set and hit to a 7-0 record in their inaugural season, and they’ve […]
Posted inTrack & Field
‘Pretty good’ Walters seeks more gold for Brossart
Ava Walters’ pre-practice routine didn’t change Tuesday afternoon: up-and-down stretches, leg swings, easy tosses in shot put and discus, full-power throws, cool-downs and more stretching. “Just getting my body and, like, getting some flow in there,” Bishop Brossart’s senior thrower said. “I go through a progression I’ve been doing for a while; it’s about seven-, […]
Posted inSports
2026 outdoor track and field preview: NKY well-represented (again)
It’s a verity as certain as daffodils, pansies and hyacinths blooming in April. The 2026 high school outdoor track season started some three weeks ago, and once again Northern Kentucky is well-represented in the ky.milesplit.com state all-class polls. Especially on the girls side. Simon Kenton is sixth, Cooper is seventh, Bishop Brossart is ninth, Dixie […]
Posted inSports
‘Be us’: Simon Kenton seeks first-round win over Ashland
Simon Kenton’s basketball philosophy is simple. Just Be Us. Those two words are working well enough. The Eighth Region champion Pioneers meet 16th Region winner Ashland in the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Girls Sweet 16® first round at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Simon Kenton (31-2) coach Jeff Stowers coined the phrase after Simon Kenton’s […]
Posted inSports
Girls Sweet 16: Notre Dame likes being defensive
Go ahead, call Notre Dame “defensive” about basketball. It’s not a character flaw. The Ninth Region champion Pandas are preparing for Wednesday’s Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Girls Sweet 16® first round game against 15th Region winner Pikeville (6 p.m. at Rupp Arena in Lexington) because of their stinginess. Notre Dame averaged 50.7 points a game this season, including […]
Posted inSports
Girls 10th Region finals: GRC rolls past Campbell County, wins fifth straight title
Campbell County anticipated an early three-minute George Rogers Clark scoring storm Saturday. What the Cardinals delivered was much stronger – a 74-41 win and fifth straight girls 10th Region title at Harrison County. GRC (29-2) won its 19th region title in program history and will face 13th Region champion North Laurel in the opening round of the Clark’s […]
