At this point, the word solid might as well be stitched across the backs of Ryle’s golf bags.
It’s the word that has defined their season, and it’s the word that rang true again on a riany Monday afternoon at the Kenton County’s Pioneer Course as the Lady Raiders defended their Region 7 crown in dominant fashion.
With all five players finishing inside the top 15, Ryle fired a season-best 313 to lap the 10-team field, finishing 34 strokes ahead of runner-up Notre Dame. It was the kind of performance that left little doubt about who owns the region.
At the top of the leaderboard, it was finally Anika Okuda’s turn. After two years of finishing runner-up to five-time champ from Cooper Reagan Ramage, the senior claimed the medalist spot with a 73 — a score right in line with her season-long average of 73.1. For Okuda, who’s been the picture of steadiness all year, the breakthrough felt almost inevitable.
“It’s really exciting,” Okuda said. “Now I’m ready for state. It’s my last year so I’m excited to say that I did it. We’re just a really competitive team and that definitely helps.”
As it did for the team. Coach Jumpei Okuda took the team over four years ago and it was a struggle to even break 400 in tournaments. After years of hard work and seasoned experience, the group continues to put it all together.
“We have a great group of the girls who likes to be together, who wants to compete and support each other,” Jumpei Okuda said. “My job as a coach is to motivate them.”
Behind Okuda Ryle’s depth was just as impressive. Elizabeth Dickson and Morgan Poe both came in with 78s to tie for fourth place, Lacey Wilson added an 84 for ninth, and Piper Aschermann closed the team scoring with an 89 for 14th. In a tournament where only two other teams broke 350, Ryle’s ability to stack the board with top finishes made the difference.
“This was our goal from day one,” Jumpei Okuda said. “We prepared just for moments like this because if you’re not playing the competitive tournaments, you don’t know what to do when the pressure’s on. Our team was ready because we worked hard for it. There’s a reason why we play 15 golf tournaments in the summertime. All the girls want to go to pool and go to Kings Island and do whatever you want. But not them, they practice, they don’t take a day off. They’re dedicated.”
Notre Dame, led by Maria Penaranda’s runner-up 74, secured the region’s other team qualifying spot at state with a 347. Penaranda edged Dixie Heights’ Tatjana Andracenko for second place in a scorecard playoff after both posted matching 74s.
For those not wearing orange and white, Monday was still a chance to extend the season. Ten individuals not on Ryle or Notre Dame punched their tickets to the state tournament, including Conner’s Kendal Raney (78) and Sofia Seals (83), St. Henry’s Reese Anthony (81), Ari Burton (87) and Alexis Fassbender (92), Walton-Verona’s Addison Vonhandorf (86), Cooper’s Annabelle Waltenberg (87), Boone County’s Jayden Ramler (90) and Beechwood’s Ellie Stamm (91).
Now the focus shifts to Pendleton Hills, where Ryle will tee it up in the opening round of the KHSAA State Tournament alongside Notre Dame and the qualifiers from Regions 5, 6 and 7. Only three of the eight teams in the field will advance to Bowling Green for the championship rounds.
The challenge will be greater. The stakes will be higher. But if Monday proved anything, it’s that Ryle’s trademark word — solid — might just be the foundation for something special.
TEAM SCORES
*Ryle — 313 (Anika Okuda 73, Elizabeth Dickson 78, Morgan Poe 78, Lacey Wilson 84, Piper Aschermann 89)
*Notre Dame — 347 (Maria Penaranda 74, Teagan Kruer 85, Riley Pope 89, Caroline Bohman 99, Mylah Jasper 107)
St. Henry — 358 (Reese Anthony 81*, Ari Burton 87*, Alexis Fassbender 92*, Taylor Walsh 98, Savannah Butler 105)
Conner — 372 (Kendal Raney 78*, Sofia Seals 83*, Eva Fey 102, Cam Broering 109, Evie Maurits 111)
Dixie Heights — 393 (Tatjana Andracenko 74*, Georgia Albrinck 98, Cassidy Derry 102, Cora Maley 119, Lyla Brefeld 130)
Cooper — 402 (Annabelle Waltenberg 87*, Kendall Williams 97, Hannah Locklear 108, Lilly Paxton 110, Stella Anderson 112)
Beechwood — 405 (Ellie Stamm 91*, Maya Gehlhoff 99, Olivia McClung 103, Lorelei Howell 112, Emelyn Proctor 113)
Walton-Verona — 448 (Addison Vanhandorf 86*, Nova Dryden 114, Ava Kendall 120, Sophia Lepping 128)
Simon Kenton — 483 (Melanie Delacruz 114, Kinley Dance 115, Harper Ruehl 115, Gabby Browning 139, Kileigh Meredith 141)
Holy Cross — 569 (Megan Quandt 111, Lana Bullis 146, Ellie Martin 149, Kendall Wilcox 163)
Individuals — Jayden Ramler (Boone County) 90*, Kerrigan Stapleton (Villa Madonna) 102, Morgan Kathman (Scott) 111, Emma Cortney (Boone County) 115, Hazel Adams (Boone County) 129, Lilli Allen (Villa Madonna) 133, Lauren Wermuth (Scott) 137, Anna Ward (Scott) 142
*= Qualified for State tournament as team or individual