Boys' tandem leads Ryle to team championship

It was a random long jump last year that suddenly increased his best from 18 feet to 20 feet that got Ryle's Zane Siemer honed in on his track and field career.

Now in his fifth season with the team, Siemer, an undersized 5-9 junior jumper, has taken the sport so seriously that he's expanding his abilities and helping the Raiders in other areas, including sprints and relays.

"He's got the ability and the speed, and he can leap pretty well, so we don't want him to be a one-trick pony," Ryle coach Russell Harden said of his late bloomer. "We need him to do a lot."

On Tuesday at the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference big-school relay meet at Scott, Siemer and teammate JB Allen combined for a sweep of the long jump and triple jump relays, making Siemer 2-for-2 on the day.

Siemer leaped 20 feet, 2 1/2 inches in the long jump, and Allen jumped 19-1 1/4 for a combined total of 39-3 3/4 and the 10 points going to the winners.

In the triple jump, a first-time event for him this season, Siemer leaped a personal-best 40-2 1/4, and Allen leaped 41- 1/4 for a total of 81-2 1/2 and another 10 points. They needed every one of them.

The Raiders, with a score of 87, won the team championship by a single point over runner-up Covington Catholic (86), giving the Raiders a sweep of the day's event. Ryle's girls also won with a score of 104. Simon Kenton was runner-up with 77.

Harden was pleased with his boys, especially the jumping tandems.

"Zane's been with us, but this is JB's second varsity year," the coach said of the 6-2 Allen. "He's got the prototypical size, and he's in four events for us today. He ran the opening leg of the 1,600 relay and was in the high jump."

Allen said he and Siemer are doing their best to push each other to greater heights and longer jumps, plus he wants to continue jumping in college, so there is plenty of motivation to do well.

"There's only a couple meets a year that do this with jumping relays, and you get to team up," he said. "It gets you ready for the regional, and you get to see who the competition is."

Ryle also got a win from its 440 shuttle hurdles relay team. Other noteworthy developments in the boys' meet included wins by CovCath in both the 400 and 800 relay races and the pole vault.

In the girls' competition, champion Ryle won the shot put, discus and pole vault.

Dixie Heights set a school record while winning the 400 in a time of 50.29 seconds. The runners were Brittney Turner, Chelsea Purdue, Maranda Althaver and Mary Conti. Dixie also won the 400 shuttle hurdles.

Highlands won the 6,400 and 3,200 races, and Simon Kenton's girls took the 800, 1,600 and 800 sprint medley.

NKAC girls' team standings: Ryle 104, Simon Kenton 77, Notre Dame Academy 70, Highlands 68, Dixie Heights 63, Cooper 52, Conner 41, Campbell County 30, Boone County 19, Scott 17, Holmes 4

Girls' event winners: 6,400 relay: Highlands 23:11.68; 3,200: Highlands 10:07.74; 1,600: Simon Kenton 4:13.40; 800: Simon Kenton 1:48.17; 400: Dixie Heights 50.29; Triple jump: Conner 63-6 1/2; Shot put: Ryle 65-8 1/2; 400 shuttle hurdles: Dixie Heights 1:08.72; 800 sprint medley: Simon Kenton 1:51.32; Distance medley: Highlands 13:27.08; Long jump: Conner 29-10; High jump: Cooper 8-8; Discus: Ryle 177-11; Pole Vault: Ryle 16-6

NKAC boys' team standings: Ryle 87, Covington Catholic 86, Simon Kenton 80, Cooper 68, Dixie Heights 59, Highlands 44, Campbell County 34, Boone County 32, Conner 31, Scott 19.

Boys' event winners: 6,400: Cooper 19:17.29; 1,600: Boone County 3:31.72; 3,200: Highlands 8:20.40; 800: Covington Catholic 1:32.03; 400: Covington Catholic 44:09; Long jump: Ryle 39-3 3/4; High jump: Dixie Heights 11-4; Discus: Simon Kenton 254-7; 440 shuttle hurdles: Ryle 1:07.24; 800 sprint medley: Cooper 1:37.85; Distance medley: Highlands 10:52.30; Triple jump: Ryle 81 1/2; Shot put: Simon Kenton 88-2; Pole vault: CovCath 20-0