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PIKEVILLE – It’s been a very good run for the boys’ golf program at Paul G. Blazer High School in Ashland recently. Perhaps that can turn into a solid run for the University of Pikeville men’s golf program.

Ashland has won back-to-back regional championships, while the year before that it finished second.

Now, two of players who have helped lead that program have signed to play collegiate golf and continue their education at UPIKE.

Kelly Porter and Drew Rothenstine will play golf for the Bears beginning next fall.

Porter averaged 77 for his senior season. He shot a 73 in the Bellefonte Invitational, in which Ashland played host. Porter also recorded scores of 75 in both the Kentucky Invitational and the Kentucky Cup, hosted by Lexington Christian Academy. His top scores, however, came in the Rowan County Invitational and the EKJGA, recording 69s in both. He won the EKJGA and was tied for third in the Rowan Invite.

Rothenstine has played on Paul G Blazer’s varsity golf team since the fifth grade (eight years). As a member of the Tomcat golf team, Rothernstine has participated in five consecutive Region 12 golf tournaments and three consecutive state golf tournaments which culminated with the Tomcats’ sixth place finish in 2011.

Rothenstine was selected to the All-Area Golf Team in each of the past two years and was most recently named to the Region 12 golf team by the Kentucky Golf Coaches Association (KGCA). During summer breaks, Rothenstine has competed in the Eastern Kentucky Junior Golf Association (EKJGA), Pepsi Junior Golf Tour, Tri-State Junior Golf Tour (TSJGT), and AJGA.

During his golfing career, Rothenstine was named TSJGT Player of the Year, placed fourth in the PGA Jr. Championship - Kentucky Qualifier, placed fifth in the KGCA Senior All-Star Invitational Tournament, and consistently finished within the top three for EKJGA Player of the Year.

Rothenstine is a 4.0 GPA student and a member of the National Honor Society and Latin Honor Society. He works part time for NEC Electric, Inc. and D&L Rental. Rothenstine plans to major in pre-med.