St. Henry’s Reese Anthony and Ryle’s Anika Okuda shared hugs and high fives Monday – with good reason.
Anthony and Okuda are two of four Northern Kentucky high school golfers who advanced to next week’s final rounds of the KHSAA girls state tournament (Oct. 6-8 at Bowling Green Country Club) as individual qualifiers because of their scores in Monday’s First Round event at Pendleton Hills Country Club near Butler. Joining them are Notre Dame’s Maria Penaranda and Dixie Heights’ Tatjana Andracenko.
“Representing Northern Kentucky – let’s go,” Okuda said. “Let’s go!”
Penaranda led local golfers with an 11-over-par 83 (tied for 10th place). Andracenko (tied for 13th) was next with an 84, Okuda carded an 85 (tied for 16th), and Anthony scored and 86 (tied for 18th).
“I didn’t play great,” Penaranda said.
Indeed, Penaranda struggled – six bogeys and three pars on the front nine. The back nine included two double-bogeys, two bogeys, four pars and a birdie.
“I would probably say my putting was bad,” Penaranda said.
In Penaranda’s defense, no one really lit up the scoreboard. Not one out of the 80 players in the field finished under par.
Okuda, who reached her fourth consecutive state tournament, could commiserate – she had three double-bogeys, six bogeys and just one birdie.
“It’s just been rough,” she said. “We had Homecoming this weekend, and then I was on court, so I didn’t have much time to practice.”
Her dad, Ryle coach Jumpei Okuda thought she was nervous.
“But at the end of the day, our goal was to make it to state as a team,” he said.
Anthony, a seventh-grader, is going to her first state tournament. She said at 5,429 yards, Pendleton Hills was one of the longest courses she’s played.
“My iron play was really bad (Monday),” she said. “I hit two greens out of 18.”
Pandas warned
Sacred Heart, Owen County and Louisville Mercy advanced as teams. Region 7 champion Ryle was fourth, and runner-up Notre Dame was fifth.
Notre Dame coach Anna McCord said Pendleton Hills is a harder course than the Pandas usually play.
“Well, these greens are tricky,” McCord said. “They’re tricky because they look like they have more break than they do … I’ve played here a lot – that’s the only reason I know that; I warned them.”
Sacred Heart’s Keira Yun won with an even-par 72. Owen County senior and Region 8 winner Andie Baumann, who has verbally committed to Northern Kentucky University, was fourth with a 79.
“I think there are still some things I can work on,” Baumann said. “I want to be more confident in my shots and more accurate in my approach shots.”
Conner’s Kendal Raney and Sofia Seals reached a five-player playoff for the 15th and final state berth. Seals was eliminated in the first hole, while Raney lasted until the third.
Other results
Ryle: Elizabeth Dickson 91, Morgan Poe 100, Lacey Wilson 102, Piper Aschmermann 104.
Notre Dame: Teaghan Kruer 101, Riley Pope 102, Caroline Bohman 107, Mylah Jasper 115.
Conner: Raney and Seals 89.
Beechwood: Ellie Stamm 95.
Walton-Verona: Addison Vonhandorf 102
St. Henry: Alexis Fassbender 105
Highlands: Kam Lanich 110.
Cooper: Annabelle Woltenberg 115.
For more results, go here.