For the first time in program history, the Conner girls golf team is headed to Bowling Green for the final rounds of the state tournament.
The Cougars claimed one of the three team qualifying spots at Tuesday’s state sectional round at the Kenton County Golf Course Willows Course. They finished third with a 382, two shots clear of Region 7 champ Notre Dame Academy. Sacred Heart won the sectional with a 312, Assumption runner-up with a 352.
Conner was led by Sofia Seals, who carded an 80 and finished 10th. Bella White tied for 37th with a 95, Eva Fey was 56th with a 103 and Cam Broering right behind her in 59th with a 104. Evie Mauritis carded a 109.
Seals, who finished fourth at the Region 7 tournament last week, started off three-over through her first four holes but settled in from there. She went one-under over her next five holes to be two-over at the turn. After five straight bogeys, she parred three of her next four holes to lead the Cougars.
Four individual qualifiers from NKY include St. Henry’s Reese Anthony. Last week’s 7th Region champ medaled, placing in a tie for fourth with a 78. The eighth grader had three birdies mixed in with seven bogeys, a double bogey and seven pars. She’ll be making her second straight trip to Bowling Green, also qualifying as a seventh grader and finishing in a tie for 69th. Anthony has been hot lately, also claiming a middle school state championship.
Ryle’s Elizabeth Dickson finished tied for 11th with an 81 and qualified. Dickson was five-over on the front nine and birdied No. 12 to stay at five-over. She bogeyed her next four holes before closing out with two pars to find her way in. She’ll be making her first trip to Bowling Green.
Maria Penaranda will be making her second straight trip to Bowling Green, finishing 14th with an 82. Her round consisted of eight bogeys, a double bogey and nine pars. She tied for 57th at the state tournament last year.
Dickson’s teammate Lacey Wilson also found her way to Bowling Green with an 85 and finishing tied for 17th. She can thank her front nine as she was four-over at the turn. After a double-bogey on No. 10, she answered with back-to-back birdies on No. 11 and No. 12. She hung on from there as back-to-back double bogeys on 15 and 16 were met with bogeys on 17 and 18 and qualified by two strokes.
For the three state sectionals across the state played on Wednesday, the top three teams in the eight team field qualified along with the top 15 individuals not on the three qualifying teams.
The girls state tournament rounds are Oct. 9-10 at Bowling Green Country Club. The participants will get a practice round on Oct. 8.
PHOTOS: Slideshow provided by Charles Bolton
