Brown earns State berth

GIRARD -- Fort Scott junior Kacie Brown finished third in the Girard Class 4A Regional Golf Tournament here Tuesday and earned a berth into the State Tournament, which will be held at Hutchinson Monday.

The Tigers finished sixth as a team and were not able to return to State as a team. Brown was the only individual qualifier.

Brown and Spring Hill's Ashley Miller both sot 92 over 18 holes. Brown has a 46 on both the front and back nines, each of which matched her best 9-hole scores of the season. Miller shot 45 on the front and 47 on the back. Miller won the first playoff hole to finish in second place. Brown was the highest finisher of the six who qualified for State from the non-qualifying teams.

Brown's 92 was three shots lower than her previous best for 9 holes, which she shot at last year's Regional.

"I couldn't be more proud and happy for Kacie," Fort Scott head coach Karen Curran said. "She's been our No. 1 player all year and definitely played like it Monday. She's driving the ball really well right now and has regained her touch around the green. When you put those together, you're going to play some pretty good golf."

Brown was third at last year's Regional, winning on the first playoff hole.

"We're hoping that last year's experience at the State Tournament helps her prepare for Monday," Curran said. "She knows about the routine, the atmosphere, the nerves and hopefully will be able to put together one more good round of golf this season."

Chanute's Taylor Gard was the individual champion with her score of 42-45--87. That led the first-year Blue Comet program to the team title with a four-woman score of 433. Spring Hill was nearly 20 strokes behind at 452 for second place. Lenexa St. James Academy finished third at 453. Those three teams earned the team berths to the State Tournament with all six members of each qualifying.

The Tigers shot 501 as a team, their second-highest score in an 18-hole tournament this season.

"The conditions were cool and wet, but that can't be used as an excuse," Curran noted. "It was the same for every golfer in the tournament. Playing stroke and distance on all penalties contributed to a few more strokes for some, but collectively we just didn't show up with our best game."

Devan Lloyd had Fort Scott's next-best score with a 65-60--125. Ashleigh Marquardt was next at 62-79--141. Shelby Blackburn shot 75-68--143, Haley Kruse 69-79--148 and Riley Wunderly 86-74--160.

Blackburn was the team's only senior.

"(She) hit the ball well off the tee, but then struggled with her irons," Curran said. "She's been a great senior leader on the team and will be dearly missed next season."

The other four individual berths were taken by players from Columbus and Girard

"(She) hit the ball well off the tee, but then struggled with her irons," Curran said. "She's been a great senior leader on the team and will be dearly missed next season."

The other four individual berths were taken by players from Columbus and Girard. Columbus' Casey Schoech qualified with a 110 while teammate Ashley Newell and Girard's Madalyn Smith and Katie Viets advanced with scores of 115.

Team scores

Team qualifiers (All six members advance): 1. Chanute (CH) 433 (Gard 87, Weilert 103, Decker 119, Woodard 124), 2. Spring Hill (SH) 452 (Miller 92, Matleer 108, Bowers 115, Czerda 137), 3. Lenexa St. James Academy (SJ) 453 (Butterfield 109, Staven 110, Shmidl 117, Zubradt 117).

Other teams: 4. Girard (G) 455 (Westhoff 102, Smth 115, Viets 115, Herlocker 123), 5. Columbus (CO) 487 (Schoech 110, Newell 115, Wary 124, Robinson 138), 6. Fort Scott (FS) 501 (Brown 92, Lloyd 125, Marquardt 141, Blackburn 143),

7. Anderson County 521 (K.Holloran 125, P.Fritz 126, Hermreck 131, J.Holloran 139), 8. Parsons 574 (Carpenter 139, Woods 142, Henry 142, Wilson 151).

Medalists

1. Taylor Gard, CH, 42-45--87; 2. Ashley Miller, SH, 45-47--92; 3. Kacie Brown, FS, 46-46--92; 4. Tessa Westhoff, G, 48-53--102; 5. Amy Weilert, CH, 50-53--103;

6. Lindsey Matleer, SH, 53-55--108; 7. Lindsay Butterfield, SJ, 53-56--109; 8. Abby Slaven, 54-56--110; 9. Kasey Schoech, CO, 55-55--110; 10 (tie). Ashley Newell, CO, 54-61--115; Madalyn Smith, G, 58-57--115; Katie Viets, G, 55-60--115; Paige Bowers, SH, 55-60--115.

Brown, Westhoff, Schoech, Newell, Smith and Viets qualified for State as the top 5 scorers (plus ties) from non-qualifying teams.