Fort Scott golfers third at Oswego; two earn All-SEK honor

OSWEGO, Kan. -- Fort Scott High School's golf team finished third here Thursday in the last of three tournaments that determine the Southeast Kansas League team and individual champions.

Chanute won the tournament with a four-woman, nine-hole score of 204 and successfully defended the league championship it won last season, which was the first season the SEK sponsored a girls' golf championship. Columbus finished second in the tournament with a 220 and second in the league. Fort Scott was third in the tourney at 225 and also placed third in the league.

Parsons finished fourth in the SEK race while Pittsburg was not eligible for team honors because it did not have a full team for each of the three tournaments.

"Disappointed to have lost out on 2nd place," Fort Scott head coach Karen Curran said. "It was a close race between Columbus, Parsons, and us."

Individually, Taylor Gard won the tournament with a 45, five strokes better than teammate Amy Weilert. Kyndra Thompson of Galena was third at 51 (three non-league teams were in the tournament to fill out the field) while Fort Scott's Kacie Brown finished fourth at 52. Brown has medaled in every tournament this season.

Devan Lloyd missed a medal by one stroke as she finished 11th with a 55. Riley Wunderly finished 16th with a 58 and Karley Stark shot 60 to round out the scores that counted toward the team total. Ashleigh Marquardt shot 64 for the Tigers and Hayley Kruse shot 68. The Tigers brought an extra golfer, Morgan Robertson, who shot 72.

"Our top three players didn't have their best day of competition, but Karley Stark and Hayley Kruse shot their lowest scores of the season," Curran said. "And Ashleigh shot right at her average."

Gard also held her lead in the SEK individual race, winning with a three-tournament total of 124 while Brown finished second at 147. Weilert was third in the league race at 149 and Lloyd finished fourth at 158.

The top 10 golfers in league standings earned All-SEK honors while the next five earned honorable mention. Wunderly was 11th in final standings while Stark was 16th, Marquardt 17th and Kruse 19th.

"At this point in the season, it becomes all to clear to them that every stroke matters," Curran said. "Not just for their particular score at that tournament, but for the team score, their SEK standing, and their SE-KAN placing. And with the competition that we have at regionals, it will be a very close race to see who finishes in the top three teams to qualify for state. Again, every stroke makes a difference in the final outcome of the season."

The final tournament of the regular season will be held at Anderson County's home course in Garnett Monday. The 18-hole tourney begins at 1 p.m.

Regionals will be at Chanute on October 18. Chanute, Columbus, Anderson County, Girard, Lenexa St. James, Parsons and Spring Hill have also been assigned to that tournament.