Girls District Golf Tournaments: Frostproof, Sebring Win; So Does Tenoroc's Connors

LEDGER STAFF REPORTS

 

SEBRING | Top Polk County golfers Markie McCann and Linda Williams struggled with their short game Monday in the girls' Class 2A, District 8 tournament.

 

But both did enough to help their teams advance to regional play on a gloomy, windy and overcast day at Deer Run, a 5,200-yard, par-72 course at Sun n' Lake Golf and Country Club just an hour outside of Lakeland.

 

McCann (Bartow) carded 87, Williams (George Jenkins) shot 96 as both players hit at least six shots above their 18-hole averages.

 

The scores were enough to give George Jenkins and Bartow a boost into two of the three top slots, though. Both teams will play at the Windermere Country Club in Orlando next Monday.

 

Bartow, which won the district title in 2010, finished third. George Jenkins placed second, edging the Yellow Jackets by one stroke, 394-395.

 

Winning the runner-up trophy was a surprise, Williams said, but three players shot in the mid-90's to give the Eagles a boost. Senior Niki Jenkins shot 95 and freshman Morgan Shock had 96.

 

Coming into the match, Shock's performance was the shakiest. But she turned things around after putting in extra work outside of practice, Jenkins coach Suzanne Walker-Liljequist said.

 

"Morgan hasn't had a counting score for the last four matches because her game went a little sideways," Walker-Liljequist said. "Her and her dad have spent the last three weeks really working on her game and I knew it was going to turn around and it just worked out wonderfully today."

 

Host Sebring took first behind strong performances from Lindsey Lovett, Savana Fisher and Sarah Liles — all three shot below 90.

 

Lovett, who carded an 81, was the low medalist. McCann finished third and Williams sixth.

 

The top three individuals not on those teams, advanced, including Alyssa Martinez (Lakeland), Samantha Alivio (Winter Haven) and Lynsy Snapp (Lake Gibson).

 

Williams, who had 52 on the back nine, triple bogeyed the 16th hole and was four-over-par on the 12th.

 

"I played pretty solid but I had five bad holes," Williams said. "The greens were so fast — it was so hard because every green in Polk County is pretty slow. These were like lightning fast, like glass tables."

 

McCann had similar issues on the greens, and double bogeyed holes nine, 16 and 18.

 

The sophomore said she is still trying to get back into the groove of playing after missing three weeks — two for tendinitis and another for a wedding out of town.

 

"I just played bad, I could have done better today," McCann said. "There's been lots of ups and downs this past month and I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things. I just have to practice harder."

 

By SOLANGE REYNER

 

THE LEDGER

 

 

 

Class 1A, District 13

 

AVON PARK | Frostproof battled the elements and some fatigue to take its second-straight Class 1A, District 13 Girls Golf Tournament championship at River Greens Golf Course on Monday.

 

The Bulldogs had three of four golfers keep their scores in the mid 90s to finish with a tournament-best 389 on the par-72 course.

 

"That was not their best showing but they pulled through and bested last year by eight strokes," Frostproof head coach Joanne Merkle said. "We play nine holes all season long and then they jump to 18 today. So they tired out."

 

"I think it was a combination of the tight course, the wind and getting tired."

 

Frostproof advances to next Monday's Class 1A, Region 5 tournament at Bardmoor Golf Club in Largo along with second-place McKeel Academy (428) and third-place Lakeland Christian (453).

 

Individually, Tenoroc's Kayla Connors won the tournament for the third-straight year, shooting 3-over-par 75. She won last year's individual title with a round of 79.

 

"I knew I had a chance to do good. I was hoping to take first," Connors said.

 

The top three individual scores that are not on teams advance to the regionals next week. Joining Connors are Margaret Ross (Santa Fe) and Lauren Thielen (All Saints' Academy).

 

Thielen, only an eighth grader, is making her second trip to regionals after shooting 88.

 

"I'm hoping to break 80 next week and go to state," Thielen said.

 

Though she did not qualify for next Monday's regional, Lakeland Christian's Savannah Collier, another eighth-grader, birdied the 200-yard 8th hole, finishing with a team-best 107.

 

By BILL KEMP

 

NYT Regional Media Group

 

 

 

Class 1A, District 13

 

AVON PARK | Complete scores from the Class 1A, District 13 girls golf tournament on Monday at River Greens Golf Course (par 72). The top four scores count for each team:

 

FROSTPROOF (389): Maddie Aldrich 95, Amber Riedel 95, Lissi Raines 98, Raegan Miller 101, Hannah Terrebonne 103.

 

McKEEL ACADEMY (428): Shelby Hart 92, Rachel Backes 107, Victoria Shepard 113, Chloe Grenfell 116.

 

LAKELAND CHRISTIAN (453): Savannah Collier (107), Ashlynn Joyner (109), Anna Lanzino 113, Katie Morrow 124.

 

TENOROC (458): Kayla Connors 75 (Medalist), McCall Stringer 95, Megan Youngblood 141, Ashley Youngblood 147.

 

AVON PARK (478): Lindsey Moffat 106, Brooke Scranton 135, Amy Lauver, Shannon Miranda, Victoria May.

 

LAKE WALES (492): Meredith McKenna 102, Taylor Wolf 109, Lacey Helms 138, Rachel Roberts-Nona.

 

MULBERRY (NS): Samantha Simon 107, Maura Strickland 127, Ashley Garcia 158.

 

ALL SAINTS ACADEMY (NS): Lauren Thielen 88, Alexandra Canto 105.

 

SANTA FE (NS): Margaret Ross 87.

 

 

 

Class 2A, District 8 Girls

 

SEBRING | Complete scores from the Class 2A, District 8 girls golf tournament on Monday at the Sun n' Lake Golf and Country Club (par 72). The top four scores count for each team:

 

SEBRING (373): Lindsey Lovett 81, Savana Fisher 86, Sarah Liles 89, Megan Crews 117, Kayla Hart 131.

 

GEORGE JENKINS (394): Niki Jenkins 95, Linda Williams 96, Morgan Shock 96, Mani Jenkins 107, Crislyn Lucas 107.

 

BARTOW (395): Markie McCann 87, Cathrine Pfeiffer 100, Nicole Radivlov 103, Rachael Imig 105, Jacqueline Caron 108.

 

WINTER HAVEN (445): Samantha Alivio 102, Paige Holden 103, Courtney Scott 107, Jaycee Meadows 133, Amani Flood 139.

 

RIDGE COMMUNITY (544): Ashlyn Bitterolf 133. Kaylee Bitterolf 135, Meagan Colangelo 138, Patricia Rodriguez 138 Emma Clark 150.

 

LAKELAND (544): Alyssa Martinez 97, Emilie Dyer 117, Chloe Allen 160, Kaitlon Wing 170.

 

INDIVIDUALS: Lynsy Snapp (Lake Gibson) 99, Ryleigh Dwyer (Auburndale) 116, Kasandra Urban (Lake Gibson) 124, Sidney Schalk (Auburndale) 140, Kailey Nixon (Kathleen) 144, Jessica Spath (Lake Gibson) 145.