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Girls take 4th at RVC, 3rd place in regionals
by Gregory R. Norfleet · Sports · May 18, 2017


Girls golf wrapped up the season with a fourth-place finish at the 13-team conference meet and a third-place finish at the nine-team regional tournament.


The Bears dropped behind West Liberty for fourth place at the River Valley Conference meet by a single stroke.

“I am really happy for the girls for their fourth-place finish and being one stroke out of third,” Head Coach Jan O’Neil said.

The team hoped to finish in the top five in the conference meet, which was hosted by Muscatine Municipal Golf Course on May 10.

The meet was set for 18 holes, but two storms rolled through, causing a delay that lasted about two hours. The coaches agreed to cut the game short, have players pick up their balls, and just play the back nine.

Team scores at the RVC meet: 1. Wilton 194, 2. Tipton 196, 3. West Liberty 209, 4. West Branch 210, 5. Camanche 215, 6. Bellevue 219, 7. Mid-Prairie 220, 8. Durant 220, 9. Northeast Goose Lake 221, 10. Regina 223, 11. Monticello 223, 12. Cascade 229, 13. North Cedar 238.

Individual scores: Clair Bridges 54, Aleah Rocha 51, Sydney Lamont 51, Ashley Riley 54, McKenna Walsh 54, Drew Perkins 61.

Rocha and Lamont each earned honorable mentions in the River Valley Conference All-Conference list.

“The wet conditions tend to slow the ball down both in the fairways and on the greens,” O’Neil said of the storms. “But everyone played in the same conditions and they usually adapt well.”

The Bears top five golfers all finished within three strokes of each other.

“I am so happy that all the girls are shooting around the same thing,” the coach said. “This really helps with the depth of the team. I’ve heard all season what a great problem that is to have and have reiterated that to the whole team.”

The storm first brought drizzle conditions then built up to lightning and thunder.

“We only played in a little sprinkle at the very beginning,” O’Neil said.

During the two-hour delay, the teams filled the cafeteria and overflowed into the picnic tables under the extended roof.

“The girls were very upbeat and optimistic about the day,” the coach said. “They all said they’d probably have some great memories and stories that went along with our rain delay.”

At the regional tournament, West Branch took third place among nine teams playing 18 holes at Heritage Oaks Golf and Country Club at Wapello on Monday.

Team scores: 1. Tipton 390, 2. Wilton 401, 3. West Branch 418, 4. Wapello 437, 5. Durant 455, 6. Louisa-Muscatine 460, 7. Van Buren 488, 8. Danville 505, 9. Columbus Junction 535

Individual scores: Claire Bridges 55-46 101; Aleah Rocha 51-52 103; Sydney Lamont 53-50 103; Ashley Riley 53-58 111; McKenna Walsh 60-54 114; Drew Perkins 53-60 113.