Girl’s Golf Team Third At Hi-Level, Patterson & Howard In Top Five (08/31/2018)

(By CSZ Sports Writer Kenn Staub)  The Clarion girl’s golf team played their second match of the season on Monday, August 27, taking on the 2,209 yard, par 34 front nine at Hi-Level Golf Course (Kossuth).

Going in to the match, head coach Jackie Kerle expected her team to put forth a solid effort and play hard. “Hopefully they can beat scores they’ve had at this course in past years. It’s a little shorter of a course so I’m hoping to see better numbers than I see at our own course,” said Kerle.

The match, originally scheduled the previous week but postponed because of inclement weather, was the Bobcat’s first competitive golf in ten days. Coach Kerle felt the team put the down time to good use, noting, “The past week of not competing I think has helped them. They got in more practice time, range time, and putting at home.”

Maya Patterson and Rachel Howard posted the low scores for Clarion, each carding a 56. They shared fifth place in the individual rankings. This is the second consecutive match that both have been in the top five.

Evaluating her day, Patterson said, “My round was pretty good. I messed up on number five (a slightly uphill, dogleg left 400-yard par five), got a ten on that one. I was doing pretty well on the rest of them though. I need to improve on chipping, a lot, that’s what messed me up on most of the holes.”

Howard said, “My round was ok. I ended better than I thought I would but I just didn’t feel like I was playing that well today. My putts were pretty good, I had a couple good drives. I think I need to just work on my driving a little bit.”

In addition to Patterson’s and Howard’s scores, Amanda Matus’s 64 was used toward the three-person team total, a 176, third in the field of five teams. Also competing for the Bobcats was Lauren Winters, who posted a 65.

Cami McNany (44) and Jayden Rottman (48), both of AC Valley, were first and second, respectively. Their scores paced the Falcons (160) to a first place finish. Moniteau (174) was second, two strokes better than Clarion.

The girl’s golf team’s next match is schedule for Wednesday, September 5 and is a return to Hi-Level.