AMES — Seniors Alyssa Kruger of Perry and Madi Fear of Panorama and junior Cierra DeHoet of Woodward-Granger will hope the rain stays away today as they compete in the final round of the Class 3A, 2A, and 1A Girls State Golf Tournaments.[wpedon id=”82220″ align=”center”]
Kruger, playing at Coldwater Links in Ames, shot the best round of her prep career to finish day one in a seven-way tie for ninth place overall with a 37-46–83. Her front nine card of 37 was also the lowest nine-hole score of her career.
Fear, playing on her home course of Lake Panorama National, shot a 111 and will look to return to form on day two.
DeHoet was tied with Remsen-St. Mary’s Tori Galles for 30th overall in the 1A meet at with a 96 at the American Legion in Marshalltown.
Kruger’s day began with a quadruple-bogey eight on the par-4 18th hole, with bogeys on the first and second hole rocketing the Jayette to six-over to start her round. She responded in grand fashion, chipping in for an eagle 2 on the par-5 third hole, then carding a birdie 3 on the par-4 fourth to recover and shave her score to 3-over.
The final 13 holes were played at nine-over, leaving the Perry standout in contention for a medal, awarded to the top 10 finishers (and ties).
“She didn’t putt real great on the back nine, but it wasn’t horrible,” Perry head coach Joel Happel said. “If she isn’t in trouble on her first hole, and maybe makes one or two putts on the back, she is in the top five, maybe better a little better.”
“The best part is that she had an all-around great round on this course, and now she knows she can come back and do the same thing tomorrow,” he said. “I look for her to play well again.”
Kruger’s playing partners Tuesday were Rachel Tandy (80) of Vinton-Shellsburg, Emma Robson (89) of Waverly-Shell Rock, and Lauren VanWyk (93) of Pella. She is part of an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start today and will tee on the 10th hole. Ashley DeLong (82) of Clear Lake, Somer Sinnard (83) of Carroll, and Taylor Thede (89) of Maquoketa will round out Kruger’s foursome.
Fear began Tuesday’s round on the sixth hole and played with Laura Beltman (95) of Unity Christian, Anna Torkelson (96) of North Fayette Valley, and Marcy Uglum (109) of New Hampton. The Panther senior tees on the first hole at 8:50 a.m. today and will be paired with Jenna Ward (125) of Columbus Catholic, Cori Franken (129) of Unity Christian, and Faith PEarson of Okoboji.
DeHoet played her opening round with Riley Mayer (97) of Fort Dodge St. Edmond, Rachel Sohn (98) of South O’Brien, and Tessa Van Maanen (102) of Lynnville-Sully. Mayer will rejoin DeHoet today in beginning on the 16th hole in a shotgun start. They will be paired with Galles and Nicole Zeimert (92) of Easton Valley.
Washington (334), Gilbert (339), and Creston (346) are the top three in the 3A field, with Van Meter (361), New Hampton (375), and Okoboji (378) leading the 2A tourney while the top three 1A spots are held by New London (367), Iowa Valley (369), and Bishop Garrigan (382).
Grinnell’s Britta Snyder was the only player in all four classes (the 4A tourney is being played at Marshalltown’s Elmwood CC) to finish her first round under par. She leads 3A with a 70, with Washington’s Anna Nacos (75) and Atlantic’s Anna Jensen (76) her closest pursuers.
Morgan Walker (75) of Dike-New Hartford leads 2A, with Annika Patton (78) of Alta-Aurelia, and Bailee Frayne (79) of Garner-Hayfield-Ventura holding down spots two and three. Walker will try to make it a Wolverine individual sweep, as Bo Weissenfluh topped Panorama’s Kolby Shackelford by a stroke to win the boys 2A crown.
The low three individuals in 1A are Casey Noble (77) of New London, with Courtney Olson (80) of Clayton Ridge, and Abbey Schafer (80) of Mt. Ayr chasing.
Fear is coached by Melissa Hochstetler and DeHoet by David Combs.
