VALDOSTA — Pierce County’s four-time state champion Lady Bears logged a top five finishes here Monday in 14-team Lady Viking Classic at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club.
The Lady Bears, the smallest school in the field, finished fourth in the March 23 tourney posting a 253 team score. The Ware County Lady Gators placed fifth with a team score of 257.
“The weather was perfect and the course was in great shape,” said head coach Stuart Stipe. “Kinderlou is not the kind of course you want to play blind with no practice round. It forces you to manage your golf ball around the course and onto big greens. I was pleased with our discipline off the tee, but we never did adjust to the greens and that cost us some “extra” strokes.”
Class 6A tournament host Lowndes “A” blistered the course with an even-par score of 216. Finishing between the Lady Vikings and Class 2A PCHS were Class 6A Tift County (239) and Class 6A Richmond Hill (243). Behind Class 4A Ware County were Lowndes “B” (259), Class 5A Lee County (268), Class 5A Glynn Academy (272), Class 3A LaGrange (277), Class 4A Wayne County (278), Class 5A Coffee (288), Class 6A Colquitt County (290), Class 3A Bainbridge (307) and Class 5A Thomas County Central (308).
Lowndes teammates Catherine Odum and Sophia Martin finished 1-2 in the field of 68 golfers. Odum blistered the course carding a five-under-par score of 67. Martin finished one shot back with a four-under-par 68.
The Lady Bears were led by Mollie Kate Dixon’s round of 83 tying Lee County’s Bailey Lloyd for 10th. Sister Brooke Dixon was a shot back with an 84 in a threeway tie for 12th with Ware County’s Eevy Griffin and Tift County’s Riley Williams.
Kadence Hale shot 86 to round out the team score while finishing in a four-way tie for 19th with Lowndes’ teammates Emma Bowers and Sarah Stiefle, and Richmond Hill’s Isabella Romine. Belle Sinclair posted a round of 87 to tie Wayne County’s Kaydee Brown for 23rd. Morgan Hull added an 89 tying Tift County’s Mattie Hendrix for 27th.
Lady Bears 8th in 16-team N. Gwinnett Invitational
SUWANEE — Pierce County’s Lady Bears finished in the middle of the pack here in the 16-team North Gwinnett Invitational played at Bear’s Best Atlanta Country Club.
“This is my favorite tournament of the year besides the state championship, said head coach Stuart Stipe of the Saturday, March 28 tournament. “It is the perfect trip to bond as a team and get better individually. Bear’s Best will test you physically, mentally, and sometimes spiritually.
“It rewards good and punishes bad. It identifies your strengths and weaknesses in real time. If you like looking at scoreboards, it wasn’t a good day, but good will come from it.”
PCHS shot a team score of 279 as the second smallest in classification among the teams participating. Class 5A McIntosh posted a 236 team score for the win.
The Lady Chiefs were followed by five-time defending Class 6A/7A champion Lambert (247), five-time defending Class 4A champion North Oconee (261), Class 5A Carrollton (263) and Class 5A Milton (268) in the top five spots.
Rounding out the Top 10 were Class 6A’s North Atlanta (275) and Peachtree Ridge (276), PCHS, Class 6A host North Gwinnett (280) and Class 5A Gainesville (282).
Also competing were Class 3A North Hall, Class 4A Blessed Trinity, Class 6A Walton, Class 6A Harrison (321), Class 5A Lanier (322), Class 6A Brookwood (335) and Class A Private Fellowship Christian.
Milton’ Aanya Vatipalli led the field of 62 golfers by two shots for medalist honors carding a round of one-under-par 71.
The Lady Bears had a trio of golfers posting rounds of 93 each. Millie Kate Dixon, Brooke Dixon and Hale all finished tied for 25th-place with Milton’s Elizabeth Anthony and Carrollton’s Milly Jackson.
Sinclair recorded a 98 for a solo 33rd-place finish.
The Lady Bears hosted Frederica Academy, Glynn Academy and Wayne County Tuesday, March 31 at Okefenokee Country Club.
