Senior Marleigh Grant and junior Brooklynn Akers bounced back from a windy first day to advance at the state golf tournament for the second straight year.
The pair both improved on their scores. Akers shot a total score of 175 across both days and skyrocketed to 18th — good for a medal — after improving her score by 15 strokes on day two.
Grant finished with a score of 178, good for 25th place. She improved her score by eight strokes on day two.
“I’m just really proud of myself for being the only golfer on the team this year that has played for four years and has gone to state for three of them and has placed at state,” Grant said. “And just being able to, like, represent my team and represent our school very well.”
The Cardinals’ entire team qualified for the tournament but did not advance to the second day. They placed eighth, and only the top six teams advanced to the second day. Junior Brynn Deterding fell just one stroke shy of qualifying for the second day in her first season on the team.
Nearly 90 golfers competed at the state tournament.
The first day of the tournament featured 20 mph winds, which rattled the golfers. While day two stayed windy, they calmed down a bit. Even the eventual state champion from Wamego shot 10 strokes better on the second day.
“The first day, it was very hard to combat the wind and just try to have the right mindset of just trying to play your game and play well,” Akers said. “The first round was just not great, I feel, for everyone.”
Grant said she especially struggled with the wind due to her typically high-shot arch.
While it wasn’t the ending to her high school golf career she would have wanted, she said she was happy with the legacy she’ll leave with the team.
“I just want them to keep that positive attitude going into next season,” Grant said. “I just want the other girls to stay positive and push through and know everything will be okay when you don’t think everything will be okay.”
Akers said it was a challenge to reset her mindset after the first day. She stayed focused on the new round and was able to fly up the standings with one of the biggest jumps from day one to day two.
“It was just having people there supporting me, everyone staying positive, knowing that we can all do it and just having faith in each other,” Akers said. “Once I got on a roll, I’m like, ‘Okay, this is way different from yesterday. I can’t let the past determine my future.’”
Head coach Susan DeVoe said there was a lot to be proud of for the team as it moves forward, with five of the six state golfers returning, including two who just completed their first year on the team.
“I think it’ll be another good, positive environment,” DeVoe said. “I definitely know that I’m just going to enjoy each moment and try to teach them as well.”
She said the team will be focusing on enjoying every moment next year. As they do that, they’ll be served by the leadership Grant provided this season as the only senior. DeVoe said she proved to be a great leader for the team, including sending a supportive message to the team as they began the state tournament.
“You have to put all differences aside and just focus on the team, which I’m so proud of her for doing,” DeVoe said. “I didn’t even ask her to send all the girls the message, but she did it on her own. So that’s a sign of a true leader.”Reach reporter Cuyler Dunn at [email protected]
