No area golfers qualify for state

No area girls golfers or teams were able to qualify for state despite some strong round at sectionals.

Shawano and Pulaski each competed at the Division 1 Wausau East/West Sectional on Oct. 4 at Greenwood Hills Country Club in Wausau.

Bonduel and Oconto Falls individual golfers took part in the Division 2 Wrightstown Sectional on Oct. 5 at Hilly Haven Golf Course in De Pere.

Teghan Kristof and Sophia Eggert represented Shawano at sectionals.

Kristof just missed an individual state spot after firing a round of 89. That score was good enough for a tie for 10th place and was just five shots back of the final individual state qualifier.

“The front nine went well. I figured out the greens and my short game was on. On the back nine I got in my own head and could not hit my driver, which made things a little harder for me,” said Kristof, a junior. “Qualifying for sectionals meant a lot to me. I worked hard all season to get to that point.”

Eggert tied for 17th with a round of 94.

“Sectionals was fun and tough. What went well for me was my tee to green. I struggled around the greens and they were tough,” said Eggert, a freshman.

“Qualifying for sectionals meant a lot to me and it was a great experience. This motivates me to get farther next year.”

Pulaski competed as a team, finishing eighth with a score of 400.

Sophomore Vivien Ninham led the Red Raiders with a round of 97. Senior Olivia Follese (99) and sophomore Ella Ficarri (100) also had strong days on the course.

Junior Summer Jaeger (104) and sophomore Danika Holewinski (113) rounded out the Pulaski five-golfer team.

Ava Pleshek and Sarah Garside represented Bonduel, while Kate Pytleski golfed for Oconto Falls at sectionals.

Pleshek, a senior, turned in a round of 95 in her final high school event. She tied for 14th and was six shots back of the last state qualifier.

“Qualifying for sectionals my senior year was always one of my biggest goals ever since I was a freshman,” said Plehsek. “After golfing regionals I was a little disappointed because I did not think I golfed well enough to move on. It was a really emotional round of golf but in the end I was super excited to have qualified for sectionals.

“I am thankful for the sport of golf and everything it has taught me over the years. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the season.”

Garside, a junior, posted a round of 103 to tie for 29th on the day.

“My round of golf today was decent. My drives improved quite a bit from the beginning of the season and it really helped today. I definitely could’ve done better with my putting, but it’s still OK,” said Garside, who added sectionals showed her what she needs to improve on for next season.

Pytleski ended her junior season with a round of 101, good enough for a 26th-place finish.

“I hit the ball really well today, however the fast greens really messed up my putting, which did totally damaged my score card,” said Pytleski.

“Qualifying for sectionals was a great feeling and I loved representing my school! However, I do wish that we could have qualified as a team. This experience will prepare me for next season because I now know to learn to adapt to faster greens at different courses.”

Full results from sectionals can be found at https://www.wiaawi.org/sports/fall/girls-golf/tournament.