McKeel girls golf team finishes first at Crutchfield/Hawkins tournament
McKeel Academy girls golf has improved incrementally from last year.
In 2021, the Wildcats didn't finish in the top 10 at the Crutchfield/Hawkins Girls Golf Tournament at River Greens Golf Course - but they were middle of the pack. This year in Avon Park, McKeel was the highest-placing Polk County team in the tourney when it came to individual flights, specifically etching first in flight two competition.
McKeel shot a 348 — 15 strokes ahead of Jensen Beach.
“I know last year was pretty solid. This year, of course, ... there were some golfers who really stuck out,” McKeel golf coach Jeremy Bohnenstiehl said. “Caroline (DeKalb) played really, really well today. Susie (Davis) played a great round. … (Carly) McKnight had a pretty good round today. But a lot of those girls shaved strokes off … and they did well. I think I’m very pleased with how they performed this year compared to last year.”
DeKalb was McKeel’s lowest scorer - finishing with an 82 for fourth place.
The major theme for McKeel golf heading into the tourney was a family mentality.
“It’s like a family atmosphere — all the girls are really supporting each other and wanting to succeed and pushing each other, which I think is fantastic,” Bohnenstiehl said.
DeKalb, just a freshman, improved by 10 strokes after finishing last year’s tourney with a 92.
“Overall, I did pretty good. I had a couple bad holes that really brought me down, but aside from that, I really stayed strong and recovered from them,” DeKalb said. “… It’s a very mental game. You have to have strong mental mindset in order to perform well — along with a lot of practicing and hard work.’
On the 7th hole, on Dekalb’s second shot, she decided to use a 2-iron to reach the green. But DeKalb misjudged and her attempt ended up behind the trees, which led to her one triple bogey of the day.
Also for McKeel, junior Davis shot an 87, sophomore McKnight shot an 89, seventh-grader Georgia Grace Spence shot a 90, sophomore Ava Bustos shot a 93 and junior Isabelle Markham shot a 117.
The other Polk County team in competition on the River Greens course was Frostproof — its first year with the entire team at this event — finishing in sixth place in the flight with a 439.
“We’re a very young team. We have our oldest member, a 10th-grader (Tanner Green), but this is her first year, so the rest are seventh and eighth graders, so we’re a really young team putting in a lot of work, trying to get better every day,” Frostproof coach Ashley Castillo said. “… But this course is a great course. It’s in good shape. But it is pretty tight, so you have to hit your ball straight — otherwise you get in trouble.”
Frostproof seventh-grader Hannah Castillo, the No. 4-ranked Class 1A, Region 2 player, shot a 76 and was second in her flight. Behind her were the following Frostproof golfers: eighth-grader Charlotte Ray with a 107, seventh-grader Ava Griffiths with a 117, and sophomore Tanner Green with a 139.
McKeel and Lakeland Christian are likely the top two girls teams that will compete at counties next month in Cleveland Heights.
Winning the tournament was Community School with an overall score of 313. They were led by Emma McKoan, who shot a 75.
Hancock finishes in the top 5
Kathleen sophomore Darby Hancock finished the day tied for fifth thanks to her score of a 77 — four strokes back of Lake Nona winner Mei Chan.
“I didn’t do my best,” Hancock said. “I had a lot of doubles, which killed me — doubles in the three-putt. I thought my wedge game was pretty low — my full wedges. Putting was on and off. I could make some shorter putts. But the longer putts I had trouble with. Getting off the tee was really good. It was one of my strongest suits of my game today."
Still, Hancock, a first-team All-County golfer in 2021, executed well on 90- to 100-yard wedges. Those were culminated with several birdies, which helped Hancock’s score. In those instances, Hancock was relaxed and confident.
Lakeland Christian places second at Pinecrest; Bartow finishes third
The Vikings were second in flight one in the Hawkins Invitational Pinecrest tournament thanks to a 376.
Lakeland Christian All-County golfer Emile Morin was third with a 77 — seven strokes behind flight winner Catalina Harvey of Palm Harbor University.
Rounding out the top four for Lakeland Christian was freshman Taylor Logan, who placed 10th with a 94 in flight one, freshman Annsley Green (11th overall) with a 95, junior Lyndsay Greene (14th) with a 110, and eight-grader Amelia Pearce (eighth) with a 111.
“The girls had a rough start but rallied back. They were in third in the competition ... and then they finished strong to take second from Venice,” Lakeland Christian girls coach Beth Burton said. “I am very proud of their effort and excited for the rest of the season.”
Lake Wales’ Lauren Hare finished 16th in flight one with a 111. Lake Wales was sixth in flight one with a 486.
All-County golfer Laurel Haake was third in flight two with an 84. Other top-20 Polk County finishes in flight two were Bartow senior Faith Sebright (95, fifth), Auburndale junior Reese Mole (98, seventh), Bartow sophomore Nandika Sreeram (107, ninth), Bartow junior Adelyn Mclean (112, 11th), George Jenkins sophomore Katie McDowell (116, 12th), Auburndale sophomore Chloe Durden (121, 16th), Bartow senior Abbey Johnson (125, 20th) and Bartow junior Heidi Hiebert (125, 20th).
Bartow finished third in flight two with a 439, Auburndale was fourth with a 475 and George Jenkins was fifth with a 490.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: McKeel Academy wins Crutchfield/Hawkins girls golf tournament
