Golf season starts for Mid-Prairie girls

The Mid-Prairie girls golf team opened the 2017 spring season with a dual meet against Regina at Pleasant Valley Golf Course in Iowa City Monday, March 27.

The Regals posted a team score of 224 strokes to beat the Golden Hawk girls by a single stroke, with Mid-Prairie coming in with a 225 team total.

Meet and team medalist was senior Lindsey Palmer with a nine-hole score of 52.

Close behind with runner-up medalist honors were junior Paige Slabaugh with 53, senior Olivia Nisly with 54, sophomore Abby Statler with 66, sophomore Kenzie Bontrager with 69 and freshman Abbi Patterson with 70.

Freshman Kendra Schaefer and junior Alison Yoder posted rounds of 65 and 75 respectively on the JV side.

?With our limited playing time outside over the past week to prep for this first meet, it was a little tough to know what to expect from the kids,? said coach Tracy McArtor.

?Based on year-end scoring averages from last year, the numbers would say a team score of somewhere around 230-240 strokes would have been a good number to shoot for, so for the kids to post a 225 right out of the gate was super.

?I do believe that our new practice facility allowed for better preparation for when we finally did get outside this year.

?To be able to practice short game and putting is a big plus. Four of the returning girls posted individual scores at or below their season averages from last year.

?If they can continue that trend and keep working to lower those scores by just a couple shots, good things are going to happen.

?Lindsey, Olivia and Paige put together really nice rounds today and I?m sure all will tell you they left a few shots out on the course.

?Kenzie Bontrager and Abby Statler both got off to a little bit of a rough start on the first couple holes, but bounced back as the round went along.

?Junior Alison Yoder and freshman Abbi Patterson and Kendra Schaefer were just getting their feet wet today playing in their first meet.

?All three did well considering how nervous they were at the start.

?All in all I was extremely happy with the outcome today and what I saw from the girls.

?I?m sure all the kids can look back and find a stroke here or there that could have changed the outcome, but we?ll work on the things that caused us the most problems the rest of this week and start getting ready for next Monday, April 3, when we travel to play West Branch.?