Hawk girl golfers open with win

The Mid-Prairie girls? golf team started off the season right, downing West Liberty and West Branch in a meet at the Kalona Golf Club on Monday afternoon.

Junior Golden Hawk Allyson Wertz started the year off well, shooting a nine-hole score of 43 to lead all competitors at the meet.

The next closest to Wertz was West Liberty?s Shannon McMichael, who scored a 49 through nine holes.

Freshman Paige Slabaugh had a round of 54 for the Hawks, followed by sophomore Cassidy Bender?s 56, sophomore Olivia Nisly?s 63, sophomore Lindsey Palmer?s 66 and sophomore Tiffany Fisher?s 81.

As a team, the Hawks put together a score of 216, finishing three strokes ahead of West Liberty.

?This was a great way to start the year off for the girls,? Mid-Prairie girls? golf head coach Tracy McArtor said. ?Allyson jumped right back into form with a great round, and she?ll be the first one to tell you that there were probably a couple holes that she didn?t play her best. Paige and Cassidy both posting mid-50 rounds was super. We?ll need that kind of scoring and support as the year progresses and I look for Olivia, Lindsey and Tiffany to be right there as well in the coming weeks.?

McArtor also said the team has been practicing really well, and that it was nice to see those efforts pay off in the first meet of the season.

The Hawks will prepare for its next meet at home against Durant on Monday. The meet is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. at the Kalona Golf Club.