Mt. Pleasant’s Liechty finishes 16th at girls state golf 3A championships

ADEL — The Mt. Pleasant girls golf team did not qualify for the Class 3A state tournament Tuesday and Wednesday at River Valley Golf Course, but Elli Liechty made it there as an individual, finishing tied for 16th overall.

Although she did not have Panther teammates, the senior had Southeast Conference teammates in the Washington Demons. When Washington’s Josie Tanner struggled on the first day, “Liechty truly felt bad for her, despite the fact she is competing with her,” Mt. Pleasant coach Kirby Booten said. “That is the kind of kid she is. I am going to miss that.”

All three Demon seniors — Tanner, Kiki Bruner, Anna Nacos — attended Liechty’s graduation party. The three Demons are having a combined party for their graduation and Liechty will be there.

“Elli is very personable and just a great kid,” Booten said. “She has an incredible work ethic on the course, especially for someone who is not going to continue to play in college.”

That work ethic prompted Liechty to hit the practice green and driving range at River Valley before anyone else, and it was a half-hour before anyone else showed up. Once the round starts though Liechty likes to engage her competitors in conversation.

“She was the first one out there both days and that’s the way she likes it for practice,” Booten said. “Playing, she just talks, talks, talks.”

After opening with a 91, Liechty wanted to get in the 80s in the second round. A big step toward that was a par on the first hole after a quadruple bogey in the first round. Round 1’s first nine holes’ score was 47, Round 2 44. The first six holes of the back nine were similar both days, but the final three were played in 15 Day 1, 18 strokes Day 2. Liechty had parred the 16th hole in her practice round and bogeyed it Round 1, but a triple bogey on the 150-yard par-3 16th was a missed opportunity.

“She got into trouble, and we had to develop some strategy, but then she missed putts and that was the difference right there,” Booten said.

Liechty still would have made it to her goal but twice reported mistakes that added strokes to her score.

“They were minor and things not many would notice, but I think it is pretty cool,” Booten said. “Her integrity is like no other.”

She did not have a specific goal going in to state but a top-20 finish “was very big,” Booten said. “It was a grind and she did tremendous.”

Resilient is a great quality in golf. After her second hole with an 8 on the score card, she birdied the par-5 fifth hole in her opening round. She had a birdie-2 on the ninth hole on Day 2, playing the seventh through ninth holes in 11 strokes after 15 on the first day.

Her back nine score was 44 Tuesday, 48 Wednesday, but she was just happy to close her high school golf career at the state tournament.

“I had all of her sisters, and they were all just like her,” Booten said, “Tremendous attitude and all-around great kid.”