Washington’s team effort results in 6th place at state

ANKENY - It is an old childhood rhyme about wishing the rain away to come another day, but it was relevant at the Class 3A girls state golf meet at Otter Creek Golf Course Wednesday after play was suspended Tuesday.

Participants had to finish anywhere from four to six holes from Tuesday's rained-out round before starting right away on a new 18 holes. Although a few brief minutes of rain was what the weather offered Wednesday, the course was soaked, bunkers were unplayable and the lift, clean and place rule was in effect for balls in the fairway.

Every Washington player improved their score on the second day as the Demons placed sixth, led by Kiki Guo's fourth-place score of 77-76-153.

'My drives were great, my irons were great, but the putting was just not good,” Guo said. 'I three putted twice. I missed three birdie putts that were only six to seven feet.”

Washington's team score was 750. Dubuque Wahlert won at 653.

The low individual score and state champion was Gilbert's Britta Snyder with a 7-under two-day total of 135. The course is a par 71. Anna Jensen of Wahlert had a 150 and teammate Anna Nacos 152.

Washington's Josie Tanner was 24th at 95-88-183.

'I really did not hit my irons good at all,” Tanner said. 'That really hurt my score. I don't think I hit a green with an approach shot on the first day. My putting was a lot better today that is the only good thing I have to say.”

Emily Waite shot 99-97-196.

'It was obviously some very tough conditions, so I am happy with how I came out,” Waite said. 'I just told myself everyone else has to deal with it too so don't let it affect me or my game. If I can deal with the conditions, then I will come out better in the end.”

Carly Burlingame posted scores of 115-103-218.

'(Tuesday) was a little rough but can't complain about the weather, right? Because you can't use it for an excuse,” Burlingame said. 'I definitely did a lot better (Wednesday). I think that was because I feel a lot more confident in myself even though the course was still really wet. A lot of times my ball plugged into the ground but it would be in the rough, so I couldn't do anything about it. I just had to chip it out.”

The rain and the subsequent moisture affected all parts of the game, but the Demons made no excuses.

'My swing is just all out of whack,” Tanner said. 'My irons would be good but then my drive would be bad so I would try to change but then my driver would be decent but my irons are bad so that was just not great. I wish I could blame it on the weather.”

'The speed judgment on the greens was hard for me. I did not let the weather bother me because I always try to be ready no matter what,” Guo said. 'I try to look on the bright side.”

'It was hard because of having to play 23 holes straight through,” Waite said. 'It was intimidating. I was tired and wet but I went out and gave it my best shot.”

'I couldn't use my hybrid as often as I wanted to and that robbed me of like 50 yards,” Burlingame said. 'I don't know about a specific highlight. It's my senior year and we made it to state again and I golfed with really fun people

Other scores for Washington were Macy Driscoll at 124-123-247, then Emma Nichols' Tuesday (and finished on Wednesday) score of 121 and Madison Fishback's 130.

Driscoll, Nichols and Fishback had never played golf before being cajoled into coming out this season.

'For those girls to do so well this year having never played, I have no words for that,” Guo said. 'They are great teammates and we support each other.”

'Track wasn't my favorite sport and Emily told me to go out for golf, so I did,” Fishback said. 'Even though I am not good, being on the team has made it fun. I have definitely improved a lot because of my teammates helping me and how Coach has taught us. The car rides with my team are the most fun.”

'Being new and we made it to state, that's pretty impressive, isn't it,” Nichols said. 'Josie talked me into it. I'm very glad I did. When I started, I couldn't even hit the ground with my club. And now I can actually make contact with the ball. so that is kind of cool.”

'For being my first season of golf, it was pretty fun and finishing at state was great,” Driscoll said. 'It was not my best rounds. Yesterday was miserable. It was very tiring to play the extra holes, but it was a good experience.”

All members of the team expressed how much fun the season was.

'I think having fun makes you play better,” Nichols said. 'We all work really hard at practice and then doing that together just makes it more fun. It is more fun to work hard when you are with your friends.”

'One of the first days when we were practicing inside, one of them threw their club at the wall and now we are at state,” Tanner said. 'I was really mad when I finished my round but I've been talking to my teammates who are my friends and I just can't even be mad right now. We made it here and that was our goal.”

'This season has a great success because of the way we improved from the first day to today,” WHS coach Len Kull said. 'Carly is our only senior and she has been a real mainstay for us.I am so grateful for her and really thankful that the three girls came out and it has just been a great season. Kiki is a great competitor and a role model and the quality of golfer that Josie is, she elevates the whole team.”

TEAM SCORES - 1. Dubuque Wahlert 653, 2. Humboldt 701, 3. Cedar Rapids Xavier 720, 4. Gilbert 731, 5. Grinnell 732, 6. Washington 750, 7. Atlantic 762, 8. Carroll 768, 9. Central DeWitt 795, 10. Centerville 816