Goodland has continued to rack up tournament titles, further establishing itself as a top contender in Class 3-2-1A.
After finishing second in the season-opening Hays High Invitational, the Cowgirls have won four straight tournaments (Goodland, Cimarron, Ulysses and Colby). A Cowgirl was the individual medalist in all five tournaments.
Senior Allison Cure won Goodland’s first four tournaments, starting at the Hays tourney in which she shot a 79 and then edged Garden City’s Brooke Savolt in the third playoff hole. She followed it up with an 83 at the Cowgirls’ home invitational then fired back-to-back 79s at Cimarron and Ulysses.
Senior Tori Jones then won the individual title at Colby this past Monday, shooting an 85 to edge Cure by one shot.
Junior Natalie Cure has four top-five finishes for the Cowgirls, including runner-up showings at the Goodland and Cimarron tournaments.
Allison Cure, Natalie Cure and Jones are all returning state medalists. Allison and Natalie Cure took fifth and seventh, respectively, at state last year while Jones finished in 12th.
The Cowgirls have averaged a 358 team score over the first five tournaments.
“Our team is off to a great start,” Goodland coach Connie Livengood said. “I am most happy about the team scores and how low they are. That is due to Allison shooting her 79s and the rest picking up each other. This team is doing a great job.”
Sophomore Sadie Sederstrom has helped supply strong depth for the Cowgirls, placing in the top seven in the last three tournaments, including fifth-place showings at Colby and Cimarron.
Longtime Colby coach Rick Williams said he’s been highly impressed with the Cowgirls during the Great West Activities Conference circuit so far.
“They are legit,” Williams said of the Cowgirls. “They put in a ton of time in the offseason, deserve to be dominating – and they are. I think they are the clear favorite to win the 3-2-1A state championship.”
OTHER WESTERN KANSAS GIRLS GOLF STANDOUTS
– Syracuse captured the team title at the Sublette Invitational at Cimarron Valley Golf Club this past Tuesday with a 386. The Bulldogs were led by a runner-up showing from Bronwyn Lewis with an 89. Lewis was the individual medalist at the season-opening Stanton County Invitational on Sept. 2 with an 85, helping the Bulldogs win the team title.
– Sublette’s Adalyn Boone was the individual medalist at the Sublette Invitational with an 86
– TMP-Marian’s Brynn Schoepf won the Hesston Invitational early this month with an 83, leading the Monarchs to the team title. Schoepf has finished in the top six in each of TMP’s five tournaments so far.
– Garden City won the Hays High Invitational on Sept. 2 with a 336. Brooke Savolt was runner-up with a 79, losing to Allison Cure in a playoff. Ailynn Anderson took third for the Buffaloes with an 80.