Blue Springs runs away with girls golf sectional championship
When Blue Springs golfers Mariah Peters, Jailyn Marshall and Madyson Acers left last year’s Missouri Class 2 state tournament, they vowed to atone for a disappointing finish.
Another chance awaits.
Blue Springs clinched its spot in the Missouri Class 2 state tournament Monday when it won the Class 2, Sectional 4 tournament. Notre Dame de Sion finished second and also qualified for the state meet.
The Wildcats owned the leader board. Peters and Marshall tied for medalist honors, shooting 76, and Acers was third with an 82.
“They didn’t play as well as they knew they could have last year at state,” Wildcats coach Jill Courter said. “It was definitely motivating for them to get back.”
Peters will be aiming for her fourth straight top-10 finish at the Class 2 state tournament next week. She was the runner-up as a sophomore in 2012. Marshall posted her season-best round Monday and qualified for the third straight year, while Acers is in line to make her second consecutive appearance.
Senior Cassie Cloninger and freshman Jordan Marshall will represent Blue Springs at state for the first time.
The five-player lineup ran away with Monday’s sectional, finishing 24 strokes ahead of Notre Dame de Sion. Sion‘s Maura Healy and Mary Marx tied for sixth, and Anna Ciani was eighth.
Staley’s Ana Rodriguez placed fourth behind the Blue Springs trio, with Park Hill golfer Samantha Paulak taking fifth. Park Hill’s Sydney Paulak was ninth, followed by Lee’s Summit’s Skylar Brunk and Liberty’s Kelsi Schmitz, who tied for the 10th.
Class 1
Pembroke Hill cruised to the Missouri Class 1, Sectional 3 title. It finished 33 strokes better than second-place Smithville. Both teams qualified for state.
Smithville’s Abby Harmeyer placed second Monday with an 84.
Pembroke Hill placed four golfers among the top-10. India Gaume was third, Shannon Fang tied for fifth with Barstow’s Olivia Laub, Charlotte Hendricks was eighth, and Claire Nonemaker placed 10th.
Smithville’s Trace Mosby was seventh and Richmond’s Rebecca Westbrook took ninth.
This story was originally published October 6, 2014 at 9:15 PM with the headline "Blue Springs runs away with girls golf sectional championship."