Park Hill junior wins Missouri Class 2, Sectional 4 golf meet

When recapping their respective performances at the Missouri Class 2 golf state tournament last fall, Park Hill junior Sam Paulak and Blue Springs senior Jailyn Marshall used the same descriptor.

Disappointing, they said.

They have another chance now.

Paulak won the Missouri Class 2, Sectional 4 meet on Monday, which serves as the state-qualifying tournament. She shot an even-par 72 at Adams Pointe Golf Course. Marshall and her teammate, Madyson Acers, were two shots back and tied for second.

“I haven’t thought too much about state last year — I have this year to worry about,” Paulak said. “But I’m certainly glad I have another shot to play better.”

Paulak missed the all-state cut by one place last season.

Marshall tied for 35th in the state last fall, but on Monday she continued a stellar senior season. Her second-place finish came one week after she won the district tournament.

She won’t be headed to state alone, either. Blue Springs and Notre Dame de Sion qualified their full teams for the state tournament. Blue Springs is the Missouri Class 2 defending state champions, though it was Sion that won the sectional meet on Monday.

Sion compiled a season-best team score of 339.

“Excellent timing,” Sion coach Dana Hoeper said. “We’ve kind of struggled all year. We won our first tournament of the year right before districts last week, and the girls just worked really, really hard this week. It was amazing to see them pull together as a group. They all have the ability, but the chemistry — I think that motivated them.”

This story was originally published October 5, 2015 at 4:58 PM with the headline "Park Hill junior wins Missouri Class 2, Sectional 4 golf meet."