MICDS is thoroughly enjoying its first trip as a team to the state girls golf championships in six years.
The Rams finished third in Class 1 (there were only two classes back then) and they have put themselves in prime position to do even more damage this season after an opening-round 348 on Monday has them sitting with the lead after the first round of the two-day Class 2 tournament at Fremont Hills Country Club in Nixa.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e very serious about their golf, but they are having fun,鈥 MICDS coach Diane Gioia said. 鈥淭his is exciting. This is big. They just like being together and celebrating each other, whether they are playing well or not. All the other teams have kind of recognized that and are kind of cheering us on because they know how hard these girls have worked because we haven鈥檛 been as successful.鈥
MICDS has a 12-stroke lead over Cape Notre Dame after the opening round. The Rams also topped the Bulldogs in last week鈥檚 district tournament.
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MICDS is playing with just four players at state, while Cape Notre Dame has five, so there is no margin for error, but the Rams鈥 quartet of sophomore Lisa Zhang (76), senior Morgan Withington (78), senior Mac Froedge (95) and junior Claire Kaiser (99) was up to the challenge Monday.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to have Mac Froedge, who鈥檚 been sick for quite a while. This is her third time at state, and this is Morgan Withington鈥檚 second. Lisa Zhang is new to MICDS. Claire Kaiser pretty much sat out last season as a sophomore. She鈥檚 handling this pressure really well,鈥 Gioia said. 鈥淎ll four know they have a job to do. The only thing they can do is what they can do. This group has been amazing working together, celebrating each other鈥檚 things. Everybody knows this is a team effort. These four know every single one of their strokes count. We don鈥檛 have a score to toss out, so they are under pressure. But I also think Mac and Morgan鈥檚 experience is helping Lisa and Claire to kind of stay in the moment, to stay focused, to have fun and to enjoy this moment.鈥
Wright City sophomore Morgan Nute has a one-shot lead over Zhang in the individual race with a 4-over-par 75. Nute finished fourth in Class 2 last season as a freshman.
Nevada senior Emree Cameron (77) is wedged right in between Zhang and Withington and Maplewood-Richmond Heights freshman Sara Kolar in third place. All Cameron did last season was fire a sizzling 10-under to run away with the Class 3 title.
Lutheran St. Charles is the other area school competing as a team in Class 2 and the Cougars are sixth with a 414.
Panthers鈥 Brown sits fourth in Class 3
Mehlville junior Eva Brown felt like she was in too much of a giving mood Monday.
The reigning All-Metro girls golfer of the year carded a 3-over 75 and sits in fourth place after the first round of the Class 3 tourney at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield.
Brown is six shots behind leader Page Bowman of Glendale, while Kirksville鈥檚 Addy Davis (72) and Glendale鈥檚 Audrey Duvall (73) are directly in front of Brown.
鈥淥verall, I wasn鈥檛 really happy with how I played,鈥 Brown said. 鈥淚 will say I definitely gave away some holes. I lost three balls throughout the day, and I had a couple really short, 3-to-7-foot birdie putts that I just didn鈥檛 have the best read on. I feel like learning from my mistakes that I made today, it should be better tomorrow if I can just execute and capitalize on those opportunities that I have.鈥
Two holes were a big part of Brown鈥檚 undoing in the opening round. She double-bogeyed the par-five No. 5, as well as the 85-yard, par-three 15th Hole.
鈥淭he par-five Hole No. 5, I pulled it left and then I hit a bad wedge shot for my fourth shot,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he other double, I chunked it into the water in front, so I had to take a drop and then I just two-putted and walked away. But I feel like with that one it鈥檚 just kind of one of those holes where it鈥檚 like just a silly mistake that usually isn鈥檛 typical.鈥
Brown was the Class 3 runner-up last season behind Cameron鈥檚 amazing performance. Brown was 1-over after the first round last year before firing a sizzling 4-under to close things out on Day 2, so she knows what it takes to prepare for the final day.
鈥淚 definitely feel like I鈥檝e put in the work throughout the season and year,鈥 Brown said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just one of those things I just need to not put a bunch of pressure on myself and press at all. Just stay steady and level-headed and eventually it鈥檒l come.鈥
Two other area players are also inside the Class 3 top 10 after the opening round, as Webster Groves senior Cate Nakatani (79) is tied for sixth and Washington junior Abby Blackwell (80) is tied for eighth. Clayton senior Anais Oge is also in an all-state (top 15) position as she is tied for 13th at 83.
Fort Zumwalt South (364) enters the final round in third place in Class 3, three strokes out of second (Springfield Central) and 31 shots behind leader Glendale. Area teams actually sit 3-4-5-6, as Washington (374), Ladue (376) and Cor Jesu (379) are right behind the Bulldogs.
Pioneers four shots back in Class 1
At the Class 1 tourney at Crown Pointe Golf Club in Farmington, the Duchesne Pioneers are threatening the defending state champions.
Duchesne amassed a first-round team score of 371 and sits just four shots behind South Harrison (367) entering Tuesday鈥檚 final round.
The Pioneers finished fifth in Class 1 last season and shot a 442 in the first round last fall, so they showed marked improvement this year. South Harrison, though, also shot better than its 418 in last season鈥檚 opening round.
Two Duchesne players are inside the top 15 individuals with senior Maddie Denker (80) in fourth and sophomore Leah Krupich (92) tied for 15th.
Whitfield freshman Tina Zhang paced all area Class 1 players in the first round with a 7-over 79 to sit eight shots off the pace entering Tuesday.