Wildcats golfers place 11th at state

By: 
Ron Burtz

The Custer High School girls golf team improved both its individual scores and its team placing in a second showing at the state tournament in as many years. The Wildcat golfers finished 11th out of 13 teams in last week’s State A championships at Sioux Falls, moving up from last place last year which was the first time Custer had qualified as a team in many years.
The team shot a combined score of 907 over 36 holes in the two-day tourney to beat out 12th place Belle Fourche by 26 strokes. The 13th team in the tourney, Chamberlain, did not finish the second day of play. Sioux Falls Christian was the state champion with a combined total score of 693.
Shauna Zacher was displaced from her team leader status by teammate Lauryn Robb for the first time this season but still had a good showing and improved her score from last year’'s state tourney.
“Sometimes the stress they put on themselves is more detrimental than helpful,” said head coach Haley Uphoff of Zacher’s performance at state, noting that everyone on the team had more strokes on the first day of the tournament than on the second day.
Robb shot a 213 to tie for 60th place, while Zacher was six strokes back at 219 to tie for 66th place with another golfer.
State tournament newcomer Quinn Lewison shot a 234 over the two days to tie for 72nd place with two other golfers and Maddie Meyer (241) was in 77th place followed by Jordyn Uphoff in 80th place with 246 strokes.
Uphoff said no one among her players had anything to be disappointed about, noting that the four girls who were on the state team last year had all improved their scores significantly over their first time at state.
“It was a huge improvement for everyone,” said the coach.
Uphoff said Zacher shaved 13 strokes off last years score, Robb was down 24 strokes, Meyer was 36 less and Uphoff's score was better by 48 strokes.
She said the improvement was evidence of how much work the golfers had put in on the course last summer.
Uphoff said the performance at the state tournament has left her girls excited about the future and ready to get out and play this summer.
“There are a few of them who are going to do some of the junior tournaments this summer,” she said. “It's really in the summertime when they need to get out on the course and get the work in.”

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