By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's probably safe to say that nobody in Monday and Tuesday's Class 5A state tournament field has played more rounds at Emporia Municipal Golf Course than Seaman senior Elise Eckert.
Seaman senior Elise Eckert will be shooting for her fourth straight Class 5A state medal this week in Emporia. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
After all, Emporia Municipal was Eckert's home course growing up and through her first three years of high school golf before her family moved to Topeka prior to this school year after her junior year at Emporia High.
Now Eckert, who was a three-time 5A state medalist for the Spartans, is hoping to use her vast knowledge of the tournament layout to cap her high school career with a run at the state title.
"I'm so glad that state's at Emporia this year,'' Eckert said. "I know where the ins and outs are of the course for sure. But you can't get too comfortable with any course.
"I've played this course a bunch, but you know there's still new spots you haven't seen that you'll find eventually and you've just got to play that day.''
Eckert followed up her city and United Kansas Conference individual championships with a second-place regional finish last Monday at Shawnee County Club as the Vikings advanced to state as a team with a runnerup finish behind Andover (342-355).
Eckert carded a two-over-par 75 at regionals to finish second behind Regan Dusenbery's two-under 71 while Seaman also got a fourth-place finish from Makenna Stuke (90), a tie for seventh from Kaitlynn Frye (94), a 10th-place finish from Chloe Schmidtlein (96) and a 16th from Molina Quintana (110).
Eckert feels like her game is in pretty good shape entering her final high school state tournament.
"I feel like if I can keep up with what I've been doing right now I think I'll be in pretty good shape for state,'' Eckert said.
Topeka West senior Berlyn Kolean qualified for state as an individual with a 109 while Shawnee Heights junior Lauryn Valdivia qualified for state as an individual with a 112.
State tournaments at all sites are scheduled to get under way at 9 a.m. on Monday and 10 a.m. on Tuesday after the fields are cut to the top six teams and top individuals.
Junior Kailyn Petersen placed third in last Monday's Class 6A regional to lead Washburn Rural to a runnerup team finish. [File photo/TSN]
Class 6A at Hesston
Washburn Rural girls golf will compete in the Class 6A state tournament for the 20th straight season in Jared Goehring's 20 years as head coach, qualifying for the state meet at Hesston Golf Course with a runnerup finish in last Monday's regional tournament at Sim Park Golf Course.
Rural, which has captured four 6A state titles, posted a four-person score of 335 to finish second behind champion Olathe West (328).
Junior Kailyn Petersen led the Junior Blues with a third-place regional finish, shooting a 79, while Taryn Jellison placd fourth with an 83.
The Junior Blues also got a tie for fifth from Lauren Cox (85), an 11th-place finish from Briley Miles (88), a tie for 14th from Peyton Merrick (92) and a 16th-place showing from Ella Taggart (93).
Hayden senior Izzy Glotzbach tied for second with an 83 in last Tuesday's Class 4A regional at Shawnee Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Class 4A at Hutchinson
Two-time defending Class 4A state champion will get a chance at a three-peat Monday and Tuesday at Hutchinson's Carey Park after a runnerup regional finish last Tuesday at Shawnee Country Club.
Led by three-time defending 4A individual champion Addison Douglass' four-under-par 69 and putting all six players in the top nine, Wamego posted a four-person score of 326 in the regional tournament while Hayden was second at 366.
Senior Izzy Glotzbach led Hayden with a tie for second place in the regional event with an 83 while the Wildcats' Brooke Johnson finished fourth with an 84, Lauren Borjon placed eighth with an 89 and Kellyn Specht rounded out Hayden's top four with a tie for 20th with a 110.
Silver Lake senior Kailyn Hanni captured a Class 3A-1A regional championship last Monday at Cypress Ridge. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
Class 3A-1A at Salina
Silver Lake, which has placed first and second in the past two Class 3A-1A state tournaments, is back in the state field for Monday and Tuesday's state meet at Salina Municipal after qualifying second in last Monday's regional tournament at Cypress Ridge.
Eagle senior Kailyn Hanni shot an 86 to post a three-stroke individual victory at regionals as Silver Lake finished second to Jefferson West (380-391).
The Eagles also got a seventh-place finish from Avenley Head (94), a ninth from Savanah Wende (97) and a tie for 22nd from Alissa Thomas (114).
Rossville's Elley Thomas finished eighth with a 96 and was the top individual qualifier for the 3A-1A state event
