Both the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial girls’ golf teams were hoping to pull off a surprise during a Class 4A regional meet on Wednesday at Marshalltown.
Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.
The 19th-ranked Jaguars shot a 388 on the Elmwood Country Club course and placed fourth in the 10-team field. Ankeny finished fifth with a 403 total and also saw its season come to an end.
Centennial senior Kate Geiselhart nearly qualified for next week’s state meet as an individual. She placed eighth with an 86, but only the top six golfers advanced.
“I started off the front nine rough with a 47–with two triple bogeys–but I am proud that I bounced back to shoot a 39 on the back!” said Geiselhart. “I am happy with how well I recovered, for sure. But yes, it was disappointing, as I would have qualified if I saved two strokes.
“But I am happy to have ended on a good round!” she added.
Geiselhart made a birdie on the par-4, No. 15 hole, followed with a par on No. 16 and then finished her round with back-to-back bogeys.
“Kate finished her season with a fantastic back nine,” said Centennial coach John Petersen. “Finishing tied for seventh–with only six individuals making the state tournament–it is hard to understand how good her finish was. I’m very proud of all of our players.”
Ankeny was led by senior Isabella Ross. She placed 13th with a 92.
“It was definitely chilly, but luckily it stayed dry,” said Ross. “The cold always makes us a little stiff, but we persevered through the temps pretty well. I was a little disappointed by my round today. I was hoping to shoot in the 80s, but low 90s at Elmwood is still a good score for me.”
Third-ranked Waukee Northwest shot a 334 to capture the team title. No. 16 Indianola placed second with a 343 and also qualified for state, finishing 10 strokes ahead of No. 6 Marshalltown.
Northwest, last year’s state runner-up, was coming off a 55-stroke victory at last week’s 36-hole CIML Conference meet. Marshalltown was also expected to contend for a state berth on its home course, but it was Indianola that placed three golfers in the top 10 and earned the runner-up spot.
The Bobcats failed to qualify for state even though their top golfer, Natalie Henson, finished 10 strokes ahead of the field. Henson, the No. 2 golfer in the state and No. 1 in Class 4A, carded an even-par 70 to earn medalist honors.
Northwest’s Adalyn Wiig was the runner-up with an 80. Indianola’s Camryn Overton also shot an 80 and placed third.
Centennial got strong efforts from Geiselhart and fellow senior Danika Kraus, who placed 15th with a 94. Cate Trewet carded a 103 for the Jaguars, Lauren Wilford had a 105, Kaylee Sprecher fired a 108, and Teagan Skinner added a 111.
“You always hate to have the season end, but I was proud of how our girls played,” Petersen said. “Elmwood is a difficult course to practice for; we don’t have access to courses that have such steep inclines to greens. I felt like our players kept up their attitudes and focus all day.”
Madalyn Ross shot a 98 for the Hawkettes. Aubree Moeller carded a 105, Catherine Nelson had a 108, Ava Sesker fired a 113, and Ava Clarkson finished with a 115.
“I am so proud of our girls!” said Ankeny coach Kelley Emke. “We placed one (spot) higher than last year even with a tougher course and harder conditions. We have come so far this year, and that growth will only continue to push us forward. Having five seniors graduating is so hard because they are all such an important part of our team. We are hopeful that all they gave will continue to help us improve moving forward!”
