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Eagles' girls golf seizes 12th straight state tourney berth
On Tuesday at the Region 1-2A tournament at the Golf Club at Summerbrooke in Tallahassee, the Eagles clinched their 12th straight appearance in the state tournament by placing second to Gulf Breeze.
The upper echelon of the scores was District 1-2A dominated. Gulf Breeze won the title with a 322, Niceville placed second with a 337 and Fort Walton Beach followed non-district foe Jacksonville Stanton (354) with a 357.
Niceville also placed second to Gulf Breeze in the district tournament. Niceville coach Mitch Inness said the difference Tuesday was that the Eagles struggled over the front nine holes. But they recovered over the back nine to seal another berth at state.
“It shows the mentality of our team that we never give up,” Inness said.
Locally, Fort Walton Beach’s Rachel Struzinski carded the top score among area golfers with a 77, good for fifth place. Niceville’s Jaime Jordan followed in sixth with a 79. Gulf Breeze star Sarah Hicks was the medalist with a 70.
Jordan spearheaded Niceville’s back-nine turnaround by shooting a 35. Jordan, a senior, is the Eagles’ only upperclassman.
“I’m proud of the whole team for hanging in there,” she said.
Ivey Kelley and Kayla Bloor both shot 85s for Niceville and Rebekah Pruett collected an 88.
Lauren Correia followed Rachel Struzinski for Fort Walton Beach with a 90, Summer Struzinski shot a 93 and Caroline Hudson carded a 97.
Navarre’s Skyler Pusch and Choctawhatchee’s Lyndsey Chappell both competed as individuals. Pusch tallied an 86 and Chappell an 89.
The state tournament will take place Tuesday and Wednesday at Ocala Golf Club in Ocala. The Eagles placed sixth last year.
“Every year is a different team, and we’re really looking forward to bringing this team to the state tournament,” Inness said.
Both boys’ and girls’ play in the Region 1-A Tournament at A.C. Read in Pensacola was postponed due to rain and rescheduled for 9 a.m. today.
