DeWITT– Led by senior Katlyn Jeter, who shot a career-best 94, Solon’s girls finished fifth at an Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union regional invitational at Springbrook Country Club in DeWitt May 24.
The top two teams and top six individuals qualified for state. Jeter missed qualifying as an individual by two strokes.
The Lady Spartans finished the 18-hole course with a team score of 420. Jeter finished in seventh place, plus 23 for the course. Junior Camryn Keith was 18th, with sophomore Lily Houtakker 21st, junior Lauren Roskopf 23rd, Sophomore Taylor Dee 26th and junior Izzy Messenger 60th.
Dubuque Wahlert (378) and Monticello (395) slugged it out for the top two spots in the 11-team tournament. Solon fell behind host Central DeWitt (407) and Cedar Rapids Xavier (410) in a battle for the middle seats. Vinton-Shellsburg (431), Davenport Assumption (446), Clear Creek Amana (457), Benton Community (468), South Tama (472) and Marion (478) were bunched not far behind.
“We are very proud of our girls and the improvement we showed over the course of the season,” noted Solon Head Coach Curtis Hendrickson. “We started this season with a lot of unknowns. We had a record 27 girls out this year.”
The team will lose four seniors this year, he said, three with varsity experience.
“Next year we will return five out of our top six golfers, with a lot of returning junior varsity players who will push the varsity and compete for a spot,” he added. “We are excited about where the program is heading.”