Sports

Girls golf closes region season in Velva

By Tyler Ohmann

05/22/2012

One Bottineau girls golfer and one Westhope-Newburg golfer qualified for the Class B State Golf Tournament in their last chance to do so.

Bottineau’s Ashley Blue and Westhope-Newburg’s Jade Teske both placed in the top 10 individually (Blue third, Teske fourth) at the region meet in Velva last Friday.

Blue, a junior, shot a season-best 94 and Teske fired a 95 to make the cut for the state tournament in Carrington on May 29-30.

“Ashley did come through strong; I was totally happy with how she played,” said Bottineau Head Coach Joe Bender. “She is going to be great next year. She is capable of being top five in the state, and she can take it as far as she wants to take it.”

Bottineau’s team fell just four strokes short of qualifying as a team. The Bottineau team score of 430 trailed third place Garrison’s 426.

“I felt bad for them, because they were good enough to go to state,” Bender said. “It will be good for next year, we are going to be better next year.”

Making up the Bottineau score of 430 were Blue’s 94, sophomore Bailey Neubauer’s 107, seventh-grader Abby Bristol’s 114 and senior Morgan Klebe’s 115.

“Even though it would have been a great experience for them to be at state, maybe this will leave them a bit hungrier for next year,” Bender said. “Maybe they will practice more, and take it a bit more serious.”

Rugby shot a team total of 405 to win the meet. Central McClean’s 414 placed them second and also qualified them for state.

Westhope-Newburg’s Kylee Conway previously qualified for state as an individual a week prior to Friday’s competition.

Rugby coach Leah Johnson was named coach of the year for Region 4. Brittny Reimer, Glenburn, was senior athlete of the year.