With a strong fourth place finish at the Class 3A, Region 3 Championships at Cleveland Heights Golf Course in Lakeland, the St. Cloud Girls Golf Team managed to snag the fourth and final at-large team spot for the upcoming state championship tournament.
The Lady Bulldogs posted a score of 329 to finish one stroke out of third place behind Viera (328) and just two shots off the pace from second-place Lakeland (327). Lake Nona (314) took the top spot by 13 strokes.
Under FHSAA selection criteria, the top three teams at each of four regionals automatically advance to the state championship, which would have ended St. Cloud’s season. However, an additional four teams-- based on stroke scoring average, course slope rating and Iwanamaker rating (IWR) from the both the district and regional tournaments-- are used to select the four additional at-large teams. “They do it to allow access for teams that might play in tougher regionals or on tougher courses that do not finish in the top three but might have even won a lesser regional,” St. Cloud Head Coach Jim Endicott said. For example, the Lady Bulldogs were the final at-large team chosen but will enter the state tournament as the #13 seed, three spots above automatic qualifiers.
It marks just the first second time a girls golf team from Osceola County has qualified for the state championship tournament, matching Harmony’s appearance in 2016.
“I don’t think we were particularly sharp in the regional,” Endicott said. “But I give this team a lot of credit. They grinded the whole day and made some key putts down the stretch. The fact that we finished just two strokes out of the second and placed second in our district to regional champ Lake Nona certainly figured in our at-large selection.”
Senior Morgan Beaulieu led the way for St. Cloud, touring the 5,533-yard, Par 72 course in two-over 74. The total was good for a solo fifth place finish. Elan Zhang (Dr. Phillips), Analiese Raath (Lakeland) and
Mei Chan (Lake Nona) all tied for first after shooting an even par 72, with Zhang taking medalist honors in a playoff. Darby Hancock (Kathleen) was solo fourth with a 73.
Beaulieu, a Tohopekaliga High golfer who transferred to St. Cloud after her sophomore season, will be making her Osceola County girls’ record third appearance in the state championship. She finished 18th last year. Beaulieu is a four-time OBC Champion and won her first individual District title last week.
Junior Jenna Barnett played the final eight holes in even par to post a 40-37-77 to tie for 10th place overall. Sophomore Tess Shieve (88) and senior Nadia Burda (90) also shot counting scores for St. Cloud. Sophomore Cayden Challacombe shot a non-counting 96 to round out the St. Cloud effort.
Osceola County was well represented in the Cleveland Heights Regional as Harmony advanced out of the same district as St. Cloud and Celebration advanced to the regional with a second place finish at the District 11 Tournament at North Shore Golf Club. At the regional, the Storm finished in sixth place with a 358 total; Harmony was eighth at 378.
Ariana Leon (84) and Natalie Quionnes (86) led Celebration with a 21st and 26th place finish. Both are freshmen. Clara Lee and Erin Ozyurek shot identical 94s for the Storms other counting scores. Jordan Pidgeon led all Harmony golfers with an 84 to tie for 21st.