Hannibal girls golf team qualifies for state tournament for first time in program history

WENTZVILLE, Mo. — As the district scores were posted Friday afternoon and the Hannibal girls golfers found themselves on the cusp of a state tournament appearance, the reality of what was happening created some nervous energy.

“It was almost like, ‘OK, I can see it, which means I can believe it, but did it really happen?’” Pirates coach Matt Pugh said. “It was almost like, ‘Hold on, are we sure there is not some other score somewhere that needs put in that’s going to knock us off the rails?’”

There wasn’t.

The Pirates posted a 342 team score at the Golf Club of Wentzville in the Class 3 District 2 tournament and finished second, earning the program’s first state tournament berth ever. Hannibal will tee it up at Crown Pointe Golf Club in Farmington on Oct. 16-17 with another shot to make history.

“Our big thing was telling them, ‘You’ve earned the right to believe you can be in this conversation,’” Pugh said. “And they have. They played like it.”

They put their depth to good use, too.

Hannibal senior Siena Minor led the charge with a 68, earning individual medalist honors, and senior Grace Kirby posted an 85. She qualified for the state tournament last year as an individual.

Baylee Pugh, another senior, provided the big spark. Normally the No. 5 golfer in the lineup, Baylee Pugh shot a career-best 94 to finish third on the squad. Alena Gilmore shot a 95 and Kate Ferguson-Minor posted a 96.

“I’ve gotten so much joy and fulfillment watching this group of girls sacrifice a little of themselves for the betterment of the team and their ability to see the bigger picture,” Matt Pugh said. “That was the sense I got from them today. They were more excited that they got through it and qualified as a team than any of them qualifying as individuals.

“Sure, they would have been excited for any individuals who made it through. But to get the whole group together for two more rounds is something they will remember forever.”