Regional championship first step toward main objective for QHS girls golf team

QUINCY — Moments after learning they had won the Class 2A regional championship on Thursday afternoon at Westview Golf Course, the Quincy High School girls golf team was … well, relaxed.

They sat on the back deck of the Westview clubhouse, looking at their phones, chatting and eating snacks and petting a couple of dogs. Each player had a smile on their face.

They all know a bigger goal lies ahead.

The Blue Devils shot a 316 to outdistance Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin by 12 strokes. Springfield finished third in the six-team field with a 337. All three teams advance to Monday’s sectional at Quail Meadows in Washington. 

A regional title, however, was expected. The Blue Devils were favored to win on their home course. It’s their fourth regional title in the past six years.

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QHS hasn’t played at state since 1983

A chance to play at the Class 2A state tournament next Friday at Hickory Point Golf Course in Forsyth is the carrot at the end of this team’s stick. QHS has not played at a girls state tournament since placing third in 1983.

“Our goal is to make it to state,” said freshman Sophia Gold, who earned medalist honors with a 3-over par 74. “We all want to go to state really badly, because we haven’t gone in a really long time.

“Thinking about going to state makes me excited and nervous. I’m kind of nervous because I don’t want to let the team down or anything, but I’m pretty excited because I’ve never gotten the state. I think it would be really fun to go.”

Even Blue Devils coach HanLynn Vahlkamp says it’s difficult not to peek ahead.

“It’s very hard to take it step by step,” she said. “We’re preparing, and we have in the back of our mind that we want to go. It would be great to make it all the way. 

“We always have … in the back of our mind at sectionals, we get nervous. This year, I want to make sure that when we get up there we have the right mindset.”

Three Blue Devils take top four places

Three players in the lineup consistently shooting in the 70s make the Blue Devils a formidable team at any stage of the postseason.

Gold edged junior teammate Saya Geisendorfer by two strokes for first place. Senior Laci Novosel survived a rough stretch on the back nine, going 5-over par on holes 11, 12 and 13, to finish with a 78 to place fourth. Senior Paige Cain shot an 88 to tie for 13th.

“They always have great holes, and they always have holes where I wish I could have been there a little bit more for them,” Vahlkamp said. “One of me and six of them, it’s kind of hard sometimes to be there when they’re on different parts of the golf course. As a whole, I’m very pleased with how they played today and the entire season.”

Gold overcomes 4-over start after first five holes

Gold struggled early. After a double bogey on No. 1, she bogeyed No. 2 and No. 5. She was 4-over par after just five holes and shot a 39 on the front.

She started the back nine with a birdie on No. 10. Birdies on No. 17 and No. 18 allowed her to pull away from Geisendorfer and Springfield’s Katie Chen (who placed third with a 77), and they helped balance a bogey on No. 13 and a double bogey on the par-3 15th hole.

“My drives were just kind of bad at the beginning,” Gold said. “It wasn’t very good. Then I got a couple of pars, and then on the back nine, I started doing a lot better. I like the back nine on at Westview a lot. I think the birdies helped a lot.”

The Blue Devils were only one stroke ahead of Sacred Heart-Griffin late in the round, but Novosel, Geisendorfer and Gold played holes 16-18 at even par. Even a birdie by Cain on No. 17 helped the cause.

“Laci will fire a 72 one day, and then the next day Sophia will come out and fire a 73, and Saya is consistently in the 70s,” Vahlkamp said. “We really have three people who could be a medalist any time we go out.”