CHESTERFIELD -- With four of the five golfers in the clubhouse, Westminster was holding a narrow 1-stroke lead over Villa Duchesne at the Class 1 District 1 girls’ golf tournament Wednesday at Landings at Spirit Golf Club.
Villa’s fifth golfer, Danielle Shroyer, rolled in with a 95, giving the Saints a 14-stroke edge over Westminster and the district title with a 371 on the par-72 course.
It was just another display of Villa’s team depth, which helped the Saints notch the school’s 100th victory this fall in the program’s 12th year. The Saints also upended Class 2 power Ursuline last week to foil the Bears’ undefeated season.
“They’ve worked well together since they were freshmen,” Villa Duchesne coach Linda Potter said. “I have a lot of depth. It was a very hard decision for the last three positions. I always believe in them, sometimes more than they believe in themselves.”
Four Saints qualified for the state tournament last year, and the squad finished in fifth place. With a full squad of five consistent golfers, a top four finish and a state plaque are legitimate possibilities. Along with Shroyer, both Caroline Leeker and Christina Russon will be returning to the state tournament, which is slated for Oct. 19-20 at Sedalia Country Club.
Russon led the squad with an 88 to finish in a tie for fifth. A solid approach on No. 16 set up an easy birdie putt on what proved to be challenging greens for the field all day.
“My putting has been good all day, and that’s really what saved me,” Russon said. “I’ve been a pretty consistent putter all season. On the first hole, I had a par because I one-putted, so after that I was feeling good about my putts.”
Leeker carded a 90 for sixth, while Lauren Hopson rounded out the scoring with a 98 to tie for 10th.
Westminster took second place with 385, but the Wildcats will still be sending four golfers to the state tournament and thus be able to compete for a team title.
“The icing would’ve been to win, but we’ll take what we got with four and a second-place finish,” Westminster coach Steve Bradley said. “Our district is so tough, if you can get a team out, you’re going to look good at state.”
Slotted No. 2, freshman Brooke Cusumano led the Wildcats with an 88 for a tie for fifth. Kristin Kilpatrick carded a 93, Margaret Moore shot a 98 and Hillary Franz shot a 106 to all advance.
MICDS junior Caroline Rouse had the low round of the tournament with a 77, finishing three strokes ahead of runner-up Haelena Schwemmer of Barat Academy. Visitation’s Sami Khan was third with an 83.
“I just tried to keep the ball below the hole with my approaches and give myself a chance,” said Rouse, who is making her third trip to the state tournament. “I had a lot of clutch pars that I made, and that’s what made the difference today.”
Elsewhere in Class 2 tournaments, Lafayette won at Innsbrook to claim District 3 with a 364 behind Sarah Whittman’s low team round of 81 Wednesday. Madeline Conlin of Ft. Zumwalt South and Valerie Mielziner of Howell Central tied for individual honors with rounds of 78. At Aberdeen, Summit won the District 4 title with 356 as all five Falcons would’ve qualified as individuals. Sophomore Lindsey Eisenreich led Summit as the district medalist with a low round of 75.
Ursuline won the District 1 title on Monday at Crown Pointe with a 332 as Andrea Frankiewicz and Hannah Schmitz took the top two spots with a 78 and 79, respectively. St. Joseph’s won the District 2 title Tuesday at Crystal Springs Quarry with a 354. All five Angels were medalists, including Gina DellaCamera, who took the top honor with a low round of 83.
