There’s going to be more hardware to add to the Prescott High School trophy case.

The Prescott girls golf team won its third consecutive Middle Border Conference championship on Monday, Sept. 26, at the Clifton Hollow Golf Course in rural River Falls. The Cardinals’ team score of 337 beat second-place Altoona-Regis by an astonishing 47 strokes.

While Prescott certainly has been dominant throughout the season in league play, the Cardinals seemed to kick it into another gear for the conference title on Monday afternoon. While windy, cold conditions and fast greens shipwrecked scores for other teams, Prescott battled through to claim the title.

Prescott head coach Chad Salay spoke about winning the league title and playing a conference championship meet at a home course. He also spoke about how playing a familiar course factored into the final scores on Monday afternoon.

“It feels good. Three in a row is awesome and it feels great for our seniors to go out with a conference championship,” Salay said after the round at Clifton Hollow. “We hosted today and we chose to host here for a reason – it’s because our girls can play this course well. Altoona has probably only played here once. I wasn’t necessarily expecting (win – ning by) 40, because (Altoona) has some good players.”

Leading the charge for Prescott was senior star Ava Salay, who posted a two-under par 70 to earn medalist honors for the day. Ava Salay’s score was nine shots clear of second-place junior Ava Pesha from Somerset. While Ava Salay owns the course record at Clifton Hollow, a mark of 65 that she set in October 2021, there just wasn’t a 65 out there on Monday afternoon. Given the ultra-fast greens, the gusting winds and the cold weather, Ava Salay thought that a level par round of 72 would have been an excellent score. “It was great (to shoot 70). After my front nine (37), I thought if I could shoot even to day that would be ideal and that’s where I was going into the last hole until I made that eagle,” Ava Salay said after the round. “To shoot a 70, I’m very happy about that.”

Ava Salay began the round by making bogey on two of the first three holes. She bounced back with a birdie on the par-four seventh to solidify a front nine 37. When Ava Salay got to the back nine, that’s when the fireworks started.

After making bogey on the tenth hole, Salay poured in a 10-footer for birdie at the par-four 11th. Two holes later on the short par-four 13th, Salay drove the green and then drained a 20-foot eagle putt to get into red figures for the tournament (-1).

She surrendered a shot at the par-three 14th by making bogey which moved her back to even for the tournament. Going to the 18th tee, Salay was sitting at even. That’s when she blasted a drive down the middle of the fairway, hit her second shot onto the green and then sank a long eagle putt to secure the two-under round of 70.

Other Prescott scores include senior Rhi Stutz’s round of 85, sophomores Jeanne Rohl and Gabbi Matzek both posted rounds of 86, senior Maddie Reiter shot a 95 and senior Madasyn Rundquist rounded out the scoring with a 103.

While Ava Salay will get a lot of well-deserved attention for her outstanding round of 70, Rohl and Matzek’s rounds of 86 were just as impactful. Chad Salay stated earlier this year that if he can get a couple of the younger girls to start shooting around 90, it would make Prescott nearly uncatchable, and his girls are doing exactly that.

“Definitely Gabbi (Matzek), that was a huge round for her confidence-wise,” Chad Salay said. “Jeanne (Rohl) has also kind of stepped into that range, 43, 44, especially at a course like this; it’s not out of the question for her. Darren (Reiter) and I are so pumped knowing going into state that (Matzek) can shoot mid-80s in conditions like this.”

Prescott graduated two of its most impactful players from last season’s team in then-seniors Liz Rohl and Jessica Heinsch. Ava Salay spoke about trying to replace some of those scoring averages and how the younger players have stepped up to the challenge.

“It’s awesome and I applaud them for how far they’ve come this year. We needed girls like that and they’ve stepped up,” Ava Salay said. “Every time they play well and have a great score it’s great to see. I hope they know that they’re appreciated.”

In the last couple of weeks, Prescott has found its groove in the varsity lineup. Ava Salay has continued posting collegiate-caliber scores while younger varsity players have begun stepping into roles previously filled by those aforementioned seniors from last season. For Ava Salay, it’s all coming together in the quest for a third consecutive state championship.

“I think we’re ready to go for another state championship,” Ava Salay said. “Seeing what we shot today in this event, I think that we’re ready and our whole team is prepared.”

Prescott’s third consecutive Middle Border Conference championship is potentially a good omen, as the two previous times the Cardinals won the league title, they won a state championship in those same seasons.

Prescott will begin its playou run on Wednesday, Sept. 29, in the WIAA Division 2 Regional at the Pheasant Hills Golf Course in Hammond. That meet is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.

Prescott senior Ava Salay hits driver off of the 10th tee during the 2022 Middle Border Conference championship meet at the Clifton Hollow Golf Course on Monday, Sept. 26. Salay posted a two-under par round of 70 that included two eagles on the back nine. Photo by Reagan Hoverman

Prescott sophomore Gabbi Matzek lines up a putt during the Middle Border Conference championship on Monday afternoon at the Clifton Hollow Golf Course on Monday, Sept. 26. Matzek’s round of 86 helped Prescott secure its third consecutive MBC title.Photo by Reagan Hoverman