By Reagan Hoverman

The Prescott girls golf team made it a complete sweep of the Middle Border Conference regular season with a 13-shot victory over second-place Altoona/Regis on Thursday, Sept. 22, at the Bristol Ridge Golf Course in Somerset.

Bristol Ridge has proved to be a thorn in the side of Prescott in recent years. Last season, it was the only meet during the entire campaign that the Cardinals didn’t win, which is saying something, considering last year culminated in the varsity roster and head coach Chad Salay hoisting a state championship trophy at University Ridge in Madison.

The win at Bristol Ridge on Thursday afternoon proved that Prescott doesn’t rebuild, it reloads. The Car- dinals finished Middle Bor der Conference play with a flawless 8-0 record in nine- hole meets. Coach Salay spoke about the victory to conclude the regular season.

“It was pretty solid overall. For us, Bristol is probably the hardest course we play,” Salay said. “It’s always been a thorn in our side. The margin of victory was a little closer than what it’s been all year and it was tight there for a while, but we’re happy to get the win.”

Prescott scores include senior Ava Salay’s medalist performance of 38, senior Rhi Stutz posted a 42, while senior Maddie Reiter and sophomore Jeanne Rohl rounded out the scoring with 45 each. Chad Salay spoke about Ava Salay’s medalist performance and Stutz’s 42, which secured a solo third individual finish.

“Ava was happy with her round but the par threes got her a little. She played those three over par and played the rest of the course one-under,” Chad Salay said. “Rhi was a little frustrated because she made bogey on the last hole. We’ve had such a nightmare at Bristol in the past, I think they were happy to just be done with the course.”

Chad Salay spoke of the match being close midway through the round, which at one point saw Altoona/Regis within single-digit strokes of Prescott. However, it was the Cardinals that finished the job and secured the eighth conference win of the sea- son. Prescott posted a first- place team score of 170 compared to Altoona/Regis’ 183.

While Prescott is undefeated in conference matches this season, the biggest meet of the year thus far will be at the Middle Border Conference Championship on Monday, Sept. 26, at the Clifton Hollow Golf Course in Prescott.

Prescott considers both Clifton Highlands and Clifton Hollow home courses, so Chad Salay and the Prescott Cardinals roster are confi dent heading into the MBC Championship on Monday morning. Chad Salay spoke about playing for a league title at a home course.

“It’s one of our home courses and a lot of our girls play out there quite a bit. We’re playing within friend- ly confines,” Chad Salay said. “It’s just a course that fits our girls’ game, so we’re feeling great about it. It’s nice to host because we can set it up mostly how we want it, there are some things we have to follow, but it’s just really comfortable because we have a nice healthy lead and we’re at a home event, more or less.”

The Middle Border Conference Championship was slated to begin on Monday, Sept. 26, at 9 a.m. Prescott’s players were expected to tee ou shortly before 10 a.m. This week’s edition of The Journal will contain a recap story.

Ellsworth Panthers fin ish sixth at Bristol

The Ellsworth Panthers girls golf team earned a sixth- place finish at the Thursday afternoon nine-hole meet at the Bristol Ridge golf course with a total team score of 218.

Despite the sixth-place finish, Ellsworth was within striking distance of several other middling teams in the Middle Border Conference standings, including Osceola (212), Somerset (213) and Saint Croix Central (216).

Ellsworth’s scores include senior Kayley Bayer’s team-best 51, freshman Lexi Marks’ 53, sophomore Aaliyah Huppert’s 55 and freshman Addy Huppert rounded out the scoring with a 59. Ellsworth’s roster, although led by a senior, is built to win in the future with young freshman talent including the aforementioned Marks.

That young roster was put to the test on Monday, Sept. 26, at the Middle Border Conference Championship meet at the Clifton Hollow Golf Course in Prescott. Ellsworth was slated to tee ou around 9:30 a.m.

Ellsworth senior Kayley Bayer hits an iron from the middle of the 12th fairway during her team-best round of 51. Bayer and the Panthers earned a sixth-place finish at the final regular season Middle Border Conference meet of the year at the Bristol Ridge Golf Course in Somerset on Thursday, Sept. 22. Photo by Reagan Hoverman