Ellsworth Panthers finish tied for fourth with Somerset

By Reagan Hoverman

For the first time this season, the Prescott Cardinals had an event medalist not named Ava Salay or Rhi Stutz.

Those two senior stand – outs finished second and fourth respectively for the Cardinals at the third Middle Border Conference meet of the season at the Pheasant Hills Golf Course in Hammond on Tuesday, Aug. 30. It was sophomore varsity newcomer Jeanne Rohl who posted a medalist score of 40 and made noise on the overall leaderboard for the Cardinals.

Rohl wasted no time getting out to a hot start in the third conference meet of the season. After making par at the opening hole, Rohl made birdie at the 402-yard par five second to get into red figures for the day.

She gave a couple of shots back on the fourth, fifth and sixth holes with three consecutive bogeys before making a birdie at the 333-yard par four seventh hole. By the time Rohl holed her final putt of the day, she had post – ed a medalist round of 40. Prescott head coach Chad Salay spoke about Rohl’s performance at Pheasant Hills.

“I was talking to Maddie (Reiter) on the way in and we were talking about how the sophomore (Jeanne Rohl) came in clutch,” Chad Salay said outside the Pheas – ant Hills clubhouse after the meet. “I even said, I guarantee she wasn’t thinking she would come out here and be the low score today. I haven’t seen her yet, but she’s going to be pumped about it.” While Rohl earned medalist honors at Pheasant Hills, the aforementioned Ava Sa – lay and Stutz faced adversity for the first time this season. Ava Salay made bogey on the opening three holes be – fore settling into the round on the fourth and fifth with back-to-back pars. Salay finished with a 41 while Stutz posted a 43. Other Prescott scores include senior Maddie Reiter 42, senior Madasyn Rundquist 43, and sophomore Kendra Ogilvie 57. Prescott’s team score of 166 won the meet over second-placed Altoona-Regis by 16 strokes. It marks the third consecutive MBC victory for the Cardinals.

Chad Salay spoke about Ava Salay and Stutz not having their A-game for the Pheasant Hills meet and how facing some adversity early in the season might be a positive experience for his Cardinals team instead of just cruising to victory after victory.

“It was good to test a little bit of that (competition) because we haven’t had it,” Chad Salay said. “It was tight in the middle of that round. I think we were only up by seven. We’re going to have that this year so it’s good to feel that a little bit.” While Salay and Stutz felt as if they left multiple shots out on the course, Rohl posted one of her best scores of the season, and Reiter’s 42 was one of her best scores of the season. Chad Salay emphasized the importance of teammates picking up the slack when certain players don’t have their best stuff on any given day.

“Rhi (Stutz) and Ava (Salay) aren’t going to be happy for sure, but Maddie Reiter had a good score,” Chad Salay said. “I told her she had a great round today and that she should be happy. Jeanne is way below her average. That’s just what you need in team golf; when your top players struggle a little bit you need to be picked up by your other ones and that’s what happened today.” Throughout the first three weeks of the season, Reiter posted varsity-caliber scores but had to grind for rounds that previously came easier. Coach Salay stated that Reiter’s 42 on Tuesday afternoon was a sign that she is on track to shoot lower scores moving forward.

“(Maddie Reiter) just mentioned that she feels like she’s found her swing a little bit,” Chad Salay said. “Some things that she was missing before, she feels like she’s dialed in a little bit. She’s confident and it feels like she’s going in the right direction, which is huge for us.” Pheasant Hills featured fast greens and breezy wind on Tuesday afternoon, which almost certainly played a factor in the overall scoring for the meet. Every team posted scores worse than what they had been shooting through – out the opening three weeks of the season.

Prescott gained valuable experience playing Pheasant Hills in windy conditions on Tuesday afternoon. The course was blowing at approximately 10-15 mph from the northwest, which Chad Salay stated is a typical late-season wind for the course.

Earlier this year, Pheasant Hills was selected as one of the WIAA Regional tournament host sites, meaning Prescott will play the same course in likely similar conditions later this season with a trip to sectionals on the line. Chad Salay spoke about Tuesday’s valuable experience in the wind.

“This was the first day we’ve actually probably played in some actual wind,” Chad Salay said. “I told the girls going out that it’s a northwest wind, that’s pretty typical for a late-season wind out here. It was good to look at it as preparation for the regional we’ll have out here later this fall. This is the prevailing wind in the fall for sure. It makes it tougher, but it’s good preparation.” Panthers earn fourth- place finish

Prescott wasn’t the only team getting valuable experience in the tough conditions on Tuesday afternoon. Ells – worth posted a team score of 215 in the tough conditions which tied the Panthers for a fourth-place finish with the Somerset Spartans in the six-team meet.

Ellsworth scores include senior Kayley Bayer’s team-best 49, freshman Lexi Marks posted a 52, freshman Nora Feuerhelm 56, senior Katie Gillespie 58, sophomore Aaliyah Huppert 59, and freshman Addy Huppert rounded out the scoring with a 60.

Throughout the season, Ellsworth head coach Carson Huppert has spoken about his girls’ ability to grind and compete on the golf course, regardless of conditions. That proved to be true on Tuesday afternoon at Pheasant Hills as the Panthers came within one shot of finishing solo fourth as a team.

The Panthers are in the mix with Saint Croix Central, Somerset, and Osceola below the two best teams in the conference – Prescott and Altoona-Regis. Ells – worth has come within 10 shots of finishing third at multiple meets this season, which head coach Huppert has set as a realistic goal for his girls.

Ellsworth will get that chance at the next conference meet on Thursday, Sept. 8, at home in the fourth Middle Border Conference meet of the season. That match is slated to begin at 4 p.m. at the Ellsworth Country Club.

Prescott sophomore Jeanne Rohl rolls in a par putt on the final hole of the Middle Border Conference event at the Pheasant Hills Golf Course in Hammond on Tuesday, Aug. 30. Rohl’s nine-hole 40 earned medalist honors for the meet, the first of her varsity career. Photo by Reagan Hoverman

Prescott senior Rhi Stutz hits fairway metal on the fourth hole at the Pheasant Hills Golf Course. Stutz has consistently lowered her scores this season and has become a top tier one-two punch with Prescott ace Ava Salay. Photo by Reagan Hoverman