High five! Colonel Crawford wins fifth consecutive Northern 10 girls golf championship
BUCYRUS - Monday's performance is exactly what Roni Halberg had been waiting for out of her girls.
Colonel Crawford fired a 347 to win the Northern 10 championship — the program's fifth consecutive title — in impressive fashion. Not only was it 46 strokes better than runner-up Wynford, it was the lowest 18-hole score in school history and league history.
"We knew what we could accomplish," Halberg said.
Earlier this season, the Eagles shot 351 at the Freddie Invitational with senior Lucy Myers carding a 77, both program lows. And last week, Myers nabbed the N10 nine-hole record with a 34 in the final league match of the regular season.
Monday's 347 was the final record that could've fallen for this special group.
"Anybody who knows me knows that, no matter what, I'm going into things stressed out," Halberg said. "I know anything can happen because we've seen anything happen. Even halfway through last year, I knew that what we had coming up into this year was gonna be special. And they have not disappointed me at all.
"So I couldn't be more thrilled than what they're doing."
Colonel Crawford's consistency and desire to improve is what has made this program the class of the area over the last half-decade. With the league title behind them, the Eagles now shift their focus on the postseason.
"I hope they keep those goals in mind and they keep their head straight," Halberg said. "They don't really carry themselves with a lot of like cockiness or confidence. Which I know those are two very different terms, but it's almost like — girls, you've earned what you have and the more confidence you have, I think the stronger players you become."
Junior Madison Gray shot 82, six strokes better than her previous best 18-hole score. She was followed by Myers' 85, senior Ayla McKibben's 86 and senior Lexi Rush's 94; senior Claire Lehman's 96 and sophomore Rylie Hoepf's 106 were the drops.
"I still want that match where everyone goes as low as they can go because it would be absolutely incredible," Halberg said. "Now do I want that to happen today? No, not necessarily. We can hold off a little bit longer."
And quite the opposite for runner-up Wynford — not a single senior on the roster. Yet the Royals were able to make some history of their own as their 393 was two strokes better than the school record shot at sectionals last year.
"Surprisingly this is the best we've ever done at the N10, and that's including the kids I had in previous years," coach Sean Weisenauer said. "To do that with a young team like this was pretty awesome.
"For a lot of the,m this is their first ever 18-hole competition. And so a lot of them didn't realize you know how much stamina (it takes). A lot of good scores came on the front and Rylee (Robinson) came in with a 39, which was her best by far. It was just special just to see a young team like them coming in and competing with the likes of Crawford, a senior-heavy state qualifier."
Robinson, a sophomore, finished fourth with an 87, freshman Caroline Sheldon right behind her with a 92. Freshmen Willa Johnson (101) and Maggie Ridge (113) were the counting scores while junior Heather Wappelhorst's 132 and sophomore Emi Schuster's 163 were the drops.
As defending sectional champions, a 393 would've placed Wynford first last year.
"If we shoot that (again) I think we have a good chance to keep golfing," Weisenauer said.
Buckeye Central, also boasting all underclassmen, shot 455 to place sixth. Junior Makayla Martin shot a 103, classmate Elizabeth Krebs a 108, sophomore Logan Sullivan 120 and junior Samantha Utz 124; junior Kara Pressler's 126 the drop.
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This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Colonel Crawford girls golf won its fifth consecutive N10 title
