Over the course of their season, members of the Dolores High School girls’ golf team have vastly improved their swings and become increasingly competitive in tournaments.
Thus, it was not a complete surprise when the Lady Bears walked away from a rain-shortened tournament at Aztec Municipal Golf Course on April 27 with their first victory of the season. “We had hail and lightning delays in Aztec so we only played three holes,” said Dolores coach Monica Plewe. “We had a shotgun start, and my girls started on the longest three holes on the course, but they still came away with the best team score.”
Freshman Kiara Lingenfelter led the Dolores team with a three-hole score of 5-over par, while sophomore Kailey Case finished 8-over par and freshman LaBrea Matteson finished 11-over par over the course of three holes. Other teams competing in the tournament included junior varsity teams from Piedra Vista, Aztec and Farmington, as well as a varsity team from Navajo Prep.
Following up its victory in Aztec, the team traveled to the Hideout Golf Course in Monticello on April 28 to compete in a three-team tournament that featured Monticello and a player from Green River High School.
Playing perhaps her finest tournament of the season on the 9-hole course, Lingenfelter finished first overall with a score of 54. Sarah McDonald finished tied for second with a score of 63, sophomore Tawnee Benavidez shot a 64, Case shot a 65, and Matteson shot a 76.
The Lady Bears closed their busy five-day stretch with a second tournament at the Hideout Golf Course in Monticello on May 3. Competing against teams from San Juan High School, Grand Junction High School, Moab High School, Emery High School and Monticello High School, the Lady Bears finished third overall.
“My goal for the team this year was to have any girl who came out have the ability to go to any course and feel comfortable playing a round,” Plewe said. “The entire team is at that point now. They know what they are doing. They have learned all of the etiquette and all of the rules.”
Next up for Dolores will be Regionals in Parachute, May 8-9.