CAP-7 CONFERNCE GOLF
Wakefield freshman Morgan Schultz shot an 80 at the 4-A NCHSAA Eastern Regional at Chapel Ridge Golf Course last week, helping the Lady Wolverines' golf team advance to the state championships, scheduled for this week.
Wakefield golf team heads off to states Monday
Three Wolverines, Leesville's Fuqua to play in championships
Just one day after playing in last week's 4-A NCHSAA Eastern Regional — and helping the Wakefield girls golf team place second overall — Lady Wolverines Morgan Schultz and Stephanie Pribonic were already doing their homework for Monday's state championship.
After school Wednesday, the duo drove down to Foxfire Village and squeezed in a practice round at the Foxfire Resort (West) Golf Course, site of this year's 4A state championships.
Schultz, the Cap-7 Conference Player of the Year, came away impressed with the course, and noted one striking contrast to the previous day's event at Chapel Ridge.
"It was a lot different at Foxfire because the greens were a lot slower," the freshman pointed it.
Schultz later admitted that although she shot an 80 at Chapel Ridge — the fourth best score of the day — she wasn't pleased with her work on the greens.
"I think I could have done a lot better," she shrugged. "I had several three-putts, and I want to do a lot better in states."
The Lady Wolverine added Foxfire was a good-looking course and very well maintained.
During her practice round, Schultz scouted out how she'd play the course four days later.
"Usually when we play a course beforehand, we take notes on what clubs we need to hit on certain holes," she said. "We also figure out whether water is in our way, check out the hazards and where we'll need to aim.
"Sometimes Steph and I will keep score in practice rounds, but other times, we hit several balls on a hole and try and get a feel for every situation."
But Schultz conceded she always know what her score is.
The two-day championships kick off at 9 a.m. Monday, with Leesville Road's Kaity Fuqua — the Pride's lone state qualifier — teeing up at 9:30 a.m. Wakefield's trio all begin within the next hour as Schultz (10 a.m.), Pribonic (10:10 a.m.) and Katie Yelle (10:20 a.m.) follow one another.
On Tuesday, the tee times and playing groups are re-ordered depending on Monday's scores.
Sophomore Stephanie Pribonic tallied a round of 83 in last week's 4-A Eastern Regional.
During last week's Regional event, the Lady Wolverines' team score of 251 was good enough for second, but 18 shots behind leader — and defending state champion — Athens Drive. Green Hope finished third with 261.
Behind Schultz's 80, Wakefield's Pribonic finished with an 83 and Yelle recorded an 88. Teammates Katie Michalak (104) and Rachel Yelle (119) also competed but did not qualify.
Athens Drive's Sarah Bae was low medalist, shooting a 74.
In other action, Leeville's Fuqua finished with a 91 and teammates Mary Lee Free (102), Mariah Hopkins (111) and Alli Mossinghoff (119) rounded out the Pride's scores.
Millbrook's Sarah Bashford (109) and Alex Klimcyzk (120) and Sanderson's Najah Owens (103) and Jessica Perez (111) played individually, but didn't advanced.
Wakefield coach Rick Riggleman argued this week's championship at Foxfire likely won't play as difficult as the Chapel Ridge course.
Instead, the Lady Wolverines will have to focus on keeping up with the Jaguars, who are the favorite to repeat, the coach stated.
"We want to hang in there day one, get second or third place, and be right there at the end with a chance," he said.
Although senior Katie Yelle brings state championship experience, having played in last year's finals, Schultz, a freshman, and Pribonic, a sophomore, are both newcomers to the team and to states.
But Riggleman isn't worried the stage is too big for his youngsters.
"Even though we are a young team, they have played a lot of tournaments, and that really helps," he said. "It's our biggest tournament, but it's probably not their biggest tournament."
While second place at regionals was good, Schultz and the Lady Wolverines want more.
"We still want to push ourselves," she said. "We are all practicing extra hard because we all want to do the best we can."
Regional results at Chapel Ridge
Top 10 finishers
74 Sarah Bae — Athens Drive
75 Lizzie Bundy — Clayton
78 Katherine Perry — Athens Drive
80 Morgan Schultz — Wakefield
81 Sydney Shackelford — Athens Drive
82 Michelle Pilo — Apex
82 Susie Choe — Terry Sanford
83 Stephanie Pribonic _ Wakefield
84 Andrea Estes — Green Hope
84 Maggie Whisnant — WF-R
Top five teams
1. Athens Drive — 233
2. Wakefield — 251
3. Green Hope — 261
4. Terry Sanford — 267
5. Broughton — 285
