Rebels, Patriots are first teams in area girls’ golf history to win states
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
West Lincoln and Freedom captured girls’ high school golf state championships on Tuesday.
West Lincoln’s 1A/2A title — won at Pinehurst No. 8 — and Freedom’s 3A title — won at West End — are the first team girls’ championship in history for Greater Hickory area schools.
The Rebels had three top 20 finishes to finish at 257 and edge Pine Lake Prep (267) and Newton-Conover (269) for a crown.
Leah Matney shot 85, tying for 18th, to lead West Lincoln. Reese Coltrane and Laycee Huffman added 86s for the Rebels and tied for 20th.
Newton-Conover’s Camryn Camp (81) finished in ninth place.
The Patriots won their title with a 263, finishing 18 strokes ahead of second place Cox Mill.
In 4A, Winston-Salem Reagan (213) won by 14 strokes over second-place Green Hope at Pinehurst No. 1.
All golf state tournaments, boys and girls, were shortened to one round because of the COVID pandemic.
Since girls’ golf championships were added by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association in 1969, only two golfers came home individual state winners.
Lucy Lofland of Newton-Conover, playing when the tournament was open classification, shot a 74 in 1978 and a 75 in 1979 two in the individual title.
In 1997, Erin Massey of Hickory tied two others at 165 – her rounds were 82 and 83 – to share the individual championship.
1A/2A
Katherine Schuster of First Flight had a 2-under 70 at Pinehurst No. 8, winning the individual title by six strokes over Caroline Johnson of Pine Lake Prep.
3A
Emily Mathews of Eastern Alamance was 1-under (71) to win the individual title at West End with Layla Meric of Cuthbertson in second (7-over 79).
Freedom gained its state title behind Anmna Czarkowski and Albany Bock, both shooting 84. Christian Fisher added a 95, sharing 24th with three others for the Patriots.
4A
Macy Pate of Winston-Salem Reagan led her team to a state title with a round of 2-under 68.
Wilmington Laney’s Grace Holcomb finished second, one stroke back.
COMPLETE SCORES FROM THE NSHSAA: the real final girls golf thing
