[wpbvideo id=”399549″]
By Don Eskins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Wriley Hiebert fired a 72 and Susannah Blackwell carded a 75 to lead the Glendale Lady Falcons to this year’s Ozark Conference championship held at the Horton Smith Golf Course on Monday here in Springfield.
The Falcons recorded a team low 308 en route to picking up the win. Runner-up status went to the Rolla Lady Bulldogs who finished out the day at 352, one stroke better that the third place Kickapoo Lady Chiefs who came in at 353.
Winning the 2019 tournament made it three conference championships over the past four years for the Lady Falcons.
“Our girls played fantastic today,” said Glendale head coach Ron Yocum. “They posted their best score of the year and having two girls shoot in the 70’s was just wonderful for our team.”
“Two of our goals for the year has been to be playing our best golf at the end of the season and to win our conference tournament again,” said Yocum. “So getting the win today and making it three conference titles over the past four years feels great. I’m really proud of how our girls are competing, especially now as we’re getting ready to head into post-season play.”
Blackwell, who posted a season-best 75, said 2019 has been a great ride for the Lady Falcons.
“It’s an amazing feeling winning our conference championship,” said the Glendale junior. “But the season hasn’t been about just one or two of us, it’s been about all of us. Every day this year we’ve pushed each other to get better so we’d be ready to win our conference tournament again. That’s what makes today’s win so great.”
Glendale senior Wriley Hiebert, with a 72, earned the tournament’s top medalist honors.
“I think I had a pretty solid round today. I did have a couple of tough holes but overall I feel I played pretty well,” said Hiebert. “Winning our conference championship was great but now our second season gets underway, post-season, and we’re all looking forward to the opportunities that still lie ahead of us.”
Then with a pause something else drew Hiebert’s attention.
“For the past few years I’ve just gone out and done my best,” she said. “And working with my coaches and all the players here has really been a special time in my life. It’s a strange feeling knowing that in just a few short weeks I’ll be done with high school golf.”
“The past few weeks have been an emotional period of time for me also,” added Blackwell. “I’ve had a close relationship with both Wriley and Halle (Jungmann). They mean the world to me. I want to go out and fight hard for the both of them to help make sure that this is the best year of golf they’ve ever had. They deserve it.”
Hiebert wasn’t the only linkster competing at Monday’s conference tournament that felt strange about teeing up as a senior.
“It’s so weird to think it’s almost over,” said Central High’s Kourtney Tucker. “I’ve been playing with people like Wriley, and Catholic’s Kayla Pfitzner, for over eleven years. That’s like over half of my life. It just hasn’t really set in to me yet that all of this is almost over.”
Top three scoring
Glendale: Wriley Hiebert 72, Halle Jungmann 81, Susannah Blackwell 75, Jadaea Asa 89 and Maddie James 87.
Rolla: Hannah Hilker 80, Abby Hobbs 84, Emma Hobbs 91, Jesse Coverdell 97 and Callie Harmon 97.
Kickapoo: Katy Finke 79, Elizabeth 91, Taylor Coble 96, Kaitlyn Pile 88 and Olivia Pellhamm Duran 95.
Team Results
1. Glendale – 308
2. Rolla – 352
3. Kickapoo – 353
4. Lebanon – 392
5. Camdenton – 400
6. West Plains – 411
7. Central – 427
8. Waynesville – 456
9. Parkview – 461
Individual All-Conference
1. Wriley Hiebert – 72 – Glendale
2. Susannah Blackwell – 75 – Glendale
3. Katy Finke – 79 – Kickapoo
T-4. Jadaea Asa – 80 – Glendale
T-4. Hannah Hilker – 80 – Rolla
T-4. Kourtney Tucker – 80 – Central
7. Halle Jungmann – 81 – Glendale
8. Abby Hobbs – 84 – Rolla
9. Maddie James – 87 – Glendale
All -Conference Honorable Mention
10. Kaitlyn Pile – 88 – Kickapoo
11. Abby Lipford – 89 – West Plains
T-12. Elizabeth Finke 91 – Kickapoo
T-12. Emma Hobbs – 91 – Rolla
14. Allie Crowell – 93 – Camdenton
15. Olivia Pellham Duran – 95 – Kickapoo
