By Chris Parker
There are many talented girls golfers across our coverage area. Below are some of the top girls golfers to watch this season
This watchlist can be found in print in the Fall O-Zone Preview Magazine available this week at all southwest Missouri Casey’s general stores.
Lily Allman, McDonald County Senior
Lily Allman is the area’s top returning player from last year’s Class 2 state tournament. Her two-day total of 172 (89-83) was good enough for a 31st place finish overall. In the run up to the state tournament, Allman finished first at both the district tournament and sectional tournament.
Jadaea Asa, Glendale Junior
Glendale swept the conference, district and sectional tournaments as a team, and Asa was a key reason why. She finished tied for fourth at the conference tournament, and she tied for sixth at both the district and sectional tournaments. At state, she finished 67th overall and was the No. 3 golfer for the sixth-place-finishing Falcons.
Carlie Aultman, Rogersville Senior
Aultman was the No. 2 golfer for Rogersville at the Class 1 state tournament, where the Lady Wildcats finished fourth overall as a team. Aultman had scores of 102 and 100 for a total of 202 at state where she finished 33rd overall. At the district tournament, Aultman was eighth overall, while placing 17th overall at the sectional tournament.
Susannah Blackwell, Glendale Senior
Blackwell was the Ozark Conference runner-up to teammate Wriley Hiebert last year. The Lady Falcons won the conference, district and sectional tournaments. Her top postseason finish came at the sectional tournament where her 85 earned her a tie for sixth place. At state, Blackwell posted scores of 89 and 108 for a 197 total that placed her 70th overall.
Hailey Bryant, Carthage Junior
Bryant was the Central Ozark Conference runner-up to now-graduated Jenna Teeter last year, posting a 78 in the conference tournament. She was Top 10 in both the district (fourth place) and sectional (sixth place) tournaments. At state, Bryant carded scores of 85 and 95 for a 180-stroke total that earned her a 46th place finish overall.
Elizabeth Freeman, Ozark Senior
Freeman’s rounds at the Class 2 state tournament went 85 and 93 for a total of 178, which was good for a 38th-place finish overall. Freeman tied for seventh at the COC golf tournament as she helped the Tigers to a second-straight COC championship. She also was Ozark’s top golfer at the district tournament, as the Tigers finished in fifth place overall.
Lyla Louderbaugh, Springfield Catholic Sophomore
Louderbaugh rounded out the scoring for the state champion Catholic Lady Irish. She finished seventh overall at the Class 1 State Tournament with scores of 90 and 79 for a 169-stroke total. The Catholic sophomore beat the No. 1 golfers for six of the seven other state qualifying teams. She also posted a third-place finish at sectional and fourth-place finish at district.
Kyleigh Pfitzner, Springfield Catholic Junior
Pfitzner generally slid into the No. 3 spot for the state champion Catholic Lady Irish. Her top finish of the postseason came at the district tournament where her three-over 73 was good enough to tie with teammate Reagan Zibilski for second. At state, Pfitzner posted scores of 78 and 84 for a 162-stroke total and a fourth-place finish.
Brooke Wagner, Rogersville Senior
Wagner was consistently the top golfer for a Rogersville team that finished fourth at the Class 1 state tournament last year. Wagner finished eighth overall at the state tournament with rounds of 81 and 90 for a two-day total of 171. She also posted a fourth-place finish at the sectional tournament and a fifth-place finish at the district tournament.
Regan Zibilski, Springfield Catholic Junior
Zibilski was a consistent force for a dominant Catholic golf team last year. She was the state runner-up to teammate Kayla Pfitzner shooting a 79 and 72 for a 151 total at the Class 1 state tournament. Her second-round 72 was the lowest round of any player at the Class 1 state tournament.
