CINCINNATI — Kent Anderson wasn’t too worried about where the Xenia girls golf team finished at the Division-I district tournament in northern Cincinnati Tuesday.
He was more focused on how they finished compared to last year’s district appearance. After shooting 426 last year, the Bucs shot 389 to finish 10th on the tricky east and south courses at Glenview Golf Course.
“The positive for me is that we improved (37) strokes from last year,” Anderson said. “It’s hard to complain.”
Senior Olivia Wagner shot an 84, junior Brynna Mardis 86, senior Grace Bond 108, and senior Darby Nolen 111 to account Xenia’s final tally.
“Happy to see Brynna and Olivia get into the 90s,” Anderson said. “Another step for them.” Last year they shot 94 and 93 respectively. Bond improved by 20 strokes from last season’s district.
Xenia’s seniors will leave quite a legacy with back-to-back Miami Valley League division championships, back-to-back district appearances, and a school record 13 wins with no losses this season.
“I’m awfully proud of what our seniors have been able to accomplish,” Anderson said. “That’s the part that makes me sad, is that I’m not going to get to watch them anymore.”
Centerville shot a 310 to win, followed by Mason (316) and Sycamore (319).
Bellbrook junior Marisa Alfes, who qualified as an individual, shot an 87 in her first district appearance. This was her first year on varsity and just her third year playing golf.
“It’s my first year actually trying to get a good score,” Alfes said. “It’s so fun. I’m just going to be practicing a lot more.”
Normally a solid putter, Alfes said she three-putted on five holes and four-putted on two others. The greens were a tad unpredictable and did not release well when players chipped on. But Alfes made no excuses.
“It was just me,” she said. “The course was really pretty. It was super nice.”
Carroll finished 11th with a 405. Junior Meredith Goecke shot an 86 to lead the Patriots. Sophomore Alli Hucke shot 117, junior Sarah Ochs 102, and sophomore Gabby Green 106. All five golfers, including junior Charlotte Ruble (111) played much better on the back, collectively shaving 32 strokes off the front.