High School Golf: Alter girls earn 10th trip to state

ajc.com

The Alter girls golf team is headed to the Division II state tournament for the 10th time and they’re doing it with a first-year coach.

The Knights were led by senior Alex Volk and freshman Lauren Miller to secure a 14-shot victory at 363 over Cincinnati Seven Hills and Fenwick on Wednesday at Heatherwoode Golf Club in Springboro. Head coach Jim Cole’s team will play for the state title Oct. 14-15 on Ohio State’s Gray Course.

“I was just really blessed to have this group of kids,” Cole said. “One through six they were tremendous on the course, in the classroom, in the van, everywhere. They have a tremendous amount of respect and love for each other, and I think that was the biggest thing. They really, really pulled for each other.”

Volk shot an 81 and played on Alter’s last state qualifier in 2020. Miller shot 86, junior Anna Sommers added a 97 and senior Ann Marie Riegel a 99.

“Coming in we felt that we could compete with anyone here and we did that,” Cole said.

Adding Miller to the team this year was the boost the Knights needed to succeed.

“The older players, the juniors and seniors, were so welcoming with her to come in and play the number one spot several times this year,” Cole said.

The two individual qualifiers were determined in a playoff after three players shot 79. Botkins senior Lydia Dietz won the playoff to earn medalist honors. Southeastern senior Hope Manning finished second in the playoff to also qualify for state. Fenwick sophomore Sophie Rush lost in the playoff and didn’t qualify.

Seven Hills and Fenwick each totaled 377 to tie for second. Seven Hills will join Alter at state as the second qualifier, winning the tiebreaker with a better fifth score than Fenwick. Fort Loramie placed fifth and Southeastern was sixth.

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