Newton girls compete in Valley Invitational

DES MOINES — Strides were made, according to Newton High girls’ golf head coach Scott Enyart.

“On an awesome day to play golf, our girls made improvements in their game. Some of the things we’ve focused on the past week — putting and chipping — you saw coming through for the girls,” Enyart said.

Newton’s young and inexperienced team did not win. It didn’t place in the top 10 of Monday’s West Des Moines Valley Lamson Invitational. The Cardinals ended up 14th with a team score of 434 in the 16-team field.

Enyart said the encouraging part is all six Newton golfers had a season’s best score or a career best score in the mix of the 18-hole competition. There were four career-best nine-hole scores recorded by the Cardinals and two season’s best nine-hole scores.

Junior Taylor Dydell carded her career-best 18-hole score — 101 — by one shot. She was Newton’s No. 2 golfer on the day with a 54 on the White Nine at Willow Creek Golf course. Dydell shot a career-best 47 on the Blue Nine.

Leading the Cardinals was junior Alayna Reynolds with a 97. She carded her first, and the team’s first, birdie of the season on the White Nine No. 5, which is a par 4 hole. Reynolds had rounds of 50 (White) and a 47(Blue), which was her season-best nine hole count.

Senior Lizzy Coyle finished with a 102, shooting a season-best 50 on the White Nine and a 52 on the Blue Nine. Enyart said Coyle was hitting the ball pretty consistently in the middle of her 18-hole round.

Three Newton golfers competed in their first 18-hole competition. Jordon Pritchard had the final team scoring total with a 134. She had a 73 on the White Nine and a career-best 61 on the Blue Nine.

Tory Church shot a 141 with rounds of 71 and 69. Erin Van Sickle had a 144 on round of 79 and 65. Church’s 69 and Van Sickle’s 65 — both shot on the Blue Nine — were career-best nine-hole scores.

“It’s great to get these three the 18-hole experience early in the season. We have five more 18-hole meets left in this year,” Enyart said.

Johnston won the Valley Invitational team title with a 331 and Wuakee was second with a 333. Mason City’s Sydney Eaton was meet medalist and Wuakee’s Brooke Boardman was runner-up medalist. Both girls shot 67s.

Newton plays in a Little Hawkeye Conference triangular at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday against Indianola and host Grinnell. The meet is at the Grinnell Country Club golf course.