Newton girls finish second at Urbandale Invitational

URBANDALE — The top five scorers on the Newton girls golf team were separated by only five strokes on Monday.

That helped the Cardinals place those five golfers in the first 15 positions and Newton finished second in the Urbandale Invitational.

Ames (180) won the meet championship by 29 strokes, but the Cardinals were seven shots in front of Urbandale (216) and 30 clear of Des Moines East (239) at the par 37 Urbandale Golf & Country Club.

“For some reason, the girls always have nerves about going to the Urbandale course,” Newton head girls golf coach Nicole George said. “But today it only showed on a few holes and we were able to come away with a second-place finish. The girls are starting to get into the golf groove again, and it’s paying off.”

Ames won the tournament by placing five golfers in the top six positions. Des Moines East’s Saleah Vivanh-Vong was the meet medalist with a 40, while Elizabeth Duncan of Ames also shot a 40 as the runner-up medalist.

The Cardinals were led by Eva Pak, who finished ninth with a 51 in her season debut.

Addie Ratcliff and Addison Hook both shot 52s in 10th and 11th, respectively, and Evie Main had the final counting score of 54 in 14th.

Kalleigh Berndt was 15th with a non-counting 56 and Addison Van Maanen shot a non-counting 64.

“Although Eva was still under the weather a little bit, she was able to put up a great score for us in her first meet this year,” George said. “I was also able to witness one of the best recovery holes I’ve ever seen by Addison Van Maanen. It was just a fun day of golf.”

Cardinals sit fourth after first in-season conference tourney

NORWALK — Ratcliff and Main posted front nine scores in the 40s on Tuesday during the LHC Norwalk Invitational.

That’s a good sign for George, who thinks her squad is closer to getting into the 40s than staying in the 50s.

“We are playing very consistently right now,” George said. “Our scores are hovering right above that 50 mark, and I know we will soon start to see them drop below it.”

Ratcliff led the Cardinals at the first in-season conference tournament of the season at the par 73 Willow Creek Golf Course.

The Cardinals finished fourth in the six-team field with a 412. Indianola won the day with a 344, while Norwalk (368) edged Pella (369) by one stroke for second.

Dallas Center-Grimes (430) ended the day in fifth and Oskaloosa (473) was sixth.

The six teams will play three 18-hole rounds this year to determine the in-season conference team and individual champions.

Ratcliff led Newton and matched her career best with a 97. She posted a front-nine score of 47. Main was next with a 100 and her front-nine score was 49.

The other counting scores came from Pak (106), Berndt (career-best 109) and Hook (109). Van Maanen (119) had a non-counting score.

“I know each of my varsity golfers has the potential to shoot below 50 for nine holes,” George said. “Addie Ratcliff and Evie Main were able to pull it off on the front 9 today so it’s just a matter of time before we get there.

“It’s an exciting time because it’s still early in the season, but we need to learn to stay out of the trees. I’m very proud of how all of them are doing.”