Cerna leads improved Cardinals at second LHC meet

Johana Cerna put herself into contention for first team all-conference after shooting a career-best score on Monday during the second Little Hawkeye Conference meet at Westwood Golf Course.

Eva Pak’s career-best 18-hole score moved her into the bottom half of the top 12 and Newton’s girls golf team turned in a season-low score, but the Cardinals still sit fourth in the standings after 36 holes.

“The storms held off today, and we were able to get our second conference meet in,” Newton head girls golf coach Nicole George said. “We bounced back from the first one, cutting off almost 40 strokes. I’m proud of that difference, and I know the girls worked hard today to get there.”

Norwalk remains at the top of the conference standings after shooting a 349 on Monday. That was 10 strokes better than Indianola (359) and the rest of the lineup featured Pella (364), Newton (366), Dallas Center-Grimes (411) and Oskaloosa (444).

The Warriors’ two-round score of 715 is 29 shots in front of the Indians and the Dutch, who are tied at 744.

While Newton trailed Indianola by only seven shots and was two strokes behind Pella, the Cardinals’ two-round score is 771. DCG (811) and Oskaloosa (913) are fifth and sixth, respectively, with one round to go.

“We were close to taking that third-place spot in the standings and were not that far off from second place,” George said. “We just need to grind these next few weeks and try to move up another spot or two at the last conference meet.”

Cerna scored 10 points in the conference standings after finishing third individually with a career-best 82. She lost out to Norwalk’s Lydia Krueger on a card back for second.

Pella’s Karsyn Lyons was the meet medalist again with an 80, and her 24 points lead the way after 36 holes.

Pak finished eighth with a career-best 90, while Addie Hook (97) and Kalleigh Berndt (101) also posted career-best scores.

Evie Main matched Hook with a 97 as the final counting scores. Berndt and Addie Ratcliff (108) turned in non-counting scores.

“(Cerna) played fantastic today, and she only lost out on second place by the card back,” George said. “She seems to really be finding her stride. We are entering into the second half of our season so I only expect the scores to keep lowering.”

Norwalk put its four scoring golfers into the top 10, while Pella’s top four golfers were in the first 12.

The top 12 finishers after 54 holes earn all-conference honors. The first six land on the first team and the next six are second-teamers.

Lyons (24) leads Krueger (22) by two points heading into the final round. Pella’s Harper Phillips (18), Norwalk’s Ava Garvey (16) and Indianola’s Camryn Overton (14) complete the top five and Cerna currently sits sixth with 11 points.

Cerna earned 10 points following her third-place finish on Monday. Pak grabbed five points for her top-10 finish, and she’s currently 11th in the standings with six points.

Cardinals down pair of SICL squads

COLFAX — The Cardinals posted the top four scores at Colfax Country Club on Tuesday and won a road triangular that featured host Colfax-Mingo and English Valleys.

Newton won the meet with a 207, while Colfax-Mingo shot a 231 in second. English Valleys did not have enough golfers for a team score.

Pak was the meet medalist with a 51, while Ratcliff (52), Main (52) and Cerna (52) had the other counting scores. Ratcliff was the runner-up medalist on a card back.

Hook (55) and Berndt (56) turned in non-counting scores.