Cardinal girls finish ninth at Southeast Polk golf invitational

PLEASANT HILL — Three career-best scores helped the Newton girls golf team post its second-best 18-hole score of the season on Thursday.

The Cardinals shot 375 at Copper Creek Golf Course and placed ninth in the 14-team field at the Southeast Polk Invitational. Newton was four strokes behind Des Moines Roosevelt (371) and seven back of Ankeny Centennial (368), who placed seventh and eighth, respectively.

“We are still struggling on our short game and putting, but it’s more of a mental issue at this point,” Newton head girls golf coach Nicole George said. “We are our own worst competitor when we let our emotions take over instead of just letting go and playing golf. But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some great things to be celebrated as well.”

George and the Cardinals celebrated career-best scores from Addie Ratcliff, Addie Hook and Kalleigh Berndt, a strong back nine from Johana Cerna and two birdies from Hook.

Cerna, who leads the Cardinals with an average of 89.6, recovered from a 50 on the front nine to shoot 39 on the back. Her 89 led Newton and Ratcliff was nine shots below her season average with a career-best 91.

The other two counting scorers were Hook (career-best 97) and Evie Main (98). Berndt’s career-best 101 and Eva Pak’s 105 were non-counting scores.

“We’re hitting a lot of great golf shots, but we just need everything to fall together at the same time,” George said. “Hopefully we can make it happen for us on Monday at our final conference meet of the season. We’re getting down to the final stretch here for the four seniors, and I want them to be able to go out on a high note.”

Gilbert won the Southeast Polk tournament with a 322, while Norwalk (337), Waukee Northwest (337), Marshalltown (341) and Southeast Polk (347) completed the top five.

West Des Moines Valley (357) was sixth and the rest of the field featured Ankeny (384), Dallas Center-Grimes (387), Dowling Catholic (391), Des Moines East (409) and Urbandale (465).

Marshalltown’s Natalie Henson was the meet medalist with a 70. She defeated Gilbert’s Ava Lohrbach (70) on a card back.

Notes: The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released regional assignments on Wednesday, and Newton is headed to Willow Creek Golf Course for its Class 4A regional final on May 21. The other teams in attendance will be host Valley, Ames, Roosevelt, Dowling Catholic, Council Bluffs Lewis Central, Norwalk, Sioux City East, Sioux City West and Sioux City North. The Cardinals shot 382 at Willow Creek at the Lamson Invitational earlier this season. “There is definitely some tough competition, but I hope knowing the course will give the girls a little extra boost of confidence,” George said.