By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
School does not start for almost two weeks, but the Elkhorn Area High School girls golf team is already well into its season.
The Elks played three meets last week, and will play in two meets this week and three more next week.
The Elks played Aug. 20 in the Taylor Clark Memorial Invitational at Brighton Dale Links in Kansasville.
Host school Westosha Central renamed the meet this year in honor of Clark, who golfed for the Falcons for four years and graduated in 2013.
Clark was to play golf collegiately at UW-Stevens Point, but succumbed to a rare and aggressive form of ovarian cancer in August 2013. She was 18. The meet now named for Clark was previously known as the Falcon Invitational.
“It was hard for all of us,” Elks coach Steve Fisher said. “Taylor was such a nice girl. I always make it a point to tell the girls about Taylor, because I think it’s good to make them aware.”
The Elks finished seventh in the eight-team field with a four-woman score of 457.
Union Grove won the invite with a team score of 363. The Prairie School of Wind Point finished second (373), Waterford finished third (400), Central fourth (406) and Burlington fifth (425). Wilmot finished sixth (427) and Badger eighth (458).
Jessica Barrett led the Elks with a score of 102. Gabi Timmer shot a 114, Emma Wolman finished at 117 and Carlie Hanson carded a 124. Ava Greeley finished at 134.
Union Grove’s Mari Suokko won individual medalist honors (79).
The Elks junior varsity squad finished second by five strokes. Elkhorn scored 235 to Union Grove’s 230. Veronica Vigil finished second with a 56 over nine holes and Hailey Czubernaut finished third with a 57.
Union Grove’s Ellie Ziegler won individual medalist honors (51).
The Elks’ No. 1 team finished 11th and their No. 2 team 13th Aug. 17 in the Elkhorn Invitational at Evergreen Country Club in Elkhorn.
“Team 1, they did a nice job, especially on the front nine,” Fisher said. “There were probably six or seven holes where we were able to get up and down for par.”
The Elks’ No. 1 team of Barrett, Hanson, Timmer and Vigil combined for an 83. The Elks’ No. 2 team of Czubernat, Franz, Gall and Olson shot a 100.
Union Grove won the 13-team scramble with a score of 66.
In a scramble, each player tees off. Players agree on the best tee shot and play from that spot. Each player hits again, and players agree on a second shot and shoot from there, and continue until they hole out.
The Elks opened the 2015 season Aug. 17 in the Union Grove Scramble at Ives Grove Golf Links in Sturtevant.
Elkhorn’s team of Barrett and Grace Christian finished 17th with a score of 92. The Elks’ Hanson and Timmer finished 22nd with a 97.
Union Grove’s team of Suokko and Megan Koch won the scramble with a score of 68.
The Elks opened their Southern Lakes Conference season Tuesday with a match against Burlington at Browns Lake Golf Course in Burlington. Elkhorn golfs today in a SLC match against Wilmot at Evergreen Country Club.
