Ries finishes eighth at State


Lauren Ries poses with her plaque at the end of the state meet. (Photo submitted)
GIRLS GOLF
By: 
Pete Temple
Express Sports Editor

     Lauren Ries made the most of her second individual trip to the State Class 3A Girls Golf Tournament, and third overall, May 30-31 at Lake Panorama National Golf Course in Panora.

     Ries, who just completed her junior year, shot 85 the first day, 86 the second, to score 171 and tie for seventh place with Ashley DeLong of Clear Lake. Due to the cardback rule (who shot better on a random, pre-selected hole), Ries officially finished eighth.

     A year ago, she tied for 17th at State.

     “I was pretty excited,” Ries said. “My goal was to get in the top 10.”

     Her goals changed when she saw that, after the first day, the difference between third place and 16th place was just seven strokes. Ries, in fact, was just three strokes out of third at that point.

     “Then I wanted to be higher,” she said.

     Still, she and coach Joe Steen were happy with the finish.

     “She played well both days she really drew on her experience from last year,” Steen said. “She had a couple of bad holes the first day but putted really well. The second day she had to scramble a little more.”

     Ries added: “I didn’t actually play my best golf (the second day).”

     Having been to State three years in a row (she was part of the Panther team that qualified in 2015), Ries said, was a factor in finishing that high out of 56 golfers.

     “It helps a lot,” she said. “I wasn’t even that nervous stepping up to the first tee.”

     The tournament ended the season for the Panthers.

     “Overall I think our season went well,” Steen said. “As a team we got better as the season progressed. The younger players got better and we should be more experienced next year. I was disappointed with our finish in the conference meet so I will be expecting a better finish next year.”

 

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