By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's girls golf team encountered some challenges along the way, but in the end the Vikings claimed the biggest prize in Tuesday's Class 5A regional tournament at Lake Shawnee, winning the team championship by a four-stroke margin.
The Vikings put four golfers in the top nine places to win the team title by a 364-368 margin over Andover and advance to next Monday and Tuesday's 5A state tournament at Hutchinson's Carey Park.
"I was nervous,'' Seaman coach Julie McLaughlin said. "Things weren't looking very good. We were struggling out there, but as I'm seeing the scores come in there were some scores that really surprised me. I didn't realize there were going to shoot that low and we had some girls near the bottom (of the lineup) really step up, so that was big.
"I heard some key putts were made out there so overall I think we're going to be able to walk away from this pretty happy, but it was touch and go there for awhile. It was kind of a nailbiter for us at times.''
Senor Avery Samuelson finished fourth individually with an 86 to lead the Vikings while sophomore Makenna Stuke finished fifth with an 89.
Junior Jaycee Zimmerman placed eighth individually with a 94 while freshman Kaitlynn Frye was ninth with a 95 to round out the Vikings' top four.
Senior Riley Adams and junior Anna McLaughlin both shot 104 to tie for 16th place.
Shawnee Heights also earned a team berth for the state tournament, placing third as a team with a four-person score of 422.
T-Bird senior Karlyn Bowman led Heights with a 97, tying for 10th place.
Shawnee Heights also got a 20th-place tie from junior Lyla Blair and senior Jaccyn Bugg (106), a tie for 26th from senior Gracie Langston (113), a tie for 31st from freshman Lauryn Valdivia (120) and a 35th-place finish from sophomore Makenna Bryant (128).
Topeka West junior Alex Baxter earned an individual berth for the state tournament, tying for 20th place with a 106.
CLASS 6A REGIONAL
At Cypress Ridge
Team scores
Seaman 364, Andover 368, Shawnee Heights 422, Emporia 429, Salina South 438, Andover Central 443, Newton 473.
Individual results
1. Regan Dusenberry, Andover, 69; 2. Naomi Koontz, Newton, 78; 3. Elise Eckert, Emporia, 82; 4. Avery Samuelson, Seaman, 86; 5. Makenna Stuke, Seaman, 89; 6. Madison Dunn, Salina South, 92; 7. Ella Fessler, Emporia, 93; 8. Jaycee Zimmerman, Seaman, 94; 9. Kaitlynn Frye, Seaman, 95; 10. (tie) Cindric White, Salina Central, and Karlyn Bowman, Shawnee Heights, 97.
Other Seaman -- 16. (tie) Riley Adams and Anna McLaughlin, 104.
Other Shawnee Heights -- 20. (tie) Lyla Blair and Jaccyn Bugg, 106; 26. (tie) Gracie Langston, 113; 31. (tie) Lauryn Valdivia, 120; 35. Makenna Bryant, 128.
Topeka West -- 20. (tie) Alex Baxter, 106; 31. (tie) Berlyn Kolean, 120.