KYLE – Blanket’s Karli Kinkade shot a 14-over-par 85 to share the lead with Happy’s Halee Johnson after the first day of the Class 1A girls golf tournament Monday at Plum Creek Golf Course.
Eula’s Maris Pree Goodman and Munday’s Brooklyn Rodriguez are both two shots back, while Eula shot 432 as a team to sit in third place – 85 shots behind the leader, Garden City, which shot 347. Veribest is second (390), while Throckmorton is tied with Oglesby for fifth (452).
Johnson won the state title last year with a 167, edging Goodman by two strokes, while Kindade was third (181).
Veribest finished second as a team last year, seven shots behind Robert Lee. The three-time defending state champions did not qualify as a team this year. Garden City was third.
The second and final round will be Tuesday at Plum Creek.
CLASS 1A STATE TOURNAMENT
At Plum Creek Golf Course
Team – 1. Garden City 347, 2. Veribest 390, 3. Eula 432, 4. Utopia 439, 5. (tie) Throckmorton, Oglesby 452, 7. Graford 453, 8. Leakey 456, 9. Wildorado 473, 10. Lazbuddie 477 , 11. Rochelle 478, 12. Borden County 497.
individual – 1. (tie) Karli Kinkade, Blanket, 85; Halee Jo Johnson, Happy, 85; 3. (tie) Maris Pree Goodman, Eula, 87; Brooklyn Rodriguez, Munday, 87; 5. Kinsey Cox, Utopia, 88; 6. (tie) Ryley Buckner, Veribest, 89; Rylee Wood, Garden City, 89; Audrey Marier, Lenorah Grady, 89; 9. Olivia Abbott, Veribest, 93; 10. Shelby Braden, Garden City, 94. Others: Kailey Freeman, Robert Lee, 95.
Team Scores
Eula (432) – Maris Pree Goodman 85, Hailee Cauthen 105, Laney Fostel 120, Layla Fostel 120, Emma Damron 125.
Throckmorton (452) – Hannah Gage 100, Olivia Fauntleroy 111, Sydnee Koonsman 114, Brylee Gage 127.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Blanket’s Kinkade, Eula, Throckmorton girls in hunt at state golf