ANITA — Mount Ayr senior Tessa Shields knows what it’s like to play at the girls state golf tournament, having qualified as a freshman and a sophomore.
But she missed out a season ago.
Shields made up for it in Monday’s Class 1A regional final.
The Raiderettes senior will end her prep golf career at the state tournament after earning a spot in the meet held at Crestwood Hills Golf Course in Anita.
Shields posted a 93 to finish fourth individually.
“I’m really happy for her,” said Mount Ayr coach Scott Giles.
Shields will be joined at state by teammate Abbey Schafer, who carded a 96 and placed in a tie for fifth.
Shields will take her golfing career to the collegiate level this fall at St. Ambrose University in Davenport.
Before she joins the Bees program, Shields will have two more rounds as a Raiderette. The Class 1A state tournament is next Tuesday and Wednesday at the American Legion Golf Course in Marshalltown.
“Completing her career at the state tournament is the way she wanted to end her career.”
Shields will be joined by Schafer. Schafer will be competing at state for the second consecutive season.
Giles noted it is the first time he can remember in his many years that two Raiderette girls have qualified individually for state.
“It’s good to get them back.”
Shields and Schafer set themselves up well to start each hole. Giles noted both were OK around the greens, but did enough to move on.
“They were pretty good off the tee, placing themselves in pretty good positions where they had a shot at the green,” Giles said. “They could’ve chipped and putted a little better, but that’s the game of golf. All in all, they played pretty well.”
The success of Shields and Schafer can be a motivating influence for younger golfers in Mount Ayr.
“It’s a good shot in the arm,” Giles said. “Young kids see that, set a goal they want to be in the state tournament.”
The Raiderettes placed third as a team with a 408, missing a team spot at state by four strokes. West Monona was the champion with a 372. Boyer Valley was second with a 405.
“We knew it was going to be really close. It came down to that,” Giles said. “We knew it was going to be really tight with Boyer Valley.”
Boyer Valley’s second and third golfers came in with quality scores.
“Their two and three came in really well,” Giles said.
As scores trickled in, the Raiderettes nervously waited, wondering where they stood in relation to other teams.
“It’s not like a basketball game where you can look at the scoreboard and see how many points you are behind,” Giles said. “When they come in and go up on the board, it is what it is. That’s why every stroke is important.”
Now Shields and Schafer will begin preparations for the state tournament.
Play on Tuesday and Wednesday starts at 10 a.m., with a shotgun start both days.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Shields said. “Tessa’s played it before. Abbey will go up this week and play it.”
The buzz that will be at the American Legion course is what makes a state tournament unique, Giles said.
“The atmosphere is always neat,” Giles said. “You see a lot of people. A lot more people come out. There’s a lot bigger galleries, which makes it fun.”
East Union’s Quinn Eslinger finished with a 102 and did not advance.
Team scores — 1. West Monona 372, 2. Boyer Valley 405, 3. Mount Ayr 409, 4. Kingsley Pierson 419, 5. Storm Lake 477, 6. CAM 482.
State qualifiers — 1. Samantha Knight, West Monona 78; 2. Allyson Rose, West Monona 89; 3. Sammi Jahde, CAM, 90; 4. Tessa Shields, MA, 93, 5. Abbey Schafer, MA, 96; 5. Cathryn Klein, Boyer Valley 96; 5. Mateya Peters, CAM, 96.
Mount Ayr cards — Tessa Shields 93, Abbey Schafer 96, Abbi Haley 106, Halle Still 111, Katelyn Dolecheck 114, Kylee Smith 123.
East Union cards — Quinn Eslinger 102.