Magical finish lifts Blevins, Edmond North to Class 6A championships
By Ken MacLeod
Photos by Rip Stell
Edmond North is accustomed to winning golf tournaments, but Thursday’s one-shot victory over Edmond Memorial in the Class 6A State Championship at Broken Arrow Golf & Athletic Club included a series of unusual firsts.
For individual winner Haley Blevins, it was the first state tournament in which she had competed. The high school she attended through her sophomore year in Huntsville, Ala., did not field a team, and she missed out in her junior year of 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic wiped out the state tournaments.
For coach Greg Bloyd, it capped an amazing ride in his first season as head coach. Bloyd was the Huskies baseball coach for 17 seasons but agreed to take over the team when previous coach Brock VanCleave took a new assignment.
“This has been amazing,” said Bloyd who agreed to take the job partly because he had several of the players in class and liked and respected them already. “It was really an up-and-down two days but they all played well. Haley was really special down the stretch.”
Blevins won the event for the Huskies with consecutive birdies on holes 17 and 18. She hit her second shot to about 8 feet on the par-4 17th and drained it, then hit her third on the par-5 18th hole to 12 feet and calmly rolled the breaking putt in the center of the cup. That gave her a round of 74 for a 146 total after her opening 72. She finished four shots clear of Lily Stanton of Jenks (76-74) and six ahead of Olivia Coit of Edmond Memorial (79-73).
“It was crazy, Blevins said of the finish. I just knew it was going to be really close. I thought Olivia (Coit of Edmond Memorial) was going to have me by a few shots but the birdies came in really clutch.”
Coit closed with a 73 as Edmond Memorial shot a solid 312 in the second round. Memorial had a one-shot lead over North to start the day, but the Huskies’ 310 total nudged them in front.
The birdie-birdie finish was special, but even more so may have been Blevins’ par save at the par-3 15th hole. Her tee shot bounded over the green and was nestled on top of roots against a large tree. Players were allowed a grip length of relief on all shots, so she was able to move it on to an adjoining root giving her just enough of an angle to chop straight down on the ball.
Bloyd advised her that taking an unplayable lie might be the most prudent course of action, but Blevins was having none of it. She avoided hitting the tree and punched it off the root onto the green, then rolled in the 15-footer to save par.
“Coach was like, are you going to take an unplayable?” Blevins said. “I said no, but I might break an iron! . . . That shot was just as exciting as my two birdies for me because it was such a fun shot.”
It was the fifth victory of the season for Edmond North and also Blevins fifth victory, having won four consecutive tournaments previously. She has signed to play for the Oklahoma Christian in 2021-22.
Jenna Triplett shot 76 and tied for fourth while Rylee Roberts shot 77 in the final round and placed seventh for Edmond North. The Huskies also counted an 83 by Whitney Moore.
For Memorial, Lilly Whitley finished sixth after a 79, Amber Luttrell shot 79 and MCLenna Tatum 81.
Broken Arrow placed third, 10 shots back of Memorial, while Jenks was fourth. The four teams were separated by only four shots after the first round but the two Edmond schools pulled away Thursday.
Class 6A Championship
At Broken Arrow Golf and Athletic Club; par 72
Teams
1. Edmond North 318-310-628
2. Edmond Memorial 317-312-629
3. Broken Arrow 321-318-639
4. Jenks 319-325-644
5. Norman North 356-362-718
6. Owasso 366-361-727
7. Union 369-360-729
8. Bixby 372-367-739
9. Westmoore 375-373-748
10. Bartlesville 383-367-750
11. Yukon 383-379-762
12. Norman 411-409-820
Top individuals
1. Haley Blevins, Edmond North, 72-74-146
2. Lily Stanton, Jenks 76-74-150
3. Olivia Colt, Edmond Memorial, 79-73-152
T4. Jenna Triplett, Edmond North, 77-76-153
T4. Avery Clevenger, Broken Arrow, 77-76-153
6. Lilly Whitley, Edmond Memorial, 75-79-154
7. Rylee Roberts, Edmond North, 79-77-156
8. Riley Rinner, Broken Arrow, 77-80-157
9. Jaeya Mathis, Westmoore, 77-81-158
T10. Gracie Doke, Jenks, 82-77-159
T10. Brianna Maddux, Owasso, 79-80-159
Others
Bartlesville: Lisa Brown 88-81-169, Campbell Craig 93-92-185, Taylor Price 98-98-196, Emilyn Rainbolt 104-99-203, Grace Lumpkin 107-96-203.
Bixby: Cameron Hill 89-88-177, Ella Fryer 95-89-184, Emma Fields 90-98-188, Maddie McIntyre 98-92-190, Ava Smith 101-105-206.
Broken Arrow: Nina Aills 81-83-164, Halle Bullen 86-79-165, Josie Clevenger 89-90-179.
Choctaw: Jazmyn Brandon 105-92-197.
Edmond Deer Creek: Lauren Hurd 80-80-160.
Edmond Memorial: McLenna Tatum 81-81-162, Amber Luttrell 83-79-162, Spencer Holleyman 82-91-173.
Edmond North: Aiden Coffelt DQ-85-85, Whitney Moore 90-83-173.
Edmond Santa Fe: Ivy Harris 94-92-186.
Jenks: Isabella Suttee 81-86-167, Adrian Piles 80-90-170, Katelyn Bollenbach 82-88-170.
Midwest City: Riley Friesen 96-109-205, Kaci Bedford 107-100-207.
Mustang: Lindsey Greenlee 91-88-179, C.J. Bowers 98-99-197, Bailee Highfill 114-99-213.
Norman: Samantha Hames 98-101-199, Kaia Smith 98-102-200, Lilly Boehm 105-105-210, Kayla Mays 110-101-211.
Norman North: Corynn Speer 87-82-169, Syrah Javed 85-85-170, Blaine Bruton 92-94-186, Ayla Fetters 92-101-193, Abby Gibson 113-110-223.
Owasso: Mackenzie Fields 92-94-186, Brooklyn Williams 99-90-189, Macie Jamison 99-97-196, Jaylie Davis 96-101-197.
Sand Springs: Meghan Charles 84-78-162, Alyx Edwards 137-103-240.
Southmoore: Heather Hunkele 90-87-177, Mikaila Moore 87-101-188.
Stillwater: Lucy Darr 83-79-162, Lindsay Millis 98-104-202, Jade Gosney 99-94-193
Union: Cierra Tunley 84-82-166, Brooke Carroll 86-87-173, Tessa Gardenhire 93-93-186, Helena Tunley 106-98-204, Mary Schulte 106-113-219.
Westmoore: Mimi Hoang 80-81-161, Hannah Balderrama 104-106-210, Avery Rose 114-105-219, Laci Fravert 124-109-233.
Yukon: Makaylee Cowan 79-81-160, Carley Haught 83-77-160, Jaley Goff 111-112-223, Antonia Brandt 110-121-231, Alex Halvorson 116-109-225