Union claws back to win fifth straight Class 6A crown

By Ken MacLeod

Photos by Rip Stell
These pictures and more will be available for purchase at GolfPix next week.

If you don’t succeed the first time, try seven more times.

That formula worked for the Union Redskins, who put it all together on their home course Thursday in coming from behind to defeat rival Broken Arrow for the first time in their eighth and most important clash of the season.

Led by junior medalist Trudy Allen, the Redskins claimed their fifth consecutive Class 6A girls golf championship with a final-round of 322 on a soggy Lakes Course at The Club at Indian Springs in Broken Arrow.

Allen shot a final round of 73 after opening with a 74 to win the individual title. Union finished at 655, four shots ahead of Broken Arrow, the heavy favorite which had finished ahead of Union in all previous encounters.

The Redskins had lost four of five starters from the 2014 champions and there were only eight players in the program returning for coach Lindsay Jones.

"If you had said at the beginning of they year that we would end up here as champions, I would have thought you were crazy," Jones said. "But they worked hard at it and stuck with it. And they played their best round today."

Shelby Palmour improved from a 91 to an 81 in the second round. Union also counted an 81 from Stephanie Rover and an 87 by freshman Kailee McCrary, matching her best round of the year set on Wednesday.

Broken Arrow was led as usual by Taylor Dobson, good friend and rival of Allen. She shot a final-round 78 to finish tied for third at 153. The Tigers also counted an 82 from Korena Aills, 84 from Shannen Stewart and 85 by Baylee Brewer.

"I’m proud of my girls, they played a steady round similar to the way they’ve played all year," said Broken Arrow coach Charlie Brown. "It wasn’t that we played badly, Union just played a great round today. Hats off to them, they played really well."

Union plays frequently on The Lakes course and is familiar with its angles and new Champion Bermuda greens.

"I’m sure that helped them," Brown said. "Putting on Bermuda greens can be tricky and they handled it better than we did."

Allen said the Class 6A Preview, held earlier at The Lakes, showed Union it could compete. The Redskins finished four shots behind Broken Arrow in the one-day tournament, the closest margin of the year.

"We were all just trying to play our best and try very hard," Allen said. "We thought we were close enough that with a good round we could do it."

"We talked about attacking when you can and playing it safe when you need to," Jones said. "That’s exactly what they did. A great victory for the team."

Owasso finished third in the team race. Norman’s Katie Milligan finished second individually after shooting the tournament’s low round of 71 to finish at 151, four shots behind Allen.  Dobson tied for third with Reagan McQuaid of Jenks at 153, with JT Neuzil of Bixby fifth at 154.

Union will return all five starters in 2016 while Broken Arrow has four of five back, so look for the battle to continue.

Class 6A Championship

Teams

1. Union 333-322–655
2. Broken Arrow 330-329–659
3. Owasso 340-340–680
4. Bixby 356-332–688
5. Edmond North 353-339–692
6. Stillwater 349-356–705
T7. Booker T. Washington 352-355–707
T7. Muskogee 361-346–707
9. Westmoore 350-364–714
10. Edmond Santa Fe 366-376–742
11. Mustang 386-356–742
12. Norman 387-370–757

Individuals

1. Trudy Allen, Union 74-73–147
2. Kaitlin Milligan, Norman Nth. 80-71–151
T3. Taylor Dobson, BA 75-78–153
T3. Regan McQuaid 78-75–153
5. JT Neuzil, Bixby 78-76–154
6. JoBi Heath, Ed. Santa Fe 75-80–155
7. Sam Dennison, Stillwater 78-78–156
8. Natalie Gough, Bixby 84-74–158
9. Hannah Jones, Muskogee 81-78–159
T10. Tess Hartog, Norman 81-80–161
T10. Mackenzie Medders, Jenks 83-78–161

Other scores:

Bartlesville: Tiffany Loosen 97-92–189
Bishop Kelley: Cecilia McHugh 103-90–193
Bishop McGuinness: Kaylee Martin 86-86–172
Bixby: Jordyn Rogers 91-89-180, Meagan Brady 103-93–196, Isabel Vela 103-98–201
Booker T. Washington: Alecia Gonzales 83-83–166, Taylor Boylan 83-84–167, Paisley Skeith 96-92–188, Sydney Johnson 92-98–190, Taylor Johnson 94-96–190
Broken Arrow: Shannen Stewart 83-84–167, Korena Aills 85-82–167, Baylee Brewer 87-85–172, Piper Tully 88-92–180
Choctaw: Lauren Barnes 85-88–173
Edmond Memorial: Ryann Gerdes 95-92–187, Hadley Walters 98-98–196
Edmond North: Emily Floyd 87-75–162, Andie Harris 84-86–170, Karson Reeder 90-89–179, Emile Johnson 92-89–181, Hanna Northcutt 95-100–195
Edmond Santa Fe: Brooke Watson 85-103–188, Kassidy Muse 101-95–195, Amanda Drasuhn 105-98–203, Maddie Lyman 107-103–210
Lawton: Hettie Cherry 90-96–186, Madison Burk 101-100–201
Moore: Brookelin Griffin 95-100–195
Muskogee: Haley Schuler 89-87–176, Brittany Felts 94-86–180, Alyssa Carrier 97-101–198, Avery Rice 101-95–196
Mustang: Lauren Sloan 81-84–165, Sarah Kellog 91-78–169, Cheyenne Woodward 100-92–192, Olivia Teddy 114-102–216, Morgan Woodward 115-117–232
Norman: Channah Cox 96-98–194, Sarah Blough 101-96–197, Hayden Meiser 109-96–205, Alayna Hager 114-107–221
Owasso: Madison LaValle 81-83–164, Faith Belmar 87-83–170, Jordan Leonard 91-84–175, Liz Bollinger 87-90–177, Lex McDonald 85-94–179
Ponca City: Madison Peresko 83-93–176
Putnam City North: Courtney Mason 95-87–182
Southmoore: Ashlea Mahan 85-105–190, Cheyanne Moore 102-105–207
Stillwater: Mackenzie Enmeier 82-88–170, Mara Hunziker 89-98–187, Emily Batchelder 100-92–192, Mariah Brien 122-106–228
Union: Stephanie Royer 81-81–162, Shelby Palmour 91-81–172, Kailee McCrary 87-87–174, Kayla Polk 104-96–200
Westmoore: Hannah Moesinger 84-85–169, Lanie Singley 84-89–173, Vi Hoang 89-95–184, Meagan Palmer 93-95–188, Rachel Campbell 101-99–200