Xavier shoots low for high MVC Super Meet finish

CEDAR FALLS - Cedar Rapids Xavier Coach Julie Kadlec has some homework.The Saints girls golf coach needed to research where her team's latest finish ranks.All four Xavier scorers hit 89 or better, posting a 343 team total and earning a runner-up performance at the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet on Monday at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course. Cedar Falls won its third straight Super Meet crown, tallying a 329, and Linn-Mar was third with 363.It was the Saints showing in this event since winning the 2010 title, improving two consecutive third-place finishes. Kadlec said it might be the team's lowest team score."It was phenomenal shooting," Kadlec said. "That may be the lowest team score for Xavier ... I'm curious to find that out."Xavier had three golfers nab top-nine spots. Maddie Bertsch led the way with an 84, tying for fourth. Grace Winker and Kara Zwanziger tied for seventh with 85. Lisa Olberding rounded out the scorers with an 89, which was good for a tie with Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Ali Lindo at 15th.It still wasn't enough to overcome the Tigers, despite being within three strokes of them on the front nine.“I know we can all do better,” Winker said. “I think we all had struggles, but it was pretty good.”Birdies were hard to claim Monday. Bertsch posted one on the 420-yard, par-5 No. 8, and Olberding fired a four on the 407-yard, second hole. Golfers faced swampy elements, because of early thunderstorms that rolled through with heavy rain and hail before tee-off. The Saints managed the course well, limiting shots with safe play."There was some difficulty,” Kadlec said. "They're fighters. They hang in there.”Play was delayed an hour and then golfers took to the course where small pools of water could be seen between fairways and bigger ones made bunkers unplayable. It was yet another example of spring athletes having to persevere rough conditions.“At first, it was difficult to get used to,” Winker said. “There were random puddles everywhere.“It wasn't too bad compared to what we have been playing in.”Cedar Rapids Washington's M.J. Kamin was meet runner-up for the second time in less than a week. Kamin recorded an 80, placing three shots back of Cedar Falls medalist Megan Brewer. She said this 18-hole event show improvement from one last week.“I was just hitting it better,” Kamin said. “I was playing smarter and felt better out here.”The Warriors' state qualifier was propelled by a 39 on the back nine, second-lowest only to Brewer's 37. Kamin shot par on six straight holes, scoring 11 total pars.“I got in a really good groove,” Kamin said. “I was playing it pretty safe. I wasn't trying to go at every pin (or) make every shot. I was trying to just get it close.”The MVC Super Meet is the first of two competitions that will determine all-conference honors and divisional champions. The scores from Monday's round will be paired with next Monday's divisional meet scores. The MVC Mississippi Division will be played at Ellis Golf Course with the MVC Valley held at Irv Warren Golf Course in Waterloo.Cedar Falls leads Xavier by 14 strokes in the Valley Division, which has five of the top individuals with Brewer, Kamin, Cedar Falls teammates Allison Rolinger and Hannah Hegarty and Bertsch. Kadlec said the Super Meet was a confidence booster and the Saints will work on the mental aspect of golf.“We hope to do better,” Winker said. “As a team we did well, but we want to see how close we can get to Cedar Falls and all being toward the top individually.”Dubuque Senior leads Iowa City West, 368-373, heading into the Mississippi Division meet. Dubuque Hempstead freshman Tierney Dalsing leads the individual standings with 84. Senior's Jordyn Engelgen shot 88 followed by Lindo.

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY CONFERENCE SUPER MEET

At Cedar Falls

(Pheasant Ridge Golf Course, par 72)

Teams - 1. Cedar Falls 329, 2. Cedar Rapids Xavier 343, 3. Linn-Mar 363, 4. Dubuque Senior 368, 5. Iowa City West 373, 6. Dubuque Hempstead 387, 7. Cedar Rapids Prairie 395, 8. Iowa City High 396, 9. Dubuque Wahlert 402, 10. Waterloo West 408, 11. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 409, 12. Cedar Rapids Washington 431, 13. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 479, 14. Waterloo East 550.

Individuals - 1. Megan Brewer (CF), 77, 2 M.J. Kamin (CRW), 80, 3. Allison Rolinger (CF), 82, 4. (tie) Hannah Hegarty (CF), Maddie Bertsch (CRX) and Tierney Dalsing (DH), 84, 7. (tie) Grace Winker (CRX) and Kara Zwanziger (CRX), 85, 9. Natalie Rokes (CF), 86, 10. (tie) Jordyn Engelgen (DS), Emma Lorenz (LM), Jordan Postma (LM) and Taylor Utter (CRP), 89.

XAVIER (343): Bertsch 84, Winker 85, Zwanziger 85, Lisa Olberding 89

LINN-MAR (363): Lorenz 89, Postma 89, Katie Harding 91, Lauren Coughlin 96

I.C. WEST (373): Tiffany Danger 90, Allye Boardman93, Mackenzi Marsh 95, Avery Kout 95

PRAIRIE (395): Utter 89, Emily Machula 95, Emily Perrin 106, Jenna Niccolls 106

CITY HIGH (396): Emily Koepnick 92, Sarah Overton 93, Emmalie Bohnsack 100, Sky Shield 111

KENNEDY (409): Ali Lindo 89, Raemi Chavez 101, Amanda Wiedemeier 102, Avery Haefner 117

WASHINGTON (431): Kamin 80, Kandis O'Donnell 106, Brett Visser 116, Kate Nash 129

JEFFERSON (479): Emily Aukes 97, Rachel Tortora 121, Cassidy Simpson 124, Lyndsey Lykkegaard 137