HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM: Xavier's road to state filled with success

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By Kyle D'mello, Xavier juniorCEDAR RAPIDS  - The Xavier girls' golf team has continued its strong season, winning its Class 4A regional earlier this week in Oskaloosa.“Our main goal for the season is to improve our scores so we can make it to state,” junior Maddie Bertsch said before the regional.The Saints started their string of recent  meets by competing in the Linn-Mar Invitational at Hunters Ridge on April 24. Xavier placed second in the 11-team meet. Bertsch led the Saints, shooting an 83 over 18 holes. This score put Bertsch in a tie for second place and only three shots behind the meet medalist. Junior Grace Winker shot a 90 and tied for sixth in the meet.The very next day, the Saints played in the Linn-Mar quadrangular at Hunters Ridge. Xavier placed second again and Winker shot a 44, which was the low score. Bertsch and freshman Amy Olberding were not far behind with 45s.The Saints participated in four meets in four daysOn April 29, Xavier golfed in the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet at Pheasant Ridge in Cedar Falls. In the 14-team event, the Saints placed second. Bertsch led the way again for the Saints, shooting an 84 and tying for third. Winker and junior Kara Zwanziger also placed well,both shooting an 85.The next day, the Saints had a meet against Iowa City Regina at Pleasant Valley. Xavier dominated the dual, winning by 38 strokes. Bertsch shot a 38 and was the meet medalist. On May 1, Xavier won the nine-team CRANDIC meet at Gardner, and played excellently all around. Bertsch sat on top of the scoreboard again and beat the second-place golfer by eight strokes. The rest of the team also placed well. Seniors Hailey Sojka and Lisa Olberding tied for third and Zwanziger and Winker tied for sixth.The Saints placed second in a seven-team meet at the Irv Warren golf course in Waterloo on May 6. Bertsch shot a 76, three strokes behind the leader, to lead the Saints again. In a quadrangular at Gardner on May 8, Xavier won by a decisive 28 strokes. Bertsch and Lisa Olberding were the co-medalists with a score of 40.“We have been off to a great start and have posted some of our lowest scores ever,” Winker said.