Madrid to Marion: Lopez Moreno boosts Linn-Mar golf

 MARION - Teresa Lopez Moreno has been a nice addition to the Linn-Mar girls golf team.Unfortunately for the Lions, the benefits will be brief.Lopez Moreno is a foreign exchange student from Madrid, Spain, at Linn-Mar and will return home for her final year of high school. She has made an impact, leading the Lions with a 42.0 nine-hole average and 83.50 over 18 holes.She is extremely accurate and manages the course well, allowing her to overcome others who hit it farther.“She's really good,” Linn-Mar Coach Bill Hoefle said. “She's tiny. She hits it dead straight. She doesn't get in trouble.”The 16-year-old junior began playing nine years ago. She has a passion for the game, aspiring to return to the states to play collegiately. Hoefle said she has potential to play at a lower-level NCAA Division I school.“I've had my ups and downs (but) I like it,” Lopez Moreno said. “I went through that faze when I was 12 that I didn't want to play golf. I got over that.”Playing with the Lions has been a new experience. The sport is the same, but players have to catch on with club teams to compete. She played for a club and in some  individual tournaments on her own.“We don't have school teams in Spain,” Lopez Moreno said. “You have to go to a course and say you want to receive lessons. They start practice and if they see you're good you might get on the team. When you get on the team, you compete against other clubs.”Lopez Moreno said she has enjoyed her time at Linn-Mar. Everyone has been so polite, especially when she attempted a custom from home before a round.“With golf, you can see it because people are more shy,” Lopez Moreno said. “Every time I meet someone when I go to a tournament, we give two kisses. Here, it's like ‘No, don't touch me. I'm just going to say hi.' It was weird for me.”Lopez Moreno has been a constant at the top of the Lions lineup. She was runner-up medalist at the Mississippi Valley Conference golf meet Monday at Hunters Ridge, helping Linn-Mar to the team title.“I think it was awesome,” said Lopez Moreno, praising her team's performance. “I could have done better on some holes but I was pretty happy.”Hoefle said she has the ability to shoot three or four birdies a round and could shoot mid-70's with more consistently, if she can avoid bogeys. He is always working on instilling more confidence in her.“She has all the shots,” Hoefle said. “I think she enjoys competing. She's always finished in the top four or five in every meet we've had.”The influence she has had on the course complements her contribution to the team off it. Hoefle said Lopez Moreno has bonded with her teammates.“She's a great young lady,” Hoefle said. “She gets along with the girls great. They all love her. I think they are all going to miss her when she leaves.”

Marion claims Wamac WestThe Marion Indians captured the Wamac Conference West Division team title Monday.The Indians shot 160 to win the nine-hole event at Wildcat Golf Course in Shellsburg. Marion's Ian Kelly finished in a three-way tie for first, shooting 37. Williamsburg's Zach Buch and Vinton-Shellsburg's Grant Noren also shot 37.Jeremy Schneiders carded 38, Daly Quinn shot 42 and Josh Carstensen added 43 for Marion. Benton Community and Vinton-Shellsburg tied for second with 163. Williamsburg, which has qualified for the last four state tournaments, placed fourth with 166.West Delaware won the team title in the East Division also on Monday. The Hawks shot 152 at Fawn Creek Country Club in Fairview, topping runner-up Mount Vernon by nine. Dyersville Beckman was third with 163.West Delaware's Harrison Guetzko and Bryce Frick finished first and second, respectively, shooting 35 apiece. Carter Frick and Clayton Larsen each added a 41.The Mustangs were led by Connor Herrmann and Andy DeCamp. Both shot 39. Mount Vernon freshman Drew Wolfe had a 40 and Tommy Hook shot 43.The Wamac Super Meet is next Monday at Pin Oak in Manchester.

Area teams among 4A leadersArea Class 4A teams are well represented in the top 10, according to Quikstats standings. Cedar Rapids Xavier, coming off a runner-up finish at the MVC Super Meet, is first with 184.70 combined nine- and 18-hole adjusted score.Western Dubuque (194.40) and Washington, Iowa, (194.75) are fourth and fifth, respectively. Wamac programs Benton Community and Solon are eighth and ninth. The Bobcats own a 204.44 average, while Solon has a 206.29.