Lady Cougars Win First Home Golf Meet With Panthers

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 By David Sharp 

Highland sophomore Morgan Crist earned Medalist honors at an August 30, 2023 girls golf dual with Monroe City at the Twin Pines Golf Club at Tolona. Highland won their first girls golf home meet by a score of 198-243. 

Morgan Crist carded a nine hole total of 43. Ali Reed fired a 46. Natalie Bowen shot a 52. Josie Murphy turned in a 61. 

Rachel Bringer shot a 57. Zoey Baker turned in a 61. Ella Swaim scored a 62. Savannah Bowen shot a 55 for Highland. 

Kyndal Benson turned in a 61 for Monroe City. Ava Potterfield scored a 63. Anna Lemongelli shot a 62 for the Panthers. Regan Cheek scored a nine hole total of 57. Marissa Hays turned in a 67 and Hannah Smith scored a 71. 

“It’s totally amazing,” Morgan Crist said about the feeling of competing in Girls Golf. “We can go out and play our own game. We don’t have to compete with the boys. It just felt really good.” 

“You don’t have to go out and birdie every hole. You can play with girls that are at your level. If you make mistakes, it’s OK. You can go out and compete better,” Morgan Crist said. 

“It’s just a different environment,” Crist said. “Honestly, girls are different from boys.” 

Highland Alum and current Quincy University women’s golfer Payton Miller attended the match. The Hawk golf team member commented on Highland competing in MSHSAA sanctioned girl’s golf. 

“I was really happy for them,” Payton Miller said. “It’s so great to see them playing this amazing sport, and knowing that I might have lit a spark. Knowing that I might have had something to do with it.” 

“It’s amazing to watch them out there and having fun.” Payton Miller qualified for and participated in the 2023 state boys golf tournament before graduating from Highland HS last spring. 

Prior to this season, Highland girls played with the boy’s golf team in the spring. Payton Miller talked about some of the differences of playing college golf rather than high school links. 

“We go out and practice short game and nine or 18 holes every day. Every weekend we have a thing called qualifiers. We score 18 holes, and the top five out of the seven of us compete in the next meet. 

Quincy University has women’s golf matches in both the spring and fall. “We also do conditioning and strength training. On top of that, we have classes and work studies to do,” Payton Miller said about the life of a local college golfer. It’s really busy.” 

Highland previously competed in the Hannibal Invitational at Norwood Hills. The Lady Cougars finished fifth out of nine teams. “They shot a 439,” Lady Cougar coach Joe Hattey said of the first Lady Cougar golf meet of the fall season. 

“I was really proud of the way they played.” 

“I couldn’t be happier with the way they played today. They walk up to the ball and they know what they want to do,” Coach Hattey said. “They played smart golf. Being on the home course, they had an advantage.” 

“They can make the shot. It’s really nice to see.”