Lady Zizzers golf posts back-to-back third-place tournament finishes
The West Plains girls golf team secured a pair of third-place finishes over the past week, placing third at the Springfield Catholic tournament on Tuesday following a third-place showing at the Lady Laker Invitational in Camdenton on Sept. 2.
At Springfield Catholic, the Lady Zizzers finished behind the host team and runner-up Nixa. Bella Juline shot an 86 to finish as a top-15 medalist. Other West Plains scorers included Charlie Huddleston (89), Libby Gohn (90), Rose Reeves (91) and Allie Petrus (95).
"It was good to see some other teams that will be in our district this year and see how we stack up against them," West Plains head coach James Sharp said. "I think we will have a chance to take a team to the state tournament this year if everyone keeps playing this well throughout the season."
That performance followed a grueling test at the 19-team Lady Laker Invitational, where West Plains shot a collective 378 to place third behind team champion Rock Bridge and Nixa. Two Zizzers finished in the top 10 of the 92-golfer field: Juline shot a 90 to place ninth, and Huddleston carded a 92 to take 10th.
"The girls did a great job overall as a team," Sharp said of the Sept. 2 tournament. "On a hot, miserable day and a seven-plus hour round, we really did a good job of staying focused throughout."
Zizzers cross country sweeps Class 4 titles at SCCCA meet
The West Plains boys and girls cross country teams captured Class 4 championships at the Southwest Cross Country Coaches Association meet Sept. 5 in Bolivar.
West Plains Head Coach Alicia Gunter said it was a hot, fast-paced morning with little time between races, but both teams ran strong races to get a solid start to the season. Libby Hart earned her stripes on the girls' side.
"The kids handled the first race of the season well," Gunter said. "We focused on running as a team and helping our teammates gain valuable experience. We will keep working to get faster and stronger and run the traditional Zizzer Pack."
Lady Zizzers volleyball goes 2-1 at CMAC-OMC crossover
The West Plains volleyball team went 2-1 during the Central Missouri Activities Conference vs. Ozark Mountain Conference crossover event Sept. 3 in Columbia.
The varsity Lady Zizzers defeated Rock Bridge and Jefferson City, with their lone loss coming to Helias. Aubrey Tidwell and Violet Hafer were selected to the all-tournament team.
"Our best game of the day was our first," West Plains head coach Hailey Beazley said. "We were down 1-0 to Rock Bridge and battled back to defeat them 2-1."
Beazley added that the CMAC won the most games overall in the inter-conference showdown, calling it a great event with high-level competition. The West Plains junior varsity squad went undefeated at the event, sweeping Rock Bridge, Helias and Jefferson City.
