Megan Bursey
Sickles
Senior Wins District Tournament Title
© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 24, 2001
TAMPA -- At Westchase Golf Club, Clearwater Central Catholic stayed a comfortable 70 strokes ahead of the competition to win the championship with a 334 team score.
Berkeley Prep made an easy claim on the runner-up spot with a 404 team total.
The Bucs were followed by Academy of the Holy Names (444) and Indian Rocks Christian (452).
The Marauders got their biggest boost from senior Ashley Lamoureax, whose 75 earned her medalist honors.
Berkeley Prep coach Bob Yarnell said he expected Clearwater Central Catholic to play well, and was pleased with his own team's performance.
"These are very good scores for us," Yarnell said.
"Our team total is lower than we scored in last year's districts."
All four teams will advance to the Class A, Region 5 tournament at Country Club of Sebring on Monday.
The top four individuals not on the top four teams also advanced to the regional playoffs.
They were: Tampa Catholic's Megan Temoin (96), Seminole Presbyterian's Erin Craig (103), Tampa Catholic's April Lancaster and Tampa Prep's Sarah Levant (111).
Marauders coach Joe Lamoureax said the par-72, 5,203-yard course was a good test for his team, and he expected the state playoffs to be tough.
"It's hard to compete with girls in this class," Lamoureax said. "A top-three finish would be like a state championship for us."
Yarnell said he hopes to improve the Bucs' team score Monday to stay in the playoffs, but that host Sebring is expected to be as tough as the Marauders.
"Basically, if we come in third (at regionals), we'll be happy," Yarnell said.
"I don't think we're going to drop 70 strokes in five days."
ODESSA -- Chamberlain might have been up to its usual dominance, but Sickles made some noise in Tuesday's tournament at Silver Dollar Golf Club.
Sickles' Megan Bursey captured medalist honors with 72 to advance to Monday's regional meet at Willowbrook Golf Club in Winter Haven.
In taking the crown, Bursey edged out the Chamberlain duo of Brooke Layton (73) and Mallory Code (76). However, Layton and Code can take solace in their team district title, the fifth straight for the Chiefs.
"They are a very talented team, a very good team," Bursey said. "But I did the best I could. It went really fast out there and I was in a groove. Today, I felt like I was right at their level."
In fact, she was a little better.
Bursey and Layton, playing together in the first group, each shot 36 on the front nine. But Bursey forged a two-shot lead on the back and held on as Layton birdied the 18th hole. Code, who suffered two bogeys on the front nine, fired twin 38s to place third. Still, Chamberlain took the title by 14 strokes, outdistancing Plant 330 to 344. Gaither finished third at 393 while Wharton was fourth at 405.
The top four teams advance to regionals, along with the top four finishers from non-qualifying teams.
After Bursey, that group included Armwood's Ashley Barton (82), Tampa Bay Tech's Emily Echols (97) and Bursey's Sickles teammate Kate Loechelt (104).
"We expected to get one in there but not necessarily two," said Sickles coach Jeff Field of having two golfers qualify for regionals.
Plant was led by Mallory Parsons' fourth-place 81, while Gaither was paced by Ashley Kemp, who shot 82 to place sixth among individuals. Wharton, which earned the last team ticket to the regionals, was led by Alexis Esquia, who tied for eighth at 86.
-- ROD GIPSON
Linda Moss & daughter Megan Bursey playing golf
together at the Cheval Country
Club Member/ Member tournament 4/28/01. They came in 2nd Place!
Theirs was the only mother/daughter team. Way to go!!!!
