Har-Ber holds off Fayetteville for 6A-West title

ROGERS -- Springdale Har-Ber Coach Tim Aynes had a combined score of 220 in mind for his girls team to hold off Fayetteville to win the 6A-West Conference golf championship.

The Lady Wildcats did one stroke better than that.

Har-Ber shot a combined score of 219 to repeat as 6A-West Conference champions Tuesday at the Lost Springs Golf and Athletic Club. Fayetteville finished second with a 223, while Cabot won the 6A-Central championship by shooting a combined 243 score.

The lowest three scores from each team was counted for team totals.

"A 230 score, basically, is what won it for us last year," Aynes said. "Going into this, I targeted a 220. That's what I thought it would take to win it because Fayetteville is very good and they've been beating us some this year. But our girls came through and shot a 219, which is really good."

The top eight teams and top eight players who shot 105 or below will convene again at Lost Springs this morning to decide team and individual Class 6A state titles. Springdale Har-Ber is the defending championship, but Aynes said he expects another challenge from Fayetteville, which has finished as the state runners-up the past two seasons.

Har-Ber won by 29 strokes over second-place Fayetteville last year at the Hurricane Golf and Country Club in Bryant.

Grace Kilcrease, who finished second in the state tournament last year, shot a solid par 72 over the 18-hole course. The surprise score came from sophomore Charlie Whorton, who achieved a personal best with a 2-under 70.

"To have a day like that in a pressure situation was huge," Aynes said.

Whorton said she got off to a good start Tuesday morning and gained confidence as the tournament progressed through the day.

"I was three-under and then I birdied Hole 5," Whorton said. "That's when I felt, 'Hey, I'm playing good today. :et's keep it up.' I putted really well the whole day."

Fayetteville Coach Scott Williams said the Lady Bulldogs will take some momentum into today's state tournament after a fine effort Tuesday in the conference meet.

"I was very pleased with how we played today," Williams said. "We were very consistent to what we had been doing and I think it's got us in a good position to compete for the state championship."

Senior Elizabeth Atchley shot a 73 to lead Fayetteville. She was followed by Madeleine Wilson with a 74 and Elizabeth Lim with 76.

"[Atchley] is like a coach's dream because it seems she always plays her best golf in the most pressured situations," Williams said. "She shoots a 73 to lead us and that's a promising sign, especially with her in the Number 3 spot and shooting a 73. That's to go along with our Number 1 and Number 2 spots, who can shoot a little bit better, that puts us right in the ballpark to compete for a state championship."

Cabot shot a 243 to outdistance second place Conway (278) to win the 7A-Central Conference championship. Holly Heslep shot 78 and Emmerson Doyle 79 to lead the Lady Panthers.

"Holly shot 78, and that's a good round for her," Cabot Coach Matthew Malham said. "She and Emmerson both shot in the 70s to help us get to the conference championship."

Alex Siwiec of Rogers Heritage provided a highlight Tuesday when she made a hole-in-one on the par-3 13th hole.