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Highlands Today

Streaks win district golf title

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The Sebring girls golf team pose with its Class 2A-District 9 championship trophy at Cypresswood Country Club in Lakeland on Tuesday afternoon.

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By MARK PINSON

Highlands Today

Published: October 22, 2009

LAKELAND - Sebring's Savana Fisher shot a season-best 85 to lead the Blue Streaks girls golf team to a first-place finish in the Class 2A-District 9 tournament at Cypresswood Golf and Country Club on Tuesday.

Sebring shot a four-person team score of 370 for 18 holes to finish first in the nine-team competition, with the top three squads advancing to next week's regional tournament at Hunter's Creek Country Club in Orlando.

Fisher's 85 tied for the lowest round of the tournament, but the Blue Streaks sophomore lost to Bartow senior Jake Horne on the first playoff hole for medalist honors.

Sebring senior Camiel White carded a 92, freshman Sarah Liles kept up her solid play with a 96 and sophomore Lindsey Lovett rounded out the Blue Streaks' scoring with a 97.

"I'm so proud of all the girls," said first-year Sebring coach Debbie McNall. "They played well in very cold and windy conditions after a rough start.

"Cypresswood is a tough course and the front nine is very tight, but we managed to hang in there and post a good score."

White's 92 earned her a fourth-place finish, while Liles finished fifth and Lovett came in sixth in individual competition.

George Jenkins (Lakeland) placed a distant second with a 394, with Niki Jenkins and Linda Williams leading the way for the Eagles with each shooting a 97.

Celebration claimed third place with a 429, with Ashley Nelson pacing the Thunder with a 92.

Sebring, which went 25-0 during the regular season, continues its quest for a state tournament berth.

"We've had a fantastic season and the girls deserve all the credit," McNall said. "I've enjoyed my first year as coach so much and we've had a lot of fun.

"It's been a very rewarding experience and I can't thank the girls and assistant coach Natalie Crawford enough."

The Blue Streaks will play a practice round at Hunter's Creek Country Club this week to familiarize themselves with the layout.

"None of the girls have played at Hunter's Creek before so we're going to head up there this week and play a practice round and see what it's like," said McNall. "We know we're going to face some real tough competition with a lot of private schools at the regional tournament."

Only the top two teams advance to the state tournament from the regional competition, and Sebring will have to shoot its lowest score of the season if it hopes to move on.

"The longer you play in the postseason the tougher the competition gets," McNall said. "Our goal was to win a district championship this season and we've done that.

"The girls are looking forward to competing at regionals and we're going to go to Orlando and give it our best effort and see what happens."

Mark Pinson can be reached at 863-386-5837 or mpinson@highlandstoday.com

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