CLASS 7A GIRLS GOLF: Roachell, Fayetteville defend

— The format for the Class 7A girls state golf tournament has changed, but the top contenders for the team and individual titles are the same as last year’s.

Conway sophomore Summar Roachell will defend her medalist honors and Fayetteville will be seeking its sixth consecutive team title starting today at the Mountain Ranch Golf Course in Cabot.

Roachell outlasted Fayetteville’s Micah Radler in a playoff last year at Fianna Hills Country Club in Fort Smith for individual honors.

In previous years, the state girls tournaments have been one-day, 18-hole events. This year, the tournament becomes a two-day affair.

“I think for a long time Arkansas has been way behind when it comes to high school golf,” Conway Coach Janet Taylor said. “We may not have caught up, but this is a step in the right direction. ... I’m sure after this year that there will be some tweeking done to the tournaments, but with two days to play the golfers have a little bit more wiggle room if they have a bad day or even a bad hole.”

In order to expand the state tournament, the 7A Conference tournaments have been eliminated. All teams from each conference will participate in Day 1 of the two-day state tournament with the top half of the teams (including ties), plus the next eight individual scores (including ties) advancing to the second day. Scores from both days will be combined to determine the championship and medalist.

Each team can enter five participants with the top three scores accounting for the team score.

Taylor said Roachell has been at the top of her game this season.

“She’s so remarkable,” Taylor said. “She’s got a great work ethic and she pushes our entire team. She’s a great role model and she’s fun to watch.”

Radler, a senior, is back for Fayetteville, along with teammates Olivia Lavy and Shelby Daniels, who tied for fourth in last year’s individual results.

Fayetteville has won the past 5 state championships, 6 of 7 and 7 of 10.

Girls state golf tournaments

CLASS 7A

WHERE Mountain Springs Golf Course, Cabot WHEN Today-Wednesday 2009 TEAM CHAMPION Fayetteville 2009 MEDALIST Summar Rochelle, Conway

CLASS 6A

WHERE Russellville Country Club WHEN Today-Wednesday 2009 TEAM CHAMPION El Dorado 2009 MEDALIST Emily Sinclair, El Dorado

CLASS 5A

WHERE Ben Geren Golf Course, Fort Smith WHEN Today-Wednesday 2009 TEAM CHAMPION Greene County Tech 2009 MEDALIST Caroline Boone,Wynne

CLASS 4A

WHERE Thunder Bayou, Blytheville WHEN Today-Wednesday 2009 TEAM CHAMPION Heber Springs 2009 MEDALIST Katie Webb, Heber Springs

CLASS 2A

WHERE Nutter Chapel, Conway WHEN Wednesday 2009 TEAM CHAMPION Conway St. Joseph 2009 MEDALIST Brooke Enderlin, St. Joseph CLASS 1A WHERE Coopers Hawk, Melbourne WHEN Today 2009 TEAM CHAMPION none 2009 MEDALIST none

Sports, Pages 21 on 09/28/2010

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