The Arlington Girls Golf Invitational came with an unscheduled break about 2 hours into play Tuesday at River Wilds Golf Club.
Rain forced the brief pause.
“It was kind of surprising,” Eagles coach Cailyn Johnson said. “We were working inside, came out and were told there was some weather.”
After getting back out onto the course and completing 18 holes, the Blair Bears finished third with 424 swings, while AHS was eighth with 507. Individual medalist Kara Selken and her first-place Oakland-Craig team finished with 91 and 402 strokes, respectively.
BHS coach Rachel Brown said she felt as if the rain delay helped her golfers.
“I think the break does give them a chance to relax a little bit,” Johnson added, detailing how some of the girls ate a snack to reenergize, too.
Altogether, Sarah Rhea led Arlington with 118 swings. She was 26th after shooting a 57 on the front nine holes and taking 61 more swings on the back nine.
Aspen Smutz added 125 strokes for the Eagles, while Ally Meyer finished with a 127 and Bella Wilcox carded 137. Honora Andreasen took 138 shots across 18 holes, too.
“(The scores) seem pretty comparable to what we've been getting out here,” Johnson said. “That's good. They're keeping consistent.”
Brown, meanwhile, was pleased with the Bears' 424 strokes and her four top-13 individual finishers.
“They just had really good attitudes going into the day,” she said, citing familiarity with the course as a reason why.
Carrie Truhlsen led the way with 105 strokes, finishing three holes even. The senior took 51 swings on the back nine holes and 54 on the front nine to take ninth overall.
Blair's Macy Schrad and Tessa Nicholson, meanwhile, finished 11th and 12th, respectively, with identical 106s. Schrad sunk shots for par three times, while Nicholson added one.
Mackenzie Storjohann, meanwhile, sunk a long putt from the par-5 third hole's fringe for a birdie at River Wilds. The shot hit the pin and fell, freezing the Bear in place for a second as she held a hand to her open mouth. She finished with 107 strokes overall for 13th.
Senior Hannah Mackie added 114 swings, too, finishing with an even score on hole No. 8.
“They got a number of pars, which they're all really proud of because I always encourage them to get as many pars as they can,” Brown said.
The BHS coach hopes Tuesday's success leads to more down the road.
“I'm hoping it gives them a chance to continue improving and breaking the 100s, which will hopefully lead to placing at districts,” Brown said. “We're just going to keep trying to improve.”
Coach Johnson hopes the same for Eagles. She wants to see continued improvements in confidence and resiliency as the season rolls on.
Arlington plays 18 holes Monday at Grandpa's Woods near Murdock. The Bears, however, next play Tuesday during the Eastern Midlands Conference Tournament at Pioneers Golf Course in Lincoln.
ARLINGTON GOLF INVITATIONAL
Tuesday at River Wilds Golf Club
Team standings: Oakland-Craig 402 strokes, Bennington 419, Blair 424, Ashland-Greenwood 445, Elmwood-Murdock 450, Fremont Bergan 476, Fremont JV 481, Arlington 507, Elkhorn JV 523, Palmyra NA, Wahoo NA, Cedar Bluffs NA.
Individual medalist: Kara Selken, Oakland-Craig, 91 strokes.
Arlington results: Sarah Rhea 118 strokes, Aspen Smutz 125, Ally Meyer 127, Bella Wilcox 137, Honora Andreasen 138.
Blair results: Carrie Truhlsen 105 strokes, Macy Schrad 106, Tessa Nicholson 106, Mackenzie Storjohann 107, Hannah Mackie 114.
