May 15, 2008 12:25 am
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OTTUMWA — The curtain is about to be raised on the 2008 season for the Ottumwa girls golf squad.
They’ll be no walk-throughs or dress rehearsals to stay sharp and focused for Dusty Stewart’s Ottumwa Bulldogs - because when the big show rolls around, it’s a one-time performance only, to be repeated again the following day.
Lines need to be memorized and they’ll be no second takes to redeem oneself. When the lights shine down on the big stage, it’s showtime.
That stage production will play out at the Class 4A Girls State Golf Meet in Marshalltown at the end of this month.
Several meets this season for Stewart’s Class 4A defending state champ Bulldog squad have been mere dress rehearsals in order to stay sharp for that big show that lies ahead.
Tuesday afternoon at Cedar Creek Golf Course was no exception.
A 131-stroke victory would have a lot of golf teams jumping for joy.
A 24-meet win streak could also be cause for celebration or even a small party for many linksters across the state.
Not the Ottumwa girls golf team and definitely not in this season of 2008.
That stroke lead and that win streak is what the Bulldogs have after a CIML Metro championship was raised after the league meet was carded out.
What the Bulldogs want is title No. 6.
Ottumwa ravaged the overmatched Metro field and cruised to a decisive league title with a team score of 338.
Second-place Des Moines Hoover/Roosevelt wasn’t even in the same zip code with a second-place total of 469. Des Moines East/Lincoln/North was even farther back down the ladder with a even 500.
Ottumwa is the defending Class 4A state champ and winner of five state girls golf titles in school history. Once again the Bulldogs were led by none other than the Paulson twins.
Kristin and Sarah Paulson each shared medalist honors with a identical score of 78. The identical twins are the two most important keys to claiming back-to-back state titles — that and a little help from their friends.
“It’s starts with the leadership of the Paulsons. To be the best team in the state, we need some good solid play out of them. Then we need two or three more players to filter in there and play some average golf to help out,” said Stewart.
Ottumwa has now won 24 consecutive meets without a loss. The Bulldogs close out the regular season at home this Thursday versus Washington — the defending state title winner in Class 3A.
The path to the state tournament to be held at Elmwood Country Club in Marshalltown will start in Burlington and the Flint Hills Golf Course — Ottumwa’s Class 4A Regional. That’s where the Bulldogs will begin their trek at a repeat of their mystical state run of ’07.
“Everything is set up for us. We need to do what we’ve been working on all year and start clicking,” said Stewart.
Ottumwa sophomores Hailey Sheldahl and Paige Wetrich, key participants on last year’s state title team alongside the Paulsons, each shot a 90 and 92 respectively. Sophomore Miranda Goodman also carded a 92 for the Bulldogs.
Stewart said his team is averaging about the same scores as last year but the difference is the improvement of Ottumwa’s two main challengers to that state crown — Ankeny and Ames.
“They’ve both improved a lot from last season,” he said.
Ankeny finished runner-up at the state meet in ’07 to Ottumwa and Ames was third.
Stewart talked about the conference meet, which has been halfway comical over the past years in terms of the final advantage that the Bulldogs manage to hold over their fellow Metro foes.
“I look at the meet and hopefully the girls do too, is whether we expect to win by 1 shot or 100 shots, we want to improve on what we’re struggling with. If we can improve on that, we’ll be a sound golf team,” said Stewart.
CIML Metro Conference Meet
At Cedar Creek Golf Course
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Par 70
Team scoring — 1. Ottumwa 338; 2. Des Moines Hoover/Roosevelt 469; 3. Des Moines East/Lincoln/North 500.
Medalist — Kristin Paulson, Ottumwa 78; Sarah Paulson, Ottumwa 78.
Ottumwa individuals — Hailey Sheldahl 90, Paige Wetrich 92, Miranda Goodman 92, Betsy Anderson 94.
Ottumwa JV individuals — Katie Maher 85, C.J. Toomire 99, Lauren Woodard 113.
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