Crescent Valley's girls learn to handle championship pressure

By Steve Gress

Gazette-Times sports editor

It almost didn't seem fair having to play the back nine under such windy conditions for the five members of the Crescent Valley High girls golf team and the two individuals from Corvallis High.

But that's what happened Tuesday in the final round of the 5A girls state tournament at Trysting Tree Golf Club.

The conditions weren't much better on the front nine.

Still, they survived and came away with some solid scores.

"Sometimes you have to take another club, sometimes not as much club," CV's Caitlyn Doyle said. "You have to think a little bit."

Added Corvallis' Megan Mattravers: "The wind did play a role. Teeing off on some of the holes with your irons, the wind would pull your arm back a bit and that would screw up your shot. But other than that you just had to play through it."

The Raiders finished the two-day tournament with identical rounds of 399 to place fifth.

Sophomore Hayley Brown led the Raiders with a 186 after carding a 92 on Tuesday.

Doyle was second with a 199 after a 98 on Tuesday. Elizabeth Kim was at 200, Jessica Kim 213 and Shannon McCoy 241 for the Raiders.

Corvallis' Katie Zajicek finished with a 192 while Mattravers was at 198.

"It was just an amazing experience," Doyle said. "Being a freshman I hope I can do better and better every single day and strive to get here every single year. Seeing all these experienced players, I learned a lot."

The Raiders rallied late in the season to advance to the state tournament with a second-place finish at last week's district tournament.

"It's the greatest experience," Brown said. "Making it when we weren't expecting to make it was amazing and we really pulled it together at the end. It was great."