Considering the conditions Friday afternoon, Althoff golfer Nicole Johnson was pleased with her 7-over-par 79 in the first round at the Illinois Class A girls golf tournament at Red Tail Run Golf Course in Decatur.
The second round of the two-day state championships will be Saturday.
"Anything with a 7 in front of it was good," Johnson said by phone. "I was hitting the ball even. I just couldn't score."
The Althoff senior was tied for fifth at the midpoint in the tournament. She was one of only seven players to shoot 79 or better on the 5,394-yard layout Friday. Katherine Hepler of Normal University High finished with five birdies and was the early leader at 1-under 71.
"I was hitting everything good," Johnson said. "But the wind would take it more than I wanted."
With winds gusting to 35-40 miles per hour, players had to battle to keep their games on track.
"I just kept remembering everybody had the same thing," Johnson said. "It was pretty much steady all day. Still, I hit great and can't be any happier. I've just got to keep that rhythm (Saturday)."
Also hoping to keep up the same rhythm on the second day of state play are the Nashville Hornettes. They shot 350 and are second in the team standings heading into the final round. Normal U. High is the leader at 340. St. Thomas More of Champaign (354) is third, Woodstock Marian (361) fourth and Massac County (364) fifth.
Okawville is seventh with a 380 as Kaylyn Furhop shot a 91, followed by Alexis Lintker (94), Kara Schnoeker (95), Janel Lake (100), Logan Rasch (106) and Keatyn Meier (115).
Nashville's Shawn Rennegarbe shot 80 in the first round and was in ninth place. Also scoring for the Hornettes were Natalie Johnson (84), Mollie Borowiak (90), Maddi May (96), Sara LaBusier (119) and Katelyn Morris (138).
"I wasn't pleased with the way I played, and the course played harder because of the wind," Rennegarbe said by phone. "The scores really showed it. Our team is in second place and that's even better. I'm really excited, and we're really excited to make a run at (Normal)."
Rennegarbe said the key Friday was coping with the windy conditions.
"You really had to know how to address the course," she said. "Not try to fight it. We expected it to be like this when we got here."
Okawville's leader is Kaylyn Furhop (91), followed by Alexis Lintker (94), Kara Schnoeker (95), Janel Lake (100), Logan Rasch (106) and Keatyn Meier (115).
In the Class A individual tournament, Megan Malberry of Civic Memorial is tied for 37th after shooting a 90, and Abby Bergkoetter of Freeburg and Allie Leingang of Columbia each shot 94 and are tied for 51st.
In the Class AA tournament at Hickory Point Golf Club in Decatur, Edwardsville is 12th in the team standings with a 393. Emilee Flaugher shot 85, Taylor Maggio 102, Brie Duvall 103, Austin Gordon 103, Emily Briley 105 and Lauran Belling 109 for the Tigers.
Individually, Miranda Lidisky of Belleville East (87) is tied for 52nd, and Alexa Boatman of O'Fallon (94) is tied for 85th.
