Edwardsville girls golf coach Trese LaBoube wasn't happy with the Tigers' 12th-place finish at last weekend's Class AA state tournament, but she wasn't totally discouraged, either.
The Tigers' two-day of 762 was last in the 12-team field at Hickory Point Golf Club in Decatur, but their score improved from 393 on Friday to 369 on Saturday.
"It wasn't exactly what I hoped for, but the girls hung in there and it was a learning experience for them," LaBoube said. "We have to seniors, so for them to get this far is a big accomplishment. They have nothing to hang their heads about - they just need to set a higher goal for next year.
"The first day was really treacherous, with the wind blowing 40 to 50 miles an hour. It was a matter of survival out there and was a definite factor in all of the girls' scores. The second was still breezy and cool, but the conditions were a lot better. We shot 24 strokes better and that shows the girls don't give up."
Sophomore Emilee Flaugher, who has been Edwardsville's No. 1 player all season, shot 169 (85-84) and tied for 45th place.
"She hoped to get into the 70s, but she hits a high ball and I'm sure (the wind) affected her mentally," LaBoube said.
Brie Duvall had the Tigers' second-best score at 198, followed by Austin Gordon (200), Taylor Maggio (200), Lauran Belling (202) and Emily Briley (216). All give girls are juniors.
"We had a great year and we surprised a lot of people going as far as we did," LaBoube said. "As a team, we hadn't been to state since 2007."
The Tigers were Southwestern Conference champions, going 6-0 in dual matches and winning the SWC Tournament with a score of 335 at Arlington Greens. They placed second to Highland in the Madison County Tournament. Edwardsville placed third in both the regional and sectional.
"The girls realize now even more now what it takes to succeed in the postseaon," LaBoube said. "Not seeing each other Monday at Oak Brook felt strange to them - they didn't want the season to end.
"We have some good players and they want to develop their games. During the offseason, they'll be pushing themselves to get better."
