Accepting the challenge

The War Eagle Conference girls' golf tournament did not quite turn out as planned. After starting play at the Willow Creek Course in LeMars with the intention of golfing 18 holes, a 90-minute rain delay forced a restart of what became a nine-hole event.

The circumstances did not deter Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn golfers Gracie Knobloch and Kinsey Schirmer. They finished No. 2 and No. 5 overall, shooting rounds of 45 and 47.

"The conference meet tested the girls. Situations like that can be challenging and both Gracie and Kinsey responded well to the challenge," Hawk coach Cheryl Kroese said. "I couldn't be more proud of them both."

Since only two players competed, H-M-S did not compile a team score.

Hinton won the tournament with a 194 team total, followed by Gehlen Catholic 202, Akron-Westfield 206, MMCRU 212, Remsen St. Mary's 221, Harris-Lake Park 229, South O'Brien 236, West Sioux 255 and George-Little Rock 266.

• Top 10 finish at Spencer

Knobloch and Schirmer also encountered adverse weather conditions while playing in the Spencer Invitational on April 29 at Spencer Golf and Country Club.

Knobloch finished eighth among Top 10 competitors from Spencer, Estherville-Lincoln Central, Algona, Spirit Lake, Storm Lake and Sioux City East. She finished with an 18-hole score of 95 while Schirmer came in with a 103.

"It was a good day, even though it was awfully cold and windy," Kroese noted. "The girls had never played that course before so it was a good test for them. It's definitely a longer course than some that we have seen, but both Kinsey and Gracie handled it well."