YANKTON -- The Mitchell girls' golf team opened its season Thursday in Yankton with a quadrangular against Sioux Falls O'Gorman, Sioux Falls Washington and Yankton.
And considering the 381 the Kernels posted was 14 strokes better than Mitchell's best score from a year ago, and 130 strokes better than the first meet last year, you'd expect coach Mark Horan to be especially pleased.
Instead, he was only thinking about how much better the Kernels could get throughout the rest of the spring.
"I thought it was OK for a start," Horan said of his team, which obviously should be much improved from last season. "We left a lot of strokes out there with a putt or two here and there. We pretty much putted poorly, but part of that was early in year, the greens are not mowed. If we improve our putting and some of our mental course management, I think we can cut another 20 strokes by the end of the year."
Mitchell still finished in fourth place, behind O'Gorman's 330, Washington's 359 and Yankton's 362. But that's understandable when you consider Mitchell hasn't practiced outside in two weeks, and all the other teams had golfed at least two previous meets.
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"We had no chance to practice putting or hit a driver, or anything like that," Horan said. "That wasn't our best performance by far, but it was a good start."
Last season, Mitchell had only seven sub-100 individual scores all season long. Thursday, all four of the scores Mitchell counted in the varsity meet were below 100.
Eighth-grader Kristin Sabers led the way for Mitchell with a 93 and senior Chelsea Boddicker had a 94. Junior Abby Bollinger added a 95.
"I was pleased with everyone, but Abby Bollinger was one who has really come on lately, and I was very happy to see her shoot that score," Horan said.
Courtney Kirby posted a 99 and Mitchell very nearly had a fifth girl break 100, but Karlie McEntee shot a 102. Kendra Cersosimo carded a 111.
O'Gorman's Whitney Wheeler was the individual medalist with a 75. Washington's Keni Nelson and O'Gorman's Molly Donohue tied for second with 83s. Mitchell's Sabers finished 10th and Boddicker was tied for 11th. Bollinger tied for 13th.
Mitchell will be in Sioux Falls Tuesday for a triangular against Sioux Falls Lincoln and Yankton.
