Submitted by Chris McLinden

Wind - strong wind, all day long – in Ankeny at Otter Creek Course played a big factor in the Iowa Girls Athletic Union state golf tourney on Tuesday. It was the first day of the two-day meet.

One of those teams taken aback by that wind were the girls from Waukee High School. Waukee shot a 345, + 61 strokes over par to finish 11 strokes behind their expected biggest challenger to the state crown, Cedar Falls.

Waukee Coach Marty Sullivan lamented, “Yeah, we have been in this spot before (Waukee came from 20+ strokes down after day one in 2010, only to lose to eventual state champion Ames by just one stroke). We need to perform the best we have all year to get this done.  Cedar Falls is a really good team and some of their better players didn't score as well as they have during the season today. We need a whole team effort combined with a little luck. It is exciting for the whole Waukee golf community when we can make a run at the state championship. Fairways and green, in regulation, of course!”

Allie Oder led the way for the Warriors carding an 85, Jasmine Wyzgowski and Payton Minear both shot 86, Kelsey Shay 88, Brittany Best 88, and Hannah Dammen finished with a 99. Par for Otter Creek is a 71 – but the wind was playing havoc from start to finish, on an otherwise perfect summer day.

The Warriors tee it up at 9 a.m. today. Is a comeback in order for the Waukee lady linksters? Stay tuned.