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Durant golfers place 3rd at state tourney

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By DAREK SHARP

dsharp@tampatrib.com

Published: November 11, 2009

PLANT CITY - From fourth one year to third the next, the Durant High Cougars continued their outstanding achievement in the girls golf program.

Next year Durant thinks it can skip the next step in the progression and go right to the top in the state.

Durant made a marked improvement from its best-ever performance at the Class 2A state meet, knocking 37 shots off its 2008 score to finish third overall at last week's tourney held in Ocala.

Sophomore Madison Opfer shot a 1-under par score of 143 for the two days at the Ocala Golf Club. She finished tied for fourth individually, but was only one shot away from being in a second-place tie. Juliana Herrera of Cypress Bay (Weston) outclassed the field with a 5-under finish.

Durant junior Erika Wardzinski had an even par 72 in her first round before turning in an 81 on the second day, after shooting 93-83 as a sophomore. Third on the Cougars was Kerrie Reinhardt (86-82) and fourth was senior Lauren Hirschey, with Olivia Higgins one shot behind Hirschey's score.

Hirschey went out with a first-ever 90.

"We went into it thinking if we shot a 325 the first day, it would put us in the hunt. We shot 328, but Lake Mary had a 311. That's 17 shots and that's hard to make up," Durant head coach Dick Sheffield said.

Simply put, Lake Mary was just too good to beat. The Rams, who have two freshmen in their lineup, finished with a 625 total. Viera High (Melbourne) finished second at 633, with Durant turning in a 652 total, which was three better than Gulf Breeze.

Mitchell, the team that beat Durant at the regional tourney on Mitchell's home course, was seventh with 679, making Durant the top Bay area finisher.

Sheffield was pleased with the result, with every golfer performing just about how he thought they would. With all but Hirschey returning next season, Sheffield thinks the way to a state title is clear.

"Kerrie came up to me when it was over and said, 'Coach, I'm going to be in the 70s next year.' And that's what it's going to take. I think 620 is our target to win the whole thing," Sheffield said.

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