McKina Stacey is a standout basketball player in her own right — she was named the 1A girls basketball MVP in 2020 — but the Rich senior apparently wasn’t finished creating all of her high school memories.
The Rebels lost to Milford and finished in fifth place at the state basketball tournament. But when it came to Wednesday’s state golf tournament, Stacey led all golfers with a 93 to help the Rebels hold off Milford and claim the 1A team trophy, a reward the school badly wanted two months ago.
“It’s always great to win gold. The girls were strong and resilient.” — Rich coach Cody Lundgren
Stacey, Hannah Rex, Ambria Lutz and Natalee Parry each finished in the top 10 and helped Rich win the 18-hole prize in 421 strokes, followed by Milford (434) and then Diamond Ranch and Pinnacle Academy. Stacey’s outing was two shots better than last year, when she made the 2 ½-hour drive to compete in an individual invitation-only tourney at Rose Park after the coronavirus pandemic canceled all spring championship events.
Rich also defeated Milford in 2019. Perhaps a rivalry is brewing, even though the schools are about as far apart in the state as possible.
“It’s always great to win gold,” said Rich coach Cody Lundgren, who also heads the Rebels’ girls basketball team. “The girls were strong and resilient.
“McKina is clutch,” he added. “She is a special player.”
The 32 girls who entered had mostly ideal playing conditions, with temperatures in the low 80s and minimal winds. However, a thunderstorm blew through the area at about 2 p.m., with brief rain, lightning and high winds but it quickly dissipated and the players enjoyed the cooler weather.
Lundgren said he was especially proud about how his players battled through all of their difficulties and avoided getting down on themselves. Stacey, for instance, earned the top spot despite no birdies or pars on the front nine and finished the course shooting a par and then three consecutive bogeys, which proved to be the difference.
Milford was almost as resilient. The Tigers had two players in the top 10 with Analise Wiseman’s 95 and Trinity Mayer’s 100. Wiseman was also a standout player on Milford’s basketball team, so the tourney’s top players had something in common.
1A girls state golf tournament
At Rose Park GC, Salt Lake
Wednesday’s results
Team scores: 1. Rich, 421; 2. Milford, 434; 3. Diamond Ranch, 517; 4. Pinnacle Academy, 569.
Individual results
1. McKina Stacey (Rich) 93; 2. Analise Wiseman (Milford) 95; 3. Trinity Mayer (Milford) 100; 4. Bethany Stout (Valley) 103; 5. Hannah Rex (Rich) 104; 6. Abby Schofield (Manila) 106; 7. Morgan Bastian (Green River), Ambria Lutz (Rich) 109; 9. Savannah Ferkin (Intermountain Christian) 112; 10. Natalee Parry (Rich) 115.