Saturday’s win at the Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills marked the eighth Heritage girls’ golf state championship victory, giving the team the most titles out of any golf team in state history.
The Patriots were able to jump in front early in the competition following the conclusion of the first day after scoring a 295 total and ending 19 shots ahead of second place Archbishop McCarthy. Junior Ana Lopez, who ended the contest finishing fifth overall, lead the way at the end of the first day with a 1-under par 71.
The second day of action followed a similar pattern as Heritage continued to widen the gap. The Patriots carded a two-round score of 21-over 597 compared to runner-up Archbishop McCarthy’s score of 84-over 660, winning the title by a sizeable margin.
Heritage’s own sophomore Casey Weidenfeld clinched the individual win as she finished with an even par 144. Weidenfeld suffered a sprained wrist days prior to the title matchup; however, she was able to fight through and secure the victory for both herself and the team.
During the course of last year’s tournament, Weidenfeld suffered a four-shot penalty after accidentally carrying 14 clubs as well as an extra putter in her bag. This year, however, Weidenfeld was able to focus on the task at hand instead of dwelling on the past. “To be honest, I didn’t feel any pressure,” Weidenfeld said of her performance. “The team has been very supportive all season. This makes up for last year for sure.”
Heritage, after successfully defending the state title this season, looks to do the same next year. “After a few holes today, I could see our girls were playing pretty well,” said golf coach Linda Sibio. “[The margin] makes it less stressful for sure. It was really great for Casey to win after what she went through last year.”
