Madison Central breaks team record to win girls golf state title
Madison Central's girls golf team made history by breaking the tournament record and securing their third state championship at the Leachman Buick-GMC-Cadillac/KHSAA Girls State Golf Championship on Wednesday at Bowling Green Country Club. This marks the second time in four years that the team has claimed the title, showcasing their dominance in the sport.
In the individual state title race, Sacred Heart junior Keira Yun delivered a standout performance, eagleing the par-5 14th hole to finish with a 5-under par second-round total of 67. This put her at 6-under for the event, four shots ahead of Marshall County's Trinity Beth, who was aiming to become only the fourth girls golfer to win three high school state championships in her career.
Madison Central's Record-Breaking Performance
Madison Central's four-player, two-day total of 604 on the course's roughly 5,700-yard, par-72 layout was a remarkable 10 shots better than the previous team record set by Marshall County in 2021. The team's performance was a combination of strong teamwork and strategic play, with each player contributing to the overall success.
Senior Mollie Neeley, who was also part of the 2022 state champions, shared her perspective on the team's performance. "Honestly, I don't ever look at the leaderboard at all, so I don't even know what we shot today," she said. However, she noted that during the first day, the team realized they were down by about 10 shots, which motivated them to step up their game.
The scores were actually close at the start of the first day, but the lag in how players updated their totals electronically created a perceived gap. This gave the Madison Central players a sense of urgency, which they used to their advantage.
On the first day, the Indians ended with a four-player total of 300, five shots better than Lexington Christian Academy. On the second day, Madison Central maintained their steady performance while their competitors struggled to keep up.
Coach Tennye Ohr praised the team's communication and focus. "We did a lot of talking among ourselves," she said. "At various points on the golf course, we needed to make sure we made no worse than double bogey and we needed to keep the ball below the hole. I think that filtered in. The most important thing is that they stayed within themselves. They didn't let any distractions get to them."
Sacred Heart Golfer Goes Low on Final Day
Sacred Heart's Keira Yun had an incredible final day, culminating in a dramatic eagle on the 14th hole. A sign in the supporters section read, "Call 911 Keira's on fire," highlighting the excitement surrounding her performance.
Yun sank a 60-foot downhill putt from near the fringe atop the 14th green after her second shot on the 416-yard par 5 sailed long. She calmly walked after it and gave a thumbs up to her supporters upon retrieving the ball from the hole. Although she wasn't aware of her standing on the leaderboard, she knew making that putt was crucial.
Her eagle on the 14th hole put her in the lead, and she continued to build on that momentum. Despite starting the day one shot behind Marshall County's Beth, the shotgun start placed them on opposite sides of the course. Beth had two birdies over her first nine holes, while Yun recorded two birdies and a bogey over her front nine, extending Beth's lead to two shots as each made the turn.
After Yun's eagle, she crossed paths with Beth on the next hole, where Beth missed a short par putt, dropping another shot. Yun's Sacred Heart teammates celebrated her victory with a shower of water and cheers after she finished with a birdie on the 18th hole.
"I'm just excited and happy that I was able to get this win and to be able to experience it with my family and teammates," Yun said.
Top Performers and Team Results
Three Central Kentucky golfers finished in the top eight medal positions, including Carter Lankford, who tied for sixth place alongside Madison Central's Mollie Neeley and Lexington Catholic's Parker Haddix, the seventh-grader who won the 9th Region individual title two weeks ago.
Frederick Douglass freshman Willa Borough finished just outside the medal stand in a tie for ninth place at 7-over.
Girls State Golf Championship Individual Top 10
- Keira Yun, Sacred Heart, -6, 71-67-138
- Trinity Beth, Marshall County, -2, 70-72-142
- Madison Glisson, Ballard Memorial, E, 71-73-144
- Athena Singh, Rowan County, *, 1, 72-73-145
- Kenzie Willen, Cumberland County, +2, 71-75-146
T6. Parker Haddix, Lexington Catholic, +6, 74-76-150
T6. Mollie Neeley, Madison Central, +6, 72-78-150
T6. Carter Lankford, Lexington Christian, +6, 74-76-150
T9. Willa Borough, Frederick Douglass, +7, 73-78-151
T9. Aubrey Barrow, Madison Central, +7, 77-74-151
Girls State Golf Championship Team Results
- Madison Central, +28, 300-304-604
- Lexington Christian, +40, 305-311-616
- Sacred Heart, +45, 306-315-621
- Daviess County, +79, 330-325-655
- Marshall County, +81, 323-334-657
- Bowling Green, +102, 330-348-678
- Owen County, +103, 334-345-679
- Mercy, +133, 353-356-709
- Montgomery County, +143, 354-365-719
Madison Central's girls golf team made history by breaking the tournament record and securing their third state championship at the Leachman Buick-GMC-Cadillac/KHSAA Girls State Golf Championship on Wednesday at Bowling Green Country Club. This marks the second time in four years that the team has claimed the title, showcasing their dominance in the sport.
In the individual state title race, Sacred Heart junior Keira Yun delivered a standout performance, eagleing the par-5 14th hole to finish with a 5-under par second-round total of 67. This put her at 6-under for the event, four shots ahead of Marshall County's Trinity Beth, who was aiming to become only the fourth girls golfer to win three high school state championships in her career.
Madison Central's Record-Breaking Performance
Madison Central's four-player, two-day total of 604 on the course's roughly 5,700-yard, par-72 layout was a remarkable 10 shots better than the previous team record set by Marshall County in 2021. The team's performance was a combination of strong teamwork and strategic play, with each player contributing to the overall success.
Senior Mollie Neeley, who was also part of the 2022 state champions, shared her perspective on the team's performance. "Honestly, I don't ever look at the leaderboard at all, so I don't even know what we shot today," she said. However, she noted that during the first day, the team realized they were down by about 10 shots, which motivated them to step up their game.
The scores were actually close at the start of the first day, but the lag in how players updated their totals electronically created a perceived gap. This gave the Madison Central players a sense of urgency, which they used to their advantage.
On the first day, the Indians ended with a four-player total of 300, five shots better than Lexington Christian Academy. On the second day, Madison Central maintained their steady performance while their competitors struggled to keep up.
Coach Tennye Ohr praised the team's communication and focus. "We did a lot of talking among ourselves," she said. "At various points on the golf course, we needed to make sure we made no worse than double bogey and we needed to keep the ball below the hole. I think that filtered in. The most important thing is that they stayed within themselves. They didn't let any distractions get to them."
Sacred Heart Golfer Goes Low on Final Day
Sacred Heart's Keira Yun had an incredible final day, culminating in a dramatic eagle on the 14th hole. A sign in the supporters section read, "Call 911 Keira's on fire," highlighting the excitement surrounding her performance.
Yun sank a 60-foot downhill putt from near the fringe atop the 14th green after her second shot on the 416-yard par 5 sailed long. She calmly walked after it and gave a thumbs up to her supporters upon retrieving the ball from the hole. Although she wasn't aware of her standing on the leaderboard, she knew making that putt was crucial.
Her eagle on the 14th hole put her in the lead, and she continued to build on that momentum. Despite starting the day one shot behind Marshall County's Beth, the shotgun start placed them on opposite sides of the course. Beth had two birdies over her first nine holes, while Yun recorded two birdies and a bogey over her front nine, extending Beth's lead to two shots as each made the turn.
After Yun's eagle, she crossed paths with Beth on the next hole, where Beth missed a short par putt, dropping another shot. Yun's Sacred Heart teammates celebrated her victory with a shower of water and cheers after she finished with a birdie on the 18th hole.
"I'm just excited and happy that I was able to get this win and to be able to experience it with my family and teammates," Yun said.
Top Performers and Team Results
Three Central Kentucky golfers finished in the top eight medal positions, including Carter Lankford, who tied for sixth place alongside Madison Central's Mollie Neeley and Lexington Catholic's Parker Haddix, the seventh-grader who won the 9th Region individual title two weeks ago.
Frederick Douglass freshman Willa Borough finished just outside the medal stand in a tie for ninth place at 7-over.
Girls State Golf Championship Individual Top 10
- Keira Yun, Sacred Heart, -6, 71-67-138
- Trinity Beth, Marshall County, -2, 70-72-142
- Madison Glisson, Ballard Memorial, E, 71-73-144
- Athena Singh, Rowan County, *, 1, 72-73-145
- Kenzie Willen, Cumberland County, +2, 71-75-146
T6. Parker Haddix, Lexington Catholic, +6, 74-76-150
T6. Mollie Neeley, Madison Central, +6, 72-78-150
T6. Carter Lankford, Lexington Christian, +6, 74-76-150
T9. Willa Borough, Frederick Douglass, +7, 73-78-151
T9. Aubrey Barrow, Madison Central, +7, 77-74-151
Girls State Golf Championship Team Results
- Madison Central, +28, 300-304-604
- Lexington Christian, +40, 305-311-616
- Sacred Heart, +45, 306-315-621
- Daviess County, +79, 330-325-655
- Marshall County, +81, 323-334-657
- Bowling Green, +102, 330-348-678
- Owen County, +103, 334-345-679
- Mercy, +133, 353-356-709
- Montgomery County, +143, 354-365-719
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