First Flight golfer Katherine Schuster sets up on the ball on Day 1 of the NCHSAA 2A high school girls golf state championships played on Pinehurst Foxfire on Oct. 22, 2018. Johnny Johnson for EducationNC
Jennifer Chang graduated from Athens Drive High (Raleigh, N.C.) last year as the only girls golfer to ever win four N.C. High School Athletic Association individual titles in all four years of high school.
After a strong finish Tuesday at Foxfire Golf and Resort in Jackson Springs, there’s a sophomore in the Outer Banks who is halfway to becoming the second.
Katherine Schuster of First Flight High (Kill Devil Hills, N.C.), a sophomore, won her second 1A/2A girls golf title with a four-stroke victory. She was 4-under on the first day and 1-under on Tuesday to finish 5-under (139) on the tournament.
Schuster is no stranger to being on the big stage. In April, she played Augusta National — days before The Master’s began play — and won the national Drive, Chip and Putt competition for girls 14-15.
But to win the title, she had to fend off Mallory Fobes of Forbush High (Forbush, N.C.), who fired a second-day round of 69 (3-under-par) to finish at 1-under on the tournament (143).
In the team competition, it was Gray Stone Day, a charter school from Misenheimer, N.C., that won the state title (fittingly, it happened on the Grey Fox Course). It’s the first team title for the Knights in their program’s history.
Gray Stone’s Lauren Denhard (158) took fourth overall to lead the way for the team champs. Katelyn Griggs carded 182 with Aliza Simpson bringing in a 214 to post a combined score of 122-over 554 and claim the victory.
Currituck County’s Bailee Twiford, who topped Schuster in the East regional, was third (9-over, 153). Roanoke Rapids’ Maci Beaver and Mount Airy’s Alyssa Cox tied for fifth (16-over, 160).
Maiden’s Kayla Yang (19-over, 163), Sophia Laliberte (20-over, 164) of East Lincoln (Lowesville, N.C.) and Newton-Conover’s Camryn Lamp (23-over, 167) and Lauren Hackler (23-over, 167) of Ledford High (Wallburg, N.C.) rounded out the top 10.
Second-place Raleigh Charter finished the tournament with a combined 132-over 564. Grace Greene led the way for Raleigh Charter with a 33-over 177. Lily Rowe contributed a 178 to the team effort with Julia Greene chipping in a 209.
In only its second year of existence, Oak Grove (Midway, N.C.) was third place overall and two strokes behind Raleigh Charter for runner-up honors. Lake Norman Charter (Huntersville, N.C.), Hibriten (Lenoir, N.C.), Avery County (Newland, N.C.), Maiden, North Johnston (Kenly, N.C.) and Carrboro rounded out the team standings.
Editor’s Note: This article is based on a Oct. 22 NCHSAA press release.
