Despite a season of momentous wins, the Manhattan High Varsity girls golf team fell to sixth place in round two at State.

“It’s just one tournament. We just stressed to them it’s just golf, especially in this COVID world we live in,” head coach Paige McCarthy said. “We were just happy to get a season in … This isn’t going to define them at all. They really represented their school well during the season.”

On the first day of the tournament, round one showed promise for the girls as they secured third place with a 350, which was 14 strokes lower than the average score among nine total teams. Unfortunately, in round two, the girls came out with a 366, about 11 strokes above the average of that day. Shawnee Mission East placed first overall with a team sum of 631, Overland Park Blue Valley West trailed in second with a 693 and Manhattan landed sixth with a 716.

“I don’t really know why we didn’t play better … on the second day,” McCarthy said. “I think the girls expected a lot out of themselves and they weren’t playing their usual games and weren’t allowing themselves mistakes.”

After round two, two of the five seniors placed in the top 20 based on the sum of both rounds of golf. Emily Yerman took the lead in 19th with a round one and round two score of 86 and 88, with Andi Siebert close behind in 20th with an 85 and 91. Rhys Phipps scored an 89 and 93, A.J. Ryan shot a 90 and 95 and Jaiden Weixelman collected a 96 and 94.

“I wasn’t expecting [to place],” Siebert said. “I think that’s the first time I’ve placed at State.”

Among their first and second place finishes this season, the girls took home the title at both League and Regionals, which both haven’t been accomplished in several years. Since 2009, Washburn Rural has taken first in League each year as well as in Regionals since 2011.

“[We learned] that we have to work together and encourage everybody because it’s not just all about you, it’s about the team,” Siebert said.

With the 2020 season having come to an end, the girls golf team will be losing each of the girls who competed at State as they are graduating this year.

“[My advice to the seniors would be to] learn from this and keep the friendships that they made,” McCarthy said.

With five open spots on the Varsity team, next year will be filled with opportunities for underclassmen.

“If you work hard in the off-season, you’re going to do better in-season,” Siebert said. “You [have] to work at it all year-round, not just during the season.”