After Mid-Prairie’s season ended a year ago with a third-place finish in the region final, Madelyn Bender made a statement.
“I said, guys, next year, my senior year — we’re going to state," Bender recalled.
On Wednesday, the statement was on the scorecards.
The Golden Hawks finished 15 strokes ahead of third-place Dyersville Beckman with a season-best 18 hole total of 392.
There were smiles and tears as the Golden Hawks celebrated the state tournament berth.
“We have a great team bond, and so I really didn't want this season to be over,” Bender said. Yesterday, I started crying after practice was over because I thought it could be my last one. And I'm just so happy that we can keep playing together and having fun.”
The practices will continue until the 2A tournament at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course in Cedar Falls tees off at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 26.
Anamosa finished first and advanced with a team total of 384.
Madi Davidson finished just one stroke behind the medalist from Mediapolis, Olivia Hines.
“I got one birdie and I got some pars,” Davidson said. “I think I had five penalty strokes today. I went out of bounds once and I had to take two unplayable lies, so that was frustrating. But other than that, I was just trying to keep calm the whole way through.”
She led the Golden Hawks with an 18-hole score of 92. Bender carded a 98 and Addison English and Elliott Debler each finished with 101.
Debler said that she was more comfortable the second time through the course.
“It did help,” she said. “I definitely knew what to expect, and how I could do better than what I did before.”
She shot a 49 on the back nine to tie her 18-hole PR of 101. Gabi Robertson was just a stroke back at 102 and Alexa Huber finished with 106.
After taking a few pictures with the state tournament banner, the team huddled around coach Tracy McArtor.
“I told them how proud I was of them,” said McArtor. “These last two weeks, they’ve done exactly what you would expect of them — putting their game together and shooting their best rounds of the year. Which is exactly what you need to do come regional time to move on to Cedar Falls and the state tournament.”
The Golden Hawks shot a season-best team total of 395 at the first regional on Friday, May 13, and followed it up with a 392 on Wednesday to earn the program’s first tournament appearance since 2014.
“I hope success breeds success,”McArtor said about the impact of Wednesday’s performance. “I hope there's some younger kids out there that see, we played three sophomores and a freshman today. And really when you think about it, even Madelyn being our only senior — she really only has the same amount of experience as pretty much the rest of the team does.”
Bender played in a few meets as a freshman and lost her sophomore season when spring sports were canceled in 2020.
“It’s just unbelievable,” McArtor said. “I mean, I've never had a team this young excel that quick.”
The Golden Hawks had four freshmen in the lineup and not much varsity experience when the season opened last year.
“They took the bull by the horns there and they ran with it,” McArtor said. “They said, ‘bring it on, we'll play against anybody.’
"So, I know my mentality was a little bit — why not these kids? You know, they've worked hard for it, they've deserved it, and played through some pretty crappy weather this spring to get to where they're at.
“I’m just super proud of them. They've done a great job.”
