EL girls take 3rd at Jackman

BY COREY GESFORD

Correspondent

A youthful uprising took place on the Scranton Municipal Golf Course in Mount Cobb last Tuesday as Elk Lake’s Taegan Mills and Chloe Sipe captured individual honors and led Elk Lake to a third place finish at the Girls Irving Jackman Memorial Golf Tournament.

Mills shot an 83 on the 72 par course to finish tied for fourth place and captured the Low Sophomore score. She was also the top Lackawanna League golfer placing behind Champion Anna McCormick of Central Dauphin High School, Grace Barbinchak of Hazleton Area, and Central Dauphin’s Bella Recce. Mills tied for fourth place with Hazleton’s Marin Dremock.

Mills’ game was buoyed by three birdies in her round getting one on the par-5 first hole and earning back to back birdies on the par-3  12th and 13th (par-5).

“I’m really happy,” Mills said. “I felt I was very solid in my putting and chipping, and that’s something I’ve worked hard on.”

The work she put in during the off season with her uncle in Georgia and competing in several Georgia Junior Golf Events helped prepare her run through the Jackman, she said.

“I wasn’t nervous,” added Mills. “Playing as much as I did lowered my nerves. I took things hole-by-hole and just focused on my game.”

Sipe finished with an 87 that enabled her to capture the Low Freshman score and left her tied in seventh overall with Mid Valley’s Mariah Minter.

“My long shots have improved over the years, and I think that’s important in a tournament like this,” Sipe said.

The first hole was key in her debut at the varsity level, Sipes acknowledged. Her success at that hole calmed her down and set the tone for the rest of the way. “After that first hole, I told myself I could do it,” she said.

Any disappointment Sipe had was in her short game, as she struggled with the wet conditions at the Scranton Muni.

“I don’t want to make excuses, but it was a little wet and that had an impact,” commented Sipe. “But my chipping has been a little off and something I need to improve.”

Mills and Sipe top finishes helped propel Elk Lake to third place in the team standings as the duo combined with freshman Reese Warriner’s 124 to finish behind Hazleton and Central Dauphin who tied with a 247. Hazleton would prevail in a three-hole playoff to win the team championship.

Sophomore Payton LaRue recorded a 139 to round out the Elk Lake participants in the record-setting field of 57 golfers.

Montrose was paced by Caroline Stack and Theresa Vaccarro who each shot a 127. Alexis Hawley finished a just a stroke behind at 128, and Gabby Baker rounded things out with a 134.