Chester, SC – The Atlantic Collegiate Academy girls golf team set the bar extremely high for the rest of the Armada athletics teams this fall.
Playing in the SCHSL Class A-AA Championship Tournament at Chester Golf Club, the Armada posted a second-place finish in the 14-team field. It was the very first championship event for any ACA team.
"I am so proud of this team," coach
Bailey Paske said. "This is my first year coaching, and I couldn't have asked for a better group of girls to begin my coaching career with. They came to practice and worked hard every day and, no matter the outcome of the state championship, I would have been very pleased with how our season turned out.
"I couldn't be happier that all the girls' hard work was rewarded with a state runner-up trophy. Playing 18 holes two days is a lot of golf and it's tough to stay focused, but the girls kept their composure and got the job done. Being the first team to put a state trophy in the trophy case is an honor not everyone gets, and I can't think of a more deserving group for ACA than this one.
ACA was led by senior
Hannah Lowery, who was one of only two players in the tournament to complete the event under par. Lowery opened play on Monday with a four-under par 68 and followed up on Tuesday with a two-under par 70. Her total of 138 for the tournament was four-shots behind Olivia Roberts of Chesnee High, who posted rounds of 66 and 68 to win the individual state title with a score of 10-under par 134.
Lowery is committed to play golf at Jacksonville University next year.
"I could not have asked for a better senior season, and I really enjoyed being a part of such a wonderful and uplifting team," Lowery said. "I always had fun no matter what we did, and practice was never boring. Bus rides, going out to eat, and playing in all our matches and tournaments was always exciting. We all gave it our best effort all season, leading up to states, and it paid off with our runner-up finish!"
Chesnee easily captured the team state title thanks to all five players finishing among the top 10 individuals in the tournament. ACA had three of the top 10 finishers with
Clara Beth Brady and
Bella Stroupe tying for ninth at 170.
Senior
Avery Zygo finished 34
th with a total of 222. The Armada easily outdistanced Academic Magnet for the runner-up trophy, finishing 30 shots ahead of the Eagles despite playing with just four players. Teams are allowed to play five players in the championship and take the top four best scores for the team score.
"We had our ups and downs all season, but the fact these girls overcame every challenge shows the determination I saw behind the scenes all year," Paske said. "It's tough to beat a team that just won their fourth state championship in a row, but coming in second place as a first-year program has me incredibly excited about our future. Thank you ladies and parents for making my first year as a head coach so memorable."
About Atlantic Collegiate Academy: Atlantic Collegiate Academy (ACA), located in Myrtle Beach, S.C., serves high school students in a safe, small and family-centered setting. Our students seek the opportunity and challenge of rigorous curriculum, high academic standards and elite athletics while also earning up to two years of college credit. ACA serves students in grades 9-12 using an honors curriculum in 9th and 10 grades with a dual enrollment curriculum in 11th and 12th grades.
Learn more about ACA by visiting our website at AtlanticCollegiate.Academy and by following us on social media on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
