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Warriors' Perdue seeking fantastic fourth
By Scott Tittrington
Just because she’s been down this road before doesn’t make it any easier for Emily Perdue.
The Smithville High senior will be looking to go a perfect 4-for-4 on Thursday, Oct. 9, when she tees off at the Class 1 District 7 girls golf tournament at Fairview Golf Course in St. Joseph.
Perdue has advanced to the Class 1 state tournament each of the past three seasons, and while that — and shooting a school-record 88 late last month at the Chillicothe Tournament — should provide some nice confidence boosts, that doesn’t mean a lack of restless nights, either.
“I am looking forward to it a lot, but I am extremely nervous about it,” Perdue said. “I haven’t been playing my best the last couple of matches, so I’m just kind of nervous about things.”
Complicating matters is a series of unknowns that Perdue and her teammates must face Thursday.
Each of the past three seasons has seen Perdue’s trip to state include a district stop at Shirkey’s Golf Club in Richmond. However, when the Missouri State High School Activities Association reconfigured its district assignments prior to the 2008-09 school year, Smithville saw itself switched from District 6 to its new home in District 7.
That means a new district course and new opponents to battle for one of the coveted state berths. The top team at Thursday’s 11-team event will advance to the Class 1 state tournament Oct. 20-21 at Fremont Hills Country Club in Nixa, as will the top 10 individual finishers who are not on that team.
“It’s kind of like I am going in blind, because I don’t know who’s good, and what the other teams’ members can shoot,” Perdue said.
Defending state champion Kate Gallagher of Savannah is the pre-tournament favorite to win medalist honors, while the Savages also figure to be the team to beat.
As for the Fairview course itself, Perdue and her teammates saw the front nine during a meet with St. Joseph Lafayette on Sept. 29, and she went back and played a full 18 this past weekend.
Her assessment?
“Stay out of the trees. Stay in the fairway, and you’ll be fine,” Perdue said.
Juniors Dessie Lake and Katrina Zacharias, and freshman Abbey Vaca will round out the foursome who will compete for the Warriors.
“I want them to have a good day, whether they shoot a 125, a 130, an 88. I don’t care,” said Smithville coach Pat Huke. “I want them to come home after they’re done, they may be tired, but I want them to have a smile on their face. … This year, I’ve got four girls who can do that.
“I don’t think the competition is above their head. I think they can compete and be pleased with what they turn in.”
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The Smithville High senior will be looking to go a perfect 4-for-4 on Thursday, Oct. 9, when she tees off at the Class 1 District 7 girls golf tournament at Fairview Golf Course in St. Joseph.
Perdue has advanced to the Class 1 state tournament each of the past three seasons, and while that — and shooting a school-record 88 late last month at the Chillicothe Tournament — should provide some nice confidence boosts, that doesn’t mean a lack of restless nights, either.
“I am looking forward to it a lot, but I am extremely nervous about it,” Perdue said. “I haven’t been playing my best the last couple of matches, so I’m just kind of nervous about things.”
Complicating matters is a series of unknowns that Perdue and her teammates must face Thursday.
Each of the past three seasons has seen Perdue’s trip to state include a district stop at Shirkey’s Golf Club in Richmond. However, when the Missouri State High School Activities Association reconfigured its district assignments prior to the 2008-09 school year, Smithville saw itself switched from District 6 to its new home in District 7.
That means a new district course and new opponents to battle for one of the coveted state berths. The top team at Thursday’s 11-team event will advance to the Class 1 state tournament Oct. 20-21 at Fremont Hills Country Club in Nixa, as will the top 10 individual finishers who are not on that team.
“It’s kind of like I am going in blind, because I don’t know who’s good, and what the other teams’ members can shoot,” Perdue said.
Defending state champion Kate Gallagher of Savannah is the pre-tournament favorite to win medalist honors, while the Savages also figure to be the team to beat.
As for the Fairview course itself, Perdue and her teammates saw the front nine during a meet with St. Joseph Lafayette on Sept. 29, and she went back and played a full 18 this past weekend.
Her assessment?
“Stay out of the trees. Stay in the fairway, and you’ll be fine,” Perdue said.
Juniors Dessie Lake and Katrina Zacharias, and freshman Abbey Vaca will round out the foursome who will compete for the Warriors.
“I want them to have a good day, whether they shoot a 125, a 130, an 88. I don’t care,” said Smithville coach Pat Huke. “I want them to come home after they’re done, they may be tired, but I want them to have a smile on their face. … This year, I’ve got four girls who can do that.
“I don’t think the competition is above their head. I think they can compete and be pleased with what they turn in.”