CASEYVILLE – Edwardsville junior Rachel Johnson joined her sister Nicole as a Southwestern Conference girls golf champion, shooting a one-under-par 71 to win the individual championship with a two-day score of 141 in the second round of the conference tournament Tuesday at Fair Oaks Golf Course in Caseyville.
O’Fallon won its ninth straight SWC team championship with a two-day score of 641, with the Tigers coming in second with a 645, Belleville East was third with a 752. Belleville West came in fourth at 886, and Collinsville was fifth with a 931. Alton also had golfers competing, but not enough to record a team score.
Shaylee Ficken of the Panthers came in second with a two-day total of 151, with Zoey Ficken of O’Fallon third at 152, Addison Kenney of the Redbirds was fourth with a 153. and Ruhee Gupchup of the Tigers and Cale Albertina of the Lancers tied for fifth, both shooting a two-day score of 160.
In addition to both Johnson and Gupchup, Emerson Gusewelle had a 168 for the Tigers, while Alayna Garman had a second-round score of 88, while Parker Burns shot an 87 in the opening round Sept. 3 at Belk Park Golf Course in Wood River.
Alton will play with Jersey in the IHSA Class 2A regional at the Lincoln Elks Golf Course in Lincoln, while the other SWC team will compete in the Centralia Regional at the Greenview Country Club, both tournaments set for Oct. 1.
The qualifiers will advance to the Washington Sectional at Quail Meadows Golf Course on Oct 7. The state tournament is set for Oct. 18-19 at Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur.
