Red Raider golfers win Ogallala crown

OGALLALA – The Sidney Lady Raiders girls' golf team proved to be the best of the pack at the Ogallala Invite Monday at West Wind Golf Club.

Besides the top-team prize, the Raiders had three medalists including a sweep of the top two individual placings. Rachel Blauert won her second tournament in less than a week with an 83, while teammate Emma Alexander was second after carding an 87.

Megan Neal, who fired a 94, finished in seventh place. Neal has been a model of consistency of late. She has finished seventh in the last three tournaments.

After being disappointed with its performance at Scotts Bluff Country Club on Saturday, Sidney turned its fortunes around by cutting 17 strokes from that total on Monday. The Raiders' top-four scorers totaled 371 at Ogallala while they finished with a 388 at the Scottsbluff Invite. Their best score of the season was at Gering, where they defeated a strong field with a 353.

"We had a rough day on Saturday so it was important for us to come out and play as well as we did today," said Raiders' head coach Dani Kuchar.

For the first time this season, Kuchar swapped her top two golfers by putting Alexander in the No. 1 spot and Blauert at No. 2.

"I just wanted to wake the girls up today," Kuchar said. "We've been a little flat lately and I thought this might help us get the scores from them that we're accustomed to. I'd say we got out of it what we wanted to. The girls played very well today."

In addition to the Raiders' medalists, Paige Langley finished with a 107 and Taylor Parsons carded a 108.

As for Blauert, she played a consistent round that was highlighted by a birdie at the par-3 10th hole. Blauert recorded her birdie with an eight-iron that landed about 12 feet from the hole. She then drained a slightly right breaking putt for the 2. The West Wind course, a par-73 layout, includes an original front nine with a back side that was constructed years later.

"Both sides are complex, but both pose different challenges which makes it more fun," Blauert said. "I enjoy playing both sides and I had a pretty good day on each nine."

Blauert shot a 42 on the front and finished with 41 on the back.

Alexander finished her round off with a confidence-building, up-and-down par on the final hole. She rediscovered her consistency off the tee and had good day putting. Though often hard on herself, Alexander was pleased to have rediscovered her old swing.

"Today was the first day I got my old swing back," Alexander said. "I did it by keeping my stupid knees bent."

Despite the team win at Gering last week, Langley struggled that day to her worst score of the season. She bounced back at Scottsbluff with a junior varsity medal and backed up that round with a 107 at Ogallala.

"I've been more focussed since Gering," Langley said. "Now I'm just thinking about the shot at my feet and not worrying about the shot I had before. I feel a lot better now than I did last week."

Sidney returns to the links on Saturday when they travel to the Skyview Golf Course in Alliance at 9 a.m.