GIRLS GOLF: Wheeler leads Riders to second-place finish despite windy GF Invitational

Grand Forks Red River senior JoDee Wheeler doesn't dwell on where she places in the individual standings of a golf meet.

"I just focus on how I'm playing and not everyone else," Wheeler said. "The mid-70s is where I want to be -- win or lose."

Wheeler was a bit off her target today at the Grand Forks Invitational, but so was everyone else on a typically windy day at King's Walk.

Wheeler fired an 80 to take medalist honors for the fifth time in seven meets this season, leading the Roughriders to a second-place team finish.

"She was able to persevere in the wind," Red River coach Sue Ann Lund said. "She played pretty consistently. She has a very good mental game."

Wheeler beat the field by four strokes as Fargo Davies eighth-grader Kathleen Marsh shot an 84, followed by Allyson Meyer of Davies with an 85, Jennifer Marsh of Davies with an 86 and Ashley Knecht of Red River with an 88.

Davies, which has won each region meet this season, finished with a 350. The Riders came in second with 360, while Fargo North came in third with 370. West Fargo was fourth with 394 shots. Devils Lake (409) was fifth and Grand Forks Central (412) was sixth.

Wheeler, the defending East Region meet medalist, is the only golfer in the region to boast an average under 80.

"I've been happy with how I'm playing," Wheeler said. "You can always go lower, but I've been putting up pretty good scores. There's only a couple of meets I'm not pleased with."

Wheeler's been knocked out of the top spot just twice this season. The only non-medalist finishes for her were third place and fifth place.

Along with Wheeler and Knecht, the Riders received scoring from Abby Holmen and Casey Debeltz, who each shot a 96.

"For Ashley to shoot an 88 is really good," Wheeler said. "When she plays well we have a good chance of leading North to take second in the East. Casey's 96 is also really good for her. I was happy to see her break 100. It was a good accomplishment for her."

Debeltz, a sophomore, shot a personal-best nine-hole score of 33 on the front.

Central's sixth-place standing tied for its highest finish. After finishing eighth place three times and seventh once to start the year, the Knights now have had back-to-back sixths -- the cutoff for state-qualifying at the regional meet, which takes place the first week in October at Edgewood Golf Course in Fargo.

The Knights were paced by Katie Sigurdson's season-best 89. The senior's previous best was 99.