El Reno High School junior Andrea Dyer focuses on her tee shot during Thursday’s Del City tourney at Trosper Golf Club. The Indians walked away with a fourth place finish. (Photo/Glen Miller)

By Glen Miller/Staff Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY — In its final tune-up before the Class 5A West Regional, El Reno High School’s girls golf team took on the big schools Thursday in the Del City Invitational.

The Indians walked away with a respectable fourth-place finish that left head coach Lanae Goucher excited for the regional tournament, being held Wednesday at Crimson Creek Golf Club.

“We had some excellent scoring and to come in fourth in this tournament was great,” Goucher said of the Del City effort.

El Reno carded a 334, which was 50 strokes off the winning pace of Edmond Memorial, which had two rounds in the 60s. The Bulldogs junior varsity squad took second with a 309 and Edmond Santa Fe was third with a 321.

Leilani Gradle had the low round for El Reno with a 38 on the front nine. She added a 40 on the back nine to close with a 78 — her second straight sub-80 round. Madison Haley shot a 82 (42-40), followed by junior Andrea Dyer with duplicate nines of 42 for an 84.

Victoria Farmer missed a round in the 80s by a strike, posting nines of 43-47 for a 90.

Alisha Preno was a last-second replacement for Ashlee Brittain, who became ill during warm-ups. Preno played seven holes with Brittain’s clubs before her’s arrived from El Reno.

She ended with a 109 (53-56).

“I was really proud of Alisha, she was a trooper,” Goucher said.

Suburban Champs
El Reno won the Suburban Conference Championship with a season-low 328 at Guthrie’s Cimarron Valley Golf Club. Chickasha was a distant second at 357 and Carl Albert and Harrah tied for third at 363.

“I can’t express how proud I am of the girls,” Goucher said. “They were all relaxed and the scored showed it. In the past they would too much pressure on themselves, but they showed what they could shoot if they take that pressure off.”

Three golfers made the all-conference team, led by Haley’s second-place finish after a one-hole playoff. Haley carded nines of 38-37 for a season-low 75. Gradle was close on her heels with a 76 (40-36) which earned her third place in the medalist race.

Dyer shot an 87 (44-43) to take sixth place and all-conference laurels. The top 10 golfers in the medalist race earn the honor. Farmer carded duplicate nines of 45 for a 90, followed by Brittain’s 104 (52-52) and Preno’s 105 (54-51).