Lovell doing well at state golf tourney

REXBURG — Despite sitting in last place as a team after the opening round of the 4A state golf championships Monday at Teton Lakes Golf Course in Rexburg, it was still a glass-half-full day for the Bulldogs.

Joey Lovell shot a four-over par 75, trailing a trio of golfers who posted 72, and sitting in a good position to make a charge at state medalist today.

"Today was a shoot-to-not-be-out-of-the-tournament kind of day," said Bulldogs' coach Mike Keough of the safe nature of play in the first round. "Right now any of 10 kids could all take medalist, it will come down to which kid is aggressive within reason. Joey has all the ability in the world to stay with these guys."

The Bulldogs finished at 339, which put them in last place among the ten teams. Nonetheless, Keough thought his team overcame some nerves and was happy with the score, their second-best of the season, and believes they might be able to overtake a couple of teams on the final day.

Freshman Colton Story had by far his best round of the season, shooting an 83 and overcoming a double-bogey on the first hole to shoot a 39 on the front nine.

"He got a lot of confidence early and got into a really good rhythm," Keough said. "Every shot I saw him hit looked like he was in a really good tempo."

Ashleigh Mire and Ashley Burke both had an up-and-down day as well, as Mire struggled early but found her groove on the back nine en route to a 96, good for 19th place in the girls draw.

"The front nine was brutal for her, she struggled with rhythm and getting things going," said girls' coach Jim Alsager of her 51 at the turn. "The will was there, but sometimes the harder you try the worse things get. She let it go at the midpoint and played a solid back nine, I expect her to pass about half the kids (today) and finish in the top-ten."

Burke shot a 107, almost acing the second hole when her tee shot at the par three hit the stick and fell out.

Alsager said almost every girl on the course struggled with the deadly combination of ultra-fast greens and state nerves.

The second round of the two-day tournament begins today at 9 a.m.