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KEITH NIEBUHRThe Plant senior recovers from an awful start to take 2A-7 and lead the Panthers to the team crown.
ODESSA - Plant senior Cindy LaCrosse was hoping for a strong start at the Class 2A, District 7 tournament, but she didn't get it. After opening with bogey, she carded a 9 on the par-4 second.
"I was like, "What am I doing?"' LaCrosse said.
After a few deep breaths, LaCrosse pulled it together quite nicely. Despite the rocky beginning, she finished with a solid 6-over 77 at Silver Dollar Golf Club to earn medalist honors and lead her squad to a first-place finish.
"I'm definitely happy with my score, especially considering the first two holes," said LaCrosse, who entered with a regular-season nine-hole average of 38. "It was pretty up and down out there. I really overcame a bad driver."
Plant won with a 353 total, well ahead of second-place Sickles (397). Gaither (443) and Wesley Chapel (456) also qualified for regionals. Plant had four players in the top 10. No other squad had more than two.
"They can shoot better," Plant coach Mark Anderson said. "They all know that, but I'm still pleased with the victory."
LaCrosse turned her day around with birdies on the par-4 third and par-3 fourth. Her approach to the third left her with a gimme putt. She also got past a triple bogey on the back nine.
"She's a good player," Anderson said. "She can overcome a bad hole."
Wesley Chapel freshman T.J. Adipietro was second at 82. Her effort was crucial to her squad's advancement because the Wildcats were without standout Hana Young, who missed the tournament with a wrist injury.
"We're glad (to reach regionals), but a lot of us should have played better," Adipietro said.