Bret Lyon Makes State Golf
Brock Kappelmann - October 10, 2023 6:45 am
Bert Luallen
Wichita — Senior Bret Lyon achieved the goal she set out to accomplish for her Senior season by qualifying for the KSHSAA 6A State Girls Golf Tournament in Emporia. Lyon and her two teammates, Aaliah Osborn and Leini Tian, took to the links at Arthur B. Sims Park in Wichita in the Wichita North sponsored 6A Regional under near-perfect weather conditions on Monday.
At each of the three Regional tournaments, the top four teams qualified for state, plus the next six best scores not represented by players from those four teams. Lyon claimed the sixth spot with a 106, edging out one of the two players in her group on Monday, Olivia Sanchez, a Freshman from Wichita East, who carded a 107.
“I knew going into the final two holes that Bret had a good chance of making the cut,” Coach Bert Luallen said. But after a three-put on the 17th hole and an errant tee shot on 18, that looked in doubt. But Lyon was able to bring it home on the final hole to accomplish her season-long goal.
“This one was special,” said Luallen. “Bret improved so much over last season and she earned this. It was great to see her pull it out. I’m really proud of her.”
Lyon will travel to Emporia next Monday for the KSHSAA 6A State Tournament; a course where she recorded her career best round earlier this season. It is a two-day event, where she will need to qualify to stay for the second day. “It will take a monumental effort for her to do that,” Luallen said. “But you never know in golf what will happen.”
TEAM RESULTS:
1. Maize 322
2. Garden City 369
3. Wichita SE 392
4. Dodge City 401
5. Derby 410
6. Campus 447
7. Wichita-East 452
8. Wichita-North 514
Liberal High School did not have the requisite four players in order to post a team score, so their players had to play as individuals.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS:
(The top 10 players earned medals)
1. Kinslea Jones Maize 69 (-2)
2. Alina Lam Wichita-SE 72 (+1)
3. Alexis Elliot Maize 77 (+6)
4. Kiley Maier Campus 83 *
5. Charlotte Kerbs Maize T83
6. Hannah Minnis Derby 85 *
7. Ailynn Anderson Garden City 89
8. Hailey Moore Wichita-SE T89
9. Jerika Lopez Garden City T89
10. Riley Kippes Dodge City 90
11. Brooke Savolt Garden City 92
12. Emma Hays Maize 93
13. Jillian Hutchinson Wichita-East 97 *
14. Jacya Vargas Garden City 99
15. Payton Dunn Dodge City T99
16. Addison Oetken Derby 100 *
17. Rachel Harrold Dodge City 103
18. Hadley Topping Maize 104
19. Natalie Wilson Derby 105 *
20. Natalie Unsworth Garden City 106
21. Bret Lyon Liberal T106 *
38. Leini Tian Liberal 130
46. Aaliah Osborn Liberal 146