The North Carolina High School Athletic Association will hold its girls’ golf championships on Monday and Tuesday. The 4A championship will take place at Pinehurst No. 6, the 3A championship at Foxfire Resort, and the 1A/2A championship will be held at Stonebridge Golf Club in Monroe, which is located outside of the Sandhills region.

Can Pinecrest, Fike, and Newton-Conover successfully defend their state championship titles? (Note: If Newton-Conover wins again, it will be a three-peat.)

Could Elizabeth Rudisill from Myers Park potentially defend her title?

We have been providing a sneak peek of the NCISAA titles for our Insiders through a segment called “four favorites and a dark horse,” where we make predictions about the outcomes of these championships. We will apply the same format to girls golf.

HighSchoolOT will have coverage of all three championships, with our own Evan Moesta going to Monroe on Monday and Moore County on Tuesday. Make sure to look for his photo galleries this week!

While there may be a noticeable difference in competition between 4A and 1A/2A, the race for first place in the 3A class is wide-open for team rankings. As for individual performance, the large number of returning players in 4A and 3A makes it difficult to predict who will have the best performance over two days. On the other hand, the lack of top placers returning in 1A/2A means that it is just as uncertain who will come out on top.

We made an effort to organize those that you should pay attention to here, regardless.

4A Team

Top Pick #1: Myers Park – If a single player is able to score 5 shots under par each day, as was the case for the Mustangs last year, that gives them a significant advantage over all other teams.

My second favorite team is Marvin Ridge, led by Alicia Fang who was the runner-up at the state competition last year. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Mavericks competing closely with Myers Park.
Favorite #3: Jordan — Always good to see new blood in the mix. The Falcons won the Central regional over powerhouse program Pinecrest.

Number 4 pick: Pinecrest – They barely made it to states after a tough competition in the Central region, but with everyone performing at their best, this team is a formidable force.

Dark horse: Cardinal Gibbons – Led by Mary Elizabeth Harrison, the Crusaders boast a trio of golfers who consistently score low.

4A Individual

Top Pick #1: Elizabeth Rudisill from Myers Park High School. As a junior, she achieved a score of 10-under to become the champion, and also tied for second place as a freshman. Her performance has remained consistent, as she won the 4A West regional with a score of 66.

My second favorite is Ellie Hildreth from Hoggard. She has the potential to beat Rudisill, so keep an eye on her. She has played four matches and her highest score was 72. She won the East regional with a score of 69.

Top pick #3: Emerson Dever, Jordan — After a strong performance of 70 in the Central region victory and a fifth-place finish in the previous year, perhaps now is the opportune moment.

Top pick #4: Leah Edwards from Northwest Guilford. It’s amazing that out of last year’s top six players, she is one of four who will be back on the field this year. She aims to secure a third consecutive top-10 finish.
Surprising contender: Gracie Song from Cuthbertson High School. Despite being only a freshman last year, she placed 15th in the competition. Recently, she scored a 1-under, finishing just five strokes behind Rudisill.

3A Team

Top pick: Fike – They have a strong possibility of repeating if the circumstances fall into place like they did in the previous year.

My second favorite: South Central High School’s golf team dominated at the East regional tournament, winning by a margin of nine strokes over Fike High School.

My top pick is Croatan, who will once again compete in the East regional. The Cougars managed to prevent South Brunswick from taking the last spot from the region.

Top Pick #4: Hibriten — The Panthers not only claimed victory in the 3A West, but also managed to do so without reaching their full potential, winning by a margin of 14 strokes.

Can the Cougars reclaim the title after tying with Carrboro and finishing ahead of Southern Alamance in last week’s Central regional, showing their traditional strength in Rockingham County?

3A Individual

Top pick #1: Jillian Fatkin from South Brunswick – Fatkin placed fourth in the previous year and shared the victory at the East regional tournament last week.
Favorite #2: Sanaa Carter, Jacksonville — The returning third-team all-state player and state runner-up was the player who tied Fatkin last week.

My third favorite is Bree Council from Fike. Although she was behind by seven strokes in the regional competition, don’t overlook her performance. She placed third in the state title last year.

Top Choice #4: Carolyn Coffey from Union Pines High School – I always favor seniors from the Sandhills in these events. Additionally, she shared the 3A Central regional title last week.

Obscure contender: Trinity White from Hibriten High School – After scoring an 84 in the regional competition last week, she may have gone unnoticed, but she placed fifth in the state championship last year.

1A/2A Team

Top Pick: Pine Lake Prep – The Pride currently holds the group’s lowest scoring average and recently won the West regional title, as well as being the runner-up last year.

My second favorite is Thomas Jefferson. Within the same area, their reported average strokes were one shot lower than Pine Lake Prep throughout the year.

Top pick #3: West Lincoln – They are in the same region, but the reigning champions will have to improve in certain areas in order to secure a higher ranking than the other two teams.

My number 4 pick is East Surry. They were the champions in the Central regional competition and are close to the top, but there could be a difference between them and the team in third place.

I did not intend for this, but my choice for the dark horse is the Dark Horses. They dominated the East regional with a 22-stroke lead, thanks to four golfers shooting within nine strokes of each other.

1A/2A Individual

Top Pick #1: Malerie Lague from Christ the King High School placed second last year and scored a 73 at the regional tournament last week.

Top Pick #2: Paisley Freda, Pine Lake Prep — The first-year student emerged victorious in the regional tournament last week, making her a strong contender for the overall win.

Top pick #3: Celeste Little from Newton-Conover High School is a key player for the Red Devils, who have won two consecutive championships but did not qualify as a team this year. However, Little’s performance may still lead them to victory and potential awards.

Top pick #4: Mackenzie Crossman from Chatham Charter High School. She dominated the East regional competition with a impressive score of 75.

Underdog: Emily Rosenchein from Bradford Prep – While she may not be considered a top contender, her impressive score of 77 at the regional tournament last week is sure to catch the attention of her competitors.

Source: highschoolot.com