WISCONSIN DELLS – After firing a 3-over 39 on the back nine to finish the day with a round of 86, Darlington/Cuba City senior Naomi Black knew she was in great position to earn one of the three individual state qualifying berths. She just had to wait around another three hours to find out if she earned that state berth or if her prep career was finished.
    Patience paid off for Black as she did indeed qualify for next week’s state meet by tying for sixth-place overall with her 86 at the 2012 WIAA Division 2 Sectional girls’ golf meet held at Trappers Turn on Monday, Oct. 1.
    Black, who also qualified for state in 2010, tied McFarland junior Erin Culver at 86 after following up the 47 she shot on the Lakes course to open the day with the 39 she carded on the Canyon course to close her day.
    Her back-nine round included a pair of birdies on both par 3 holes and three pars. She ended the day with a birdie-par-par to finish at 86, which places her in the top five all-time in school history.
    “She was really excited to get back to state. She’s had a great year,” said Darlington/Cuba City head coach Gary Ringen.
    Black settled for the second individual berth after conceding a playoff round against Culver for positioning due to her long wait in the clubhouse.
    Osseo-Fairchild senior Danielle Langner shot an 87 to nab the third and final state berth.
    Edgewood placed four golfers in the top five to roll to the team title with a score of 333, while Edgerton– led by sectional medalist Brooke Ferrell’s spectacular 1-under 71– garnered the second team berth with a 357.
    Black was joined at the Monday’s sectional meet by Redbird teammates Kayla Paquette and Sami Poss.
    Paquette, a senior from Cuba City, finished 21st overall among the 48 golfers at the sectional with a round of 96, and Poss, a junior from Darlington, ended up tied for 45th with a 121.
    Paquette opened her day with a 47 on the front nine and followed with a 49 on the back nine to finish at 96; while Poss struggled on the front nine with a 68, but regained her composure and finished 15 strokes better on the back nine to rally for her 121.
    “Kayla had a superb day. She was nervous golfing which Edgewood’s and Osseo-Fairchild’s number ones, but she played right with them. The difference was around the green and putting,” noted Ringen. “Sami got in trouble on a couple of holes and when you get in trouble up there it’s tough to recover. She hung in there and continued to play.”  
    The WIAA State Girls’ Golf Meet will be held at Cherokee Country Club in Madison on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 8-9, starting at 8 a.m. each day.
    Black’s tee-times were not available at press time since two of the three D-2 sectional meets were not yet completed.
    At Madison, on Tuesday, Sept. 25, the Darlington/Cuba City girls’ golf team couldn’t advance their whole team to sectionals, but the Redbirds were able to move 60 percent of the team on as three team members earned individual sectional qualifying berths at the WIAA Division 2 regional meet held at Yahara Hills Golf Course.
    The Redbirds missed out on earning a team sectional berth after placing fifth overall at the nine-team meet with a score of 398, but Naomi Black earned the first individual sectional berth with her round of 96 and junior Sami Poss and senior Kayla Paquette nabbed the third and fourth berths with rounds of 99.
    Senior Nikki Zimmerman carded a 105 and junior Tina Kurschner shot a 114 to complete the team scoring for the ‘Birds.
    Madison Edgewood ran away with the regional team title with a 311 and the Crusaders’ Lexi Greytak earned medalist honors with her 1-over 73.
    Edgerton was a distant runner-up at 360, while Cambridge was third at 381. McFarland, which nearly missed the meet after not realizing the regional had been switched from Wednesday to Tuesday back in August, claimed the fourth and final team berth with a 389.
    “We’re probably in the toughest Division 2 golf area in the state, and these teams play this course a lot. We were close. I think we were the only school that shot under 400 that didn’t qualify for sectionals,” said Coach Gary Ringen. “Our three girls shot well and they were rewarded for their play.”

2012 WIAA DIVISION 2 SECTIONAL MEET
Team standings: Madison Edgewood 333, Edgerton 357, Osseo Fairchild 367, Arcadia 377, McFarland 386, Cambridge 394, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau 409, Wisconsin Dells 439.

Medalist: Brooke Ferrell, E, 71.

Redbirds Results: Naomi Black 86, Kayla Paquette 96, Sami Poss 121.
At Trappers Turn GC, Par 72

2012 WIAA DIVISION 2 REGIONAL MEET
Team standings: Madison Edgewood 311, Edgerton 360, Cambridge 381, McFarland 389, Darlington/Cuba City 398, Lancaster 426, Southwestern 433, Prairie du Chien 461, Beloit Turner 496.

Medalist: Lexi Greytak, ME, 73.

Redbirds Results: Naomi Black 96, Sami Poss 99, Kayla Paquette 99, Nikki Zimmerman 105, Tina Kurschner 114.
At Yahara Hills CC, Par 72