2 War Eagle golfers earn CPC honors

Published 8:29 am Thursday, October 21, 2021

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By Brian Pitts
Enterprise Record

Annika McDaniel secured her fourth all-Central Piedmont Conference spot, and Emerson Vanzant played lights out on the back nine to seal a top-11 finish and make all-conference for the first time. The CPC golf ournament was held at Bermuda Run West on Oct. 12.
While Reagan sophomore Macy Pate produced the best score in state history, McDaniel and Vanzant had the best 18-hole round of their careers.
McDaniel, a senior, shot 11-over 82, beating the 17-over 88 at Salem Glen in the regional tournament last spring. Vanzant, a junior, shot 88, following a 51 on her front nine with a 37 on the back. Her old personal record on 18 was a 23-over 94 in the regional last May.
Davie’s third score was a combination from freshman Kate Sakai (47) and senior Riley Crotts (49).
Pate made history racking up 14 birdies, but she had one less eagle than McDaniel, who carded a 2 on a 181-yard par-4. It was the second eagle of her Davie career, the first one coming in her freshman year.
“In front of the green there was a hazard area, so I decided to hit my hybrid off the tee box,” McDaniel said. “I didn’t have a lot of confidence with that club, but I took a deep breath and just hit the ball. It landed about 15 feet below the hole. The putt was uphill. I read the green and I didn’t think I putted it so well. I almost missed the hole, but at the last second it went in.”
Pate posted a 14-under 57 to break the NCHSAA scoring record of 61. The Raiders won the league by a massive margin with the top three individual players – Morgan Ketchum (player of the year), Pate and Anna Howerton.
The Nos. 4-8 finishers were Mary-Paige King of West Forsyth, Paige Sydney of West, Hillary Gong of Reagan, Sadie Mecham of West and Ruth Ann Asbill of Reagan.
Vanzant finished ninth, one spot ahead of McDaniel, who placed 11th in the CPC as a freshman, eighth as a sophomore and ninth as a junior. The final all-conference spot went to No. 11 Addison Moser of Reynolds.
Notes: The final team standings: Reagan, West, Davie, Reynolds, Glenn, East Forsyth and Mt. Tabor. … Coach Bob Donley carried three War Eagles to the Central Regional earlier this week. They were McDaniel, Vanzant and Krystal Davis, who was unable to play in the CPC tournament.