CARMEL, Ind. – That’s a wrap on another high school girls golf season.
The 2023 campaign concluded with the Indiana High School Athletic Association state championship on Saturday at Prairie View Golf Club. By all measures, it was another solid season for the Evansville area.
One team and three individuals competed on the final weekend with Ashley Kirkland earning another podium finish. Here are takeaways on another strong performance from the Castle standout and more from the IHSAA state championship.
More: Takeaways from the IHSAA girls golf regional at Country Oaks
Ashley Kirkland had quite the individual season
The end result wasn’t her desired outcome. It doesn’t lessen everything she accomplished this season.
Kirkland shot an even-par 72 in the final round to finish tied for second overall at 2-over. It’s the second straight year she has earned a red medal on the final weekend. She and three others were four shots behind Purdue commit Samantha Brown of Westfield.
Conference, sectional and regional champion. State runner-up. That’s an All-State résumé.
“It was a pretty good season,” said Kirkland. “I wish I would’ve finished a little better but the birdie at 18 was really great. I definitely shot some (low) scores and excited for next season to shoot even better.”
Kirkland did some second-guessing following the round. Her putting wasn’t on the same level as her ball striking. The junior also fell six shots behind with an opening round 74. A good reminder it takes two good days to win at Prairie View.
The final round still showed again why Kirkland is among the best in the state. She recorded four birdies including a pair in the final four holes to cement her spot on the podium. When the moment called for it, Kirkland found another gear.
She nearly aced the par-3 15th after her tee shot rolled down the slope to tap-in range. Following a bogey at 17, Kirkland took advantage of a fortuitous bounce into the fairway on her drive. Her final 10-foot birdie proved monumental to earn another runner-up medal.
“Mental toughness of an elite athlete,” said Castle coach Luke Richison. “She kept that calmness throughout and played a great round. She’s got the stuff to come back next year and put on another show. She’s also laid the foundation for this team’s inspiration to work hard.”
Kirkland will get one more shot next year. It’s certainly attainable now. She had the best second-day score in the field, the second straight year, along with Rowan Pies of East Central and Addyson Weiler of Batesville.
It would be a storybook conclusion to an already remarkable career.
“I’m going to hone in on my putting,” said Kirkland. “And get the nerves out of the way in the first round to really score better. Make sure they’re not too controlling.”
Abby Shires proved she can hold her own
The second round was close to everything the Memorial sophomore hoped for.
Shires posted a 79 on Saturday, a solid 13-shot improvement from day one, to finish tied for 52nd overall. Her first time seeing the course proved rewarding for both her confidence and potential next season.
“This course is so challenging,” said Shires. “I didn’t have aiming issues but my tee shots were a little bit shorter. I landed in zones that didn’t set me up great. Today, it helped more knowing what to do and not to do.”
The scorecard included birdies at 8 and 12. Sure, there was a triple bogey at the par-4 fifth and a three-putt bogey at 9 to finish outside the top 50. It was still a positive step forward overall.
One reason was Shires hit her driver. Not just well but period. Outside of the first tournament, it’s been hidden away in her bag. It became a mental hurdle more than anything until a strong range session prior to the final round.
Shires hit her driver 13 times at Prairie View. The outlook gets brighter if she continues this path.
“(This weekend) shows what I’m capable of,” said Shires. “How much confidence I can have in myself and my ability. I want to be back here in this position next year.”
A sneak peak of next year?
This fall was undeniably a success for Southwestern Indiana golf.
Kirkland contending for a state title was expected, but the top area team was undecided. Jasper answered that as the only program to qualify for the state finals. Led by Addie Dart (84) and Kristin Roos (86), the Wildcats finished 16th with a final-round 387.
North junior Kiley Standring went 93-94 over two days to finish tied for 81st overall. Although she struggled with big numbers, the experience was an opportunity to grow as a player. This could be the first of multiple trips to Prairie View.
There will be competition with most of the key players returning. Castle and Memorial both run back the entire lineup. Jasper will count on three of its top five including Dart and Roos. Those three appear to be the early SIAC favorites. Then you can count numerous other talented players. It will make for an intriguing fall.
“I like our chances to hold onto that sectional title,” said Richison. “I love where our team is headed and (they) improved throughout the year. I think these girls are going to put in work. You’ll see that around the area. A lot of girls that love this game and will keep working hard.”
Follow Courier & Press sports reporter Kyle Sokeland on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: IHSAA girls golf: Ashley Kirkland state championship runner-up
