By Kyle Roberts
YOUNGSVILLE, La. — Ruston High head coach Chris Rathburn had one major goal for the 2025 Lady Bearcat Golf Team: Return to the state tournament for the first time since qualifying began.
Well, Mission: Accomplished, even if inclement weather shortened the final round at Les Vieux Chenes Golf Club in Youngsville, La., to just nine holes.
“For me, our only expectation this year was making it back to state,” Rathburn said. “Once we did that, I feel like everything after was gravy. So, we tried to rlax and have fun.”
Earlier this week, the Lady Bearcats finished their first trip back to the state tournament and finished tied for seventh overall (179+91=270) while junior Kate Boersma finished tied for sixth overall after shooting a 117 total score (79+38=117).
“Kate played great,” Rathburn said. “Last year, she shot low 80’s in two round and at the time, both of those were her best rounds every. This year, about three weeks ago, we played the regular season championship at Huntington, and her swing was just clicking. She hit almost every fairway and won that tournament in a playoff. But in the last few weeks, she’s been fighting a few things and didn’t have her best stuff. As a coach, I didn’t want her thinking a lot about her swing, and (in the state tournament) she didn’t have any penalty strokes, and it showed how much better she’s gotten over the last year.
“I was really proud of her mental game and how she hung in there. I really believe if we would have been been able to finish all 18 holes then she could have crept into the top five.”
Freshman Marry Hammond finished at 157 (100+57), while junior Addison Wood finished with a score of 172 (119+53).
“The two of them have been going back and forth all year between the two- and three-seed for our team,” Rathburn said. “They don’t have a lot of big game experience, so they were nervous but I was proud. It was nice to have both of them contribute.”
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