NOTRE DAME GOLFERS CLAIM FIRST DISTRICT CROWN

JACKSON, Mo. -- Notre Dame captured its first-ever district golf championship with an eight-stroke margin of victory over runner-up Arcadia Valley at the Class 2A, District 1 Golf Tournament Monday at Bent Creek Golf Course.

Notre Dame's team total of 346 outdistanced Arcadia Valley (354), St. Pius (363), Caruthersville (370), Malden (395), Doniphan (408), Clearwater (421) and Kingston (534).

Nick Martin led the Bulldogs with an 8-over-par 80, the third-best individual score. Tim Buerck carded an 86, Adam Fenwick had an 88 and Elliot Maschmann rounded out the Notre Dame scoring with a 92. Martin, Buerck and Fenwick all finished in the top 10 to earn all-district honors.

Although Notre Dame will be making its fourth trip to the state meet -- to be held at the Island Green Golf Club in Republic, Mo., on May 14-15 -- the Bulldogs have never participated as a district champion.

"We were (the favorite)," said Notre Dame coach Chris Janet. "I think we felt a little pressure. That was probably our highest score all year. The conditions are a little tougher when you get to the district championship -- you play the ball down. They struggled with the pressure a little bit, but they were real excited after winning."

By finishing second, Arcadia Valley also advanced to the state meet.

The top five finishers among the teams not qualifying for state also qualified for state. Jarred Green of Greenville claimed the medalist honor with a 73. Kyle Hurtgen of St. Pius (82), Jim Bob Golden of Greenville (85), Jeremy Czerwonka of Doniphan (88) and Drew Horne of Clearwater (89) also advanced.

Jackson wins tourney

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Kyle Perry and Matt Litzelfelner fired a 66 to lead Jackson to the championship of the two-man best ball tournament at Eagle Lake.

With each team entering three two-man pairings, the Indians also had the third-best team as Nathan Brown and Peyton Sims combined for a 69. The Sikeston duo of Brandon Couch and Jonathan Spence finished second with a 68.

Team scoring was as follows: Jackson 209, Sikeston 222, Cape Central 232, (tie) Perryville and Northwest 233, Farmington 235, Hillsboro 243, and Poplar Bluff (JV) 251.

Litzelfelner and Sims tied for low individual scores with 70s on the par-72 course, but Sims earned medalist honors in a scorecard playoff.

BASEBALL

St. Vincent 4, Grandview 1

HILLSBORO, Mo. -- St. Vincent broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the top of the seventh to win its first-round game in the Jefferson County Conference Tournament.

Derek Kutz, who had two hits, provided the game-winning hit with one out in the seventh and Ryan Brown provided insurance with a two-out, two-run triple. Both teams had scored a single run in the third inning.

Tyler Wengert went the distance for St. Vincent (8-8), allowing one unearned run and four hits, striking out six and walking two.

GIRLS SWIMMING

Notre Dame 97, Mehlville 88

MEHLVILLE, Mo. -- Ali Tyson and Lindsay Kuper, with two individual and two relay-team wins each, led the Lady Bulldogs to a close victory over Mehlville.

Notre Dame improved to 5-4 in dual meets in its initial swim season.

Tyson won the 200 intermediate and 100 breaststroke events, while Kuper captured the 200 and 500 freestyle. Both swam legs on the winning 200 medley relay and 200 free relay.

Notre Dame results:

200 medley relay - 1. (Lindsay Kuper, Janelle Essner, Ali Tyson, Stefanie Campos), 2:09.69

200 freestyle - 1. Kuper, 2:15.92

200 intermediate - 1. Tyson 2:31.25; 2. Essner, 2:44.28

50 freestyle - 2. Sarah Unterreiner, 30.73

100 butterfly - 1. Essner, 1:14.76; 2. Unterreiner, 1:15.94

100 freestyle - 2. Campos, 1:04.73

500 freestyle - 1. Kuper, 6:06.52

200 freestyle relay - 1. (Tyson, Essner, Kuper, Rachel Ruopp), 1:54.43

100 backstroke - 2. Campos, 1:16.17

100 breast - 1. Tyson 1:15.73

400 freestyle relay - 2. (Unterreinier, Ruopp, Campos, Erin Mason), 4:46.11

GIRLS SOCCER

Notre Dame 1, Perryville 1

A last-minute goal by freshman Sierra Ellis lifted the Lady Bulldogs (8-10-3) into a tie with Perryville (14-2-3).

After a scoreless first half, the Lady Pirates' Stacy Baer netted a rocket from about 18 yards out to send Perryville up 1-0.

The Lady Bulldogs were finally able to capitalize when Ellis' shot off a deflection from a Perryville player at point-blank range found the net.

Again, Notre Dame's freshman keeper Katie Palmer was solid in goal.

Notre Dame's JV (8-3) won 1-0, with Amanda Dirnberger scoring the lone goal. Goalie Loreal Garner got the shutout.

Softball

Advance 10, Dexter 4

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Entering the contest with identical 4-0 conference records, Advance took advantage of 16 free passes and timely hitting to cruise to victory and the Stoddard County Conference championship.

"To win our fifth straight conference championship is big for a small-school program like ours," said Advance coach Bob Moses.

Amber Bond led the Lady Hornets (12-3) on the mound and at the plate. She tossed a three-hitter with four strikeouts and three walks. She also had two triples and three RBIs.

Chaffee 9, Charleston 0

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Jennifer Vandeven shut down Charleston on five hits to help the Lady Red Devils improve to 11-2.

Vandeven went the distance, striking out three and walking none. She also paced Chaffee's offense with two of its six hits.

Meadow Heights 18-10

Oak Ridge 6-2

OAK RIDGE, Mo. -- Winless Oak Ridge (0-9) dropped two to Meadow Heights.

The Lady Panthers' Emily Heitman picked up both wins, with the second game rain-shortened to three innings.

Melinda Schoen homered in each game for Oak Ridge.

TENNIS

Cape Central 6

PopLar Bluff 3

Cape Central improved to 13-0 in dual matches with a victory over Poplar Bluff.

Central also rolled to a 12-0 victory in JV action.

The Tigers, in the midst of a four-match week, travel to Kennett today.

Singles

Trevor Blattner (CC) def. Jaitse DeHaan 9-7

Josh Riggs (PB) def. Andy Tansil 8-2

Kandarp Bhatt (PB) def. Eric Daume 8-1

James Russell (CC) def. Ryan Clark 8-1

Andrew Eaton (CC) def. Wouseth Haiderzad 8-3

Paul Miller (CC) def. Branden Lomax 8-3

Doubles

Bhatt/Riggs (PB) def. Daume/Eaton 9-7

Blattner/Tansil (CC) def. DeHaan/Haiderzad 8-0

Paul Hagler/Sean Riches (CC) def. Jarrett Killpack/Clark 8-5

JV winners: (singles) Hagler, Calvin Maginel, Nathan Foley, Andrew Moreton, Chris Limbaugh, Tyler Roeger, Grant Hengst, Kyle Davis; (doubles) Maginel/Russell, Davis/Randy Smith, Will Ramsey/Adam Baron, P.D. Stuart/David Jones