Wichita Eagle honors the best high school girls golfers on 2023 All-Metro team
The Wichita area featured some of the best high school girls golfers in Kansas this season and that star power is highlighted on The Wichita Eagle’s 2023 All-Metro girls golf team.
The All-Metro squad consists of six of the top golfers and a top coach from Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties, based on season-long performance with an emphasis on postseason finishes.
Maize junior Kinslea Jones, who won her third straight individual Class 5A state championship and finished with the state’s lowest scoring average, was once again chosen as the Golfer of the Year honors.
2023 Wichita Eagle All-Metro girls golf team
Regan Dusenbery, Andover sophomore
After a spectacular freshman season, Dusenbery managed to up her level even higher as a sophomore. She ended the season with an outright victory or tied for the lead in her final seven tournaments, which included an AV-CTL Division II championship and a regional title. She finished tied for the lead at the state tournament and earned runner-up honors in the 5A field after shooting a 36-hole total of 144 at Carey Park in Hutchinson. Dusenbery lowered her season average to 70.9 strokes, which was the second-lowest in the state.
Kinslea Jones, Maize junior
Even in a golden age of talent in the Wichita area, Jones’ spot at the top remains unquestioned. She has delivered time and time in the clutch, shooting a round of 66 on the final day of the state tournament to win her third straight individual gold medal and claim her first Class 6A championship with a 36-hole total of 137 at Emporia. Jones won eight of her 10 tournaments, finishing runner-up in the other two, and carried a state-wide low scoring average of 68.3 strokes.
Naomi Koontz, Newton freshman
Another freshman who made an instant impact at the top of scoreboards this fall, Koontz carried a superb scoring average of 74.2 strokes, which was seventh-best in the state. She was one of only two golfers to defeat Maize’s Kinslea Jones, doing so in a playoff to claim the Derby title, as Koontz notched a fourth-place finish at the Class 5A state tournament with a 36-hole total of 155 at Carey Park in Hutchinson.
Alina Lam, Southeast freshman
One of three freshmen to make All-Metro in their debut seasons, Lam shook up the City League that has so long been dominated by Kapaun Mt. Carmel and Bishop Carroll. She was near the top of the leaderboard at every City League tournament, then proved herself in the postseason with runner-up finishes at league and regionals and then a 10th-place finish at the Class 6A state tournament with a 36-hole total of 156 strokes at Emporia. Her season stroke average of 75.2 ranked No. 8 in the state this season.
Mena Sarinana, Kapaun Mt. Carmel freshman
The Crusaders won their fourth straight Class 5A team championship, but had a new weapon this season. Sarinana, just a freshman, stamped herself as one of the state’s elite golfers by sweeping the postseason, becoming a City League champion, a regional champion and finally a state champion when she prevailed in a playoff after shooting a 36-hole total of 144 at Carey Park in Hutchinson. Sarinana finished her debut season with a 72.1 stroke average and six tournament victories.
Margaret Ulrich, Collegiate junior
Another local golfer who successfully completed the 3-for-3 sweep at the state tournament as a junior, Ulrich claimed her third straight Class 3-1A championship by six strokes this fall. She won five tournaments in her junior season, carrying a 75.6 stroke average with a clean sweep of the postseason that included gold medals at the AV-CTL Division III-IV meet and a regional tournament held in Girard.
Justin Carruthers, Southeast coach
It’s not often a public school in the City League is able to reach the state tournament, an accomplishment Southeast achieved this year. The Golden Buffaloes were able to become consistently a top-three team in the City League, led by freshman sensation Alina Lam and the improvement by sophomore Hailey Moore. Southeast managed to edge Dodge City, Derby, Campus and East at regionals to finish in third place as a team, which also included sophomore Reese Hawkins, sophomore Violet Bigley and freshman Lauren Floyd.
All-Metro second team
Maddy Cartwright, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior
Alexis Elliott, Maize senior
Kayla Jensen, Eisenhower senior
Bella Jones, Bishop Carroll senior
Tilly Jones, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior
Charlotte Kerbs, Maize junior
Kiley Maier, Campus senior
Ava Truong, Kapaun Mt. Carmel sophomore
Marie Thomas, Kapaun Mt. Carmel coach
All-Metro third team
Mary Bina, Bishop Carroll sophomore
Sydney Chapman, Goddard sophomore
Kaylee Cox, Augusta freshman
Isabel Hawley, Andover freshman
Macy Hensley, Andale junior
Hannah Minnis, Derby senior
Kinsley Montgomery, Bishop Carroll freshman
Hailey Moore, Southeast sophomore
Meg Werner, Hesston senior
Danny Lundberg, Augusta coach
