It seems like every time Lauren Slatton steps on a golf course she is winning a championship. The feeling never gets old for the dominant senior golfer though.
Slatton won her fourth District 7-AA title Monday, dominating the competition at Golden Eagle golf course in Cookeville. Slatton shot a 4-under, 66, which was 11 strokes better than second-place Sarah Bass from Stone Memorial.
Coupled with Ella Matheny's 111 at Cookeville tough's course, Warren County was able to finish third among eight teams represented at the district event. Their top-3 finish will allow all three Lady Pioneers - including Lilly Womack - to play in next week's region tournament at Bear Trace.
Slatton has been dominant from the moment she teed off in the district four seasons ago. Her unstoppable run continued Monday, even if being crowned the top medalist did leave her with a somber feeling as well.
"It felt great (to win), but I was also sad that it would be my last," said Slatton about winning her final district tournament.
Slatton had a chance to beat her best score on the course - a 5-under carded earlier this season - but had a bit of an issue navigating the Par 5s in Cookeville.
Normally she is a lock to go low on the long holes, but she noted that she "missed my birdiet chances on three of the four Par 5s."
Even when she wasn't at her absolute best, she was still easily good enough to take home another title. Now she'll get to prepare for her fourth region tournament, though this year will have a new feel.
Slatton has qualified as an individual her first three years, but this time she'll have her teammates with her at Bear Trace in Crossville. Coach JW Holt is hopeful the group can make a run all the way to state together.
"I think the team score will have to be in the 150s to win it," said Holt.
Lincoln County could enter the region as a favorite, though Slatton still has an avenue to qualify for state as an individual (as she's done the last three years). Slatton is coming off a second-place finish in the state as a junior and is looking to win the title in her final round as a Lady Pioneer.
DeKalb County won the girls event Monday with a score of 160, while Upperman (173) finished second in front of Warren County (182). Bass was one of five girls to qualify for region as an individual. She will be joined by Sarah Tinsley and Kierstyn Ealey from Cookeville, Keely Cunningham from White County and Kelly McCartt from Cumberland County.
Warren County's boys team also had a solid showing at the District 7AA tournament, though the Pioneers narrowly missed qualifying for the region as a team. Will Sporalsky, who shot a 6-over, 76, and Noel Davis (11-over, 81) will move on to the region as individual qualifiers though. Sporalsky also left the district tournament with a medal as his core was the fourth-best turned in Monday in a field of 38 competitors.
"I'm glad to see Will and Noel advance. It is always exciting to have our players advance in the postseason," said coach JW Holt, who also had two Pioneers - Chase Newby and Sawyer Seymour - make it to region last year. "Our goal was to shoot in the 340s as a team. We just came up a little short."
Warren County's boys team score of 358 was good for fifth. The team score included a 97 from Hayven Jones and 104 from Aubrey Bryant. Ty Childers also shot 113 at the event.
Cookeville won the boys side, shooting 297 as a team. Parks Fowler led the way with a 71 as he was named low medalist for the boys. Upperman (332) and Stone Memorial (336) also qualified for the region on the boys side.
Individual qualifiers from Monday's boys district tournament were Sporalsky, Davis, William Blair and Bradley Hale from DeKalb County and White County's Lucas Dickerson. All five will play in next week's region tournament at Bear Trace for an opportunity to earn a bid to the state tournament in Sevierville.
