Lai-Gillies have 1-2 punch

LONDON, Ont. - The St. Joseph's Rams had the one-two punch at Thames Valley Regional Athletics (TVRA) girls golf.

Andrea Lai repeated as the TVRA Tri-County girls golf champ, with teammate Melissa Gillies placing second, to lead the Rams to the team title, Tuesday, at the Thames Valley Golf Club.

Lai carded a two-under 71, with Gillies having a round of 94, in A flight.

Charlie Giesbrecht placed 10th in A flight and Samantha Lescanec, in B Flight playing nine holes, completed the Rams team that combined for the low score of 147.

Lai and Gillies aim to return to OFSAA.

"They (Gillies, Giesbrecht) have shown improvement and have been working hard," Lai said. "If we all put up a good result, we can go to OFSAA as a team."

Lai is the reigning OFSAA individual champion, capturing the gold medal in a playoff, just a few months in to her Grade nine year.

This year the goal is to defend the title.

"That would be really nice," Lai said. "Today putting up a really good score is nice and hopefully do the same thing at WOSSAA. Sticking with my game and doing what I usually do."

The 15-year old is coming off a memorable summer filled with tournament memories and improvements throughout her game.

"The summer has been super fun. The highlight would definitely be winning the Golf Ontario U19 and the Summer Games right after that. They were good tournaments back to back," Lai said. "My game grew. I feel the most is my mental game. That helped. Everything is getting more accurate and dialed in, driving, chipping, putting."

Lai has been slowing down her game to one hole at a time.

"During the round. I would get always get caught up in thinking about the future and getting ahead of myself," Lai said. "I've been working on staying in the present and focusing on each shot and commiting to it."

Confidence had also limited struggles on approach shots from around 180 yards out.

The last time WOSSAA was held in Mitchell, St. Joe's Jade Tep-Chhun took the gold medal.

Flick Central champ

Avalina Flick from London Central, took the Central Division crown scoring an 83. Ella Lobraico from Mons. Bruyere was second with a 95.

St. Thomas Aquinas (STA) is the Central Division team champ, with a combined score of 157, with Avery Kojlak (103) and Emilia Espana Mora (104) leading the way.

Parkside Stampeders Breah Payne placed third in Tri-County A Flight with a 103.

The top players for both A and B flights advance to WOSSAA, Thursday, October 2, in Mitchell.

Advancing to WOSSAA in A flight from Tri-County: Lai, Gillies, Giesbrecht, Payne, Ingersoll's Dani-Lynn Gill (106), Glencoe's Katelyn McEachern (108), Strathroy DCI's Adalyn Caris (108) and Norah Dixon (111).

Advancing to WOSSAA from Central: Flick, Lobraico, Kojlak, Mora, Beal's Eva Kim (103), Gabriel-Dumont's Taylor Shortt (105), Saunders Alexandra Dolson (111) and Catholic Central's Arin Oh (111).

Woodstock CI's Emma Holm won Tri-County B flight scoring a 52, leading the team to a share of third place with the West Elgin Wildcats.

The Wildcats will have three players at WOSSAA, with June Ross (55) and Addison Peacock (56) placing third and fifth, respectively in Tri-County, and Nora Gillis, 11th (60).

Central Elgin Titans Kaitlyn Ratelle carded a 57 and moves on, along with Parkside's Grace Mills, with a 58. Lauren Lanzi, from Mother Teresa, carded a 45, to capture the Central B flight title.

Also moving on to WOSSAA in B flight for Tri-County: Strathroy's Vienna Campbell and Leigha Talbot, WCI's Ruby Kalbfleisch and Megan Atkinson, Ingersoll's Sadie McRoberts and Emmersyn Holt, College Avenue's Myla Reissner and Eva Wilson, Glendale's Isabel Wilson, Huron Park's Kaillie Lowes.

Advancing to WOSSAA from Central in B flight: Lanzi, Gabriel-Dumont's Avery Ford, London Central's Anjna Goela and Adele Brown, Mother Theresa's Lauren Lanzi and Maddie VanderHorst, Aquinas' Sydney Smith and Ayla Theurer, Lucas' Emma Joudrey, Aryana Butchey and Kathryn Knipe, Medway's Karli Maars, Sydney Burla and Leonella Marcou, Banting's Graye Spoelstra, South's Lyla Monk, Catholic Central's Lauren Berenz, Jewal Adams and Evan McConnel, Laurier's Grace Grossman and Veronica LeForge, Beal's Delilah Brunsdon and from Holy Cross, Hunter Bogart.

Parkside placed fifth in the Tri-County team standings and Central Elgin, 10th.

OFSAA is at the Royal Niagara Golf Course in Niagara-on-the-Lake, October 14-15.