Platte County senior Grace Handke posted her best career finish in the Suburban Conference White Division Championships, while the Pirates finished second as a team for a third consecutive season.
After coming in eighth as a sophomore and junior, Handke placed fifth in Monday’s tournament at Eagles’ Landing Golf Course in Belton. She made all-conference for a third time as the only returner from Platte County’s 2024 lineup. The Pirates posted a 423 total.
Fort Osage ended up as the White Division champion with a 404 with third-place Grain Valley (427) unseated after winning the past two team titles.
Handke shot a 100, while Platte County freshman Naomi Loehner joined her as an all-conference honoree, a distinction for the top 10 players. She carded a 106 to finish eighth, while sophomores Finnley Dougan (tied 11th, 108) and Ainsley Habel (tied 14th, 109) were honorable mention performers and rounded out the team score.
Platte County came in second to Grain Valley each of the past two seasons but came into this fall with only six players total and only Handke with conference experience at the varsity level. The Pirates’ five players were all in the top 20 with sophomore Grace Gaspers part of a three-way tie for 16th with a 112 and missing out on all-conference honorable mention by just three strokes.
“Although it was a rough outing today, the team placed well,” Platte County coach Trevor Short said. “We are excited that we were also able to come away with some hardware, as well. The team has worked hard this season and those efforts are starting to pay off.”
Platte County now prepares for the postseason, starting with Monday’s Class 4 District 4 tournament scheduled for The Posse Course at Paradise Pointe Golf Complex in Smithville. The Pirates move up after placing seventh out of eight teams in Class 3 District 4 with Handke one of two individual state qualifiers.
The move up to the state’s largest classification creates a much more difficult path.
The district team champion and runnerup automatically send their top four players to state, while the next 13 individual players not from those teams, including ties, also advance. If a state-qualifying team’s fifth score falls in the top 13 individuals or within 10 strokes of the individual cut line, that player advances and does not count toward the top 13 individuals.
Last year, Park Hill South (362) and Liberty (364) took the team berths out of Class 4 District 4, while the last individual qualifier shot a 99 on The Posse Course.
Handke finished 18th with a 106 last year in Class 3 District 4, which hosted the tournament at Eagles’ Landing. She came in 30th as a sophomore and helped Platte County finish third as a team and just miss a team berth. Her career-best rounds for the Pirates came earlier this season in back-to-back weeks with a 93 and a 99.
The 93 came on The Posse Course.
