Junior enjoys career-best round at regional, already thinking softball
By Andrew Horschak
Sports Correspondent
and Mike Ramczyk
A regional to remember put Kya Kafar on the cusp of qualifying for the WIAA Division 1 State Golf Tournament at University Ridge in Madison.
Needing to shoot in the low 80s to advance, the Burlington junior couldn’t duplicate her impressive regional round in Monday’s sectional at Brighton Dale Links in Kansasville.
Kafar, representing the Demons as an individual qualifier, fired a 103 (53-50) to place 30th out of 48 golfers.
“I just started off sloppy and it got in my head, and I just couldn’t pick it up from there,” Kafar said. “I shot better on the back than I did the front. I improved, but still not enough.”
Milton (336) and Union Grove (356) secured the top two spots in the team standings to qualify for the State Tournament. Mia Seeman of Milton and Sydney Brandt of Waukesha Catholic Memorial both shot 77 to share low honors. Along with Brandt, Jessica Kuzniewski of Waukesha Combined (79) and Taitum Beck of Waterford (81) also qualified as individuals.
In the regional on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at The Broadlands Golf Club in North Prairie, Kafar nabbed the second of four individual qualifier spots with a career-best 89 (46-43), which was tied for 10th overall.
Making history
Kafar, who shot a 106 in last year’s regional, became the first Burlington golfer to break 90 in a regional since Jessica Spitzer also carded an 89 in 2007.
It was quite a turnaround for Kafar, who placed 17th overall with a 104 the week before in the Southern Lakes Conference Tournament at Rivermoor Country Club.
“It was nice to have a player make it back to sectionals after a year hiatus,” Burlington coach Wayne Herrick said, referring to Quinne Herolt in 2014. “Kya’s day was a little inconsistent and that caused her to not score the best. If Kya spends the off-season working on chipping and putting, she could be a force in the SLC.”
What was the key to Kafar’s success this season?
She has a passion for golf, and she is already looking forward to playing club softball.
Kafar is a pitcher for the Lady Demons.
“Golf is so challenging,” she said. “I just started it my freshman year, and I earned my way up to varsity.”
“I’ve played softball my whole life. Softball is year round. I have pitching lessons, and it just keeps going, it’s never-ending.”
Kafar golfed with varsity as a freshman in 2014.
Despite advancing to sectionals this season for the first time, Kafar said she played better overall last season.
“I shot a lot of 100s this year, so hopefully next year will be a little better,” Kafar said.
Union Grove (346), Waterford (354), Mukwonago (356) and Waukesha Combined (361) finished in the top four to qualify for the sectional. Burlington ended up ninth out of nine teams with a 406.
Also golfing for the Demons were Lilly Capozzi (104), Taylor Myszkewicz (105), Hannah Ketterhagen (108) and RaeLee Koehnke (110). On the back nine, Capozzi carded a 44, while Myszkewicz had a 48.
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