LAFAYETTE — Zionsville, the two-time defending IHSAA girls state champions, flexed its superiority on Day 1 of the state finals at Battle Ground Golf Club on Friday, building a commanding 15-stroke lead. The Eagles fired a 5-over-par 293 to sit atop the leaderboard ahead of second-place Carmel at +20, while Hamilton Southeastern and Westfield tied for third at +28.
Zionsville senior Paige Henney said the team still sees room to improve despite the cushion. "No one was exactly happy because everyone knows they left stuff out there," Henney said. "But the fact that we all came off the course knowing that we left stuff out there and were still able to put up the scores that we did and finish how we did and go in tomorrow knowing that we can go even lower and play even better is a great feeling and I feel really confident in our team going into tomorrow."
The defending state champions are now 18 holes away from securing their third consecutive state team championship when the final round is played Saturday. The Day 1 total gives Zionsville a clear advantage to build on as it looks to extend its recent run of dominance at the state meet.