By Mike PhillipsContributing sportswriter
It was a rare occurrence that took place during the Smith-Cotton Classic Monday at the Sedalia Country Club.
For the first time in their long, storied, competitive golf careers, the Bankovich sisters – Alex and Ali – played opposite each other in the 19-team field.
Alex Bankovich, a junior and two-time Class 1 state tournament qualifier in her high school career, tied for third individually with a round of 81.
“I guess it was in the back of my mind playing against Ali for the first time,” said the elder Bankovich. “I just tried not to think about it. Things were pretty quiet and calm out there today.”
Alex Bankovich led the Lady Gremlins to a seventh-place finish in the 22-team field with a team score of 372. Of the 22 teams in the tourney, 14 were Class 2 schools.
Six schools from last year’s Class 2 were represented either by individuals or complete teams in Monday’s S-C Classic. Defending tourney champion Rock Bridge repeated their title performance with a 335.
Smith-Cotton finished 17th out of 19 teams with a score of 452. Columbia Rock Bridge and Hickman tied for 1st shooting 335 with Rock Bridge winning by the tie breaker of 5th score. Notre Dame was 3rd with 346.
The Medalist was Mariah Peters from Blue Springs with a 6 over par 76.
SC scores included Ali Bankovich 107, Ali Burkholder 108, Peyton Sharp 115, Olivia Funk 122, Destiny Lamb 130, and Mattie Boeschen with a 135.
“We didn’t talk about facing each other this morning,” said Alex Bankovich, who qualified for the Class 1 state as an individual her freshman year and played #1 on the Lady Gremlin team that finished sixth at the Class 1 state last year along with her younger sister.
Ali transferred to S-C this fall.
“We didn’t play in the same foursome and we didn’t talk out on the course today,” Alex said. Alex and Ali grew up playing, coached by their father Rand. They played together on the Junior Golf Championships at the Sedalia Country Club, played on the same team in the Osage Junior Golf Association as well as a competitive summer tournament schedule.
Both are playing with heavy hearts this fall, following the death of their mother Sandi, back in June.
Also for Sacred Heart, Olivia Sobaski had a 92, Erin Holt 99, Sarah Benitz 100 and Kaitlyn Sunnarborg 109.
Hickman finished second in the team standings, Notre Dame De Sion third, Blue Springs fourth and Jefferson City rounded out the top five. Park Hill South was sixth. Photos by Randy Kirby, Sedalia News Journal.
