With a cast of star freshmen leading the pack, Maize captured a second-place finish Monday at the Hays regional tournament.

Freshman Kinslea Jones, one of the top golfers in the state, is proud of the way the team played and thinks their hard work really counted.

“Our team did really well,” said Jones, who won the tournament by 10 strokes. “We all did our best to contribute and it paid off,” said Jones.

Kira Packer scored a 123 at regionals. She believes she could have played better but still ended up having a great time.

“I didn’t do as good as I thought I would do, but I did keep a positive attitude the entire way through and kept my head up and I did have a lot of fun,” Packer said.

With state starting Monday in Hutchinson, the girls are getting ready with a practice round and scouting the course prior to state play.

“It’s a new experience for everyone,” Packer said. “I’m excited, I’ve never gone to state before.”