COFFEYVILLE — The Barton Community College women’s golf team left Coffeyville on Monday with first place at the third Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference meet of the season, which was held at the Coffeyville Country Club.
The Lady Cougars finished with a team score of 577, 32 strokes ahead of second-place Colby and 34 strokes ahead of conference powerhouse Dodge City. Coffeyville finished in last place
“Barton hasn’t been in first place for more probably 15 years,” Lady Cougars head coach Doug Kaiser said. “It has always been Dodge City at the top.
“Going into this season, our goal was to beat Dodge City and we did it at the first meet of the season.”
Barton took second place at the Dodge City invite in August — Dodge City took third. Since then, Dodge City has beaten Barton once to even their season up 1-1, until last Monday.
“Dodge is getting better this season,” Kaiser said. “but we are staying at the top, and still competing.”
The Lady Cougars are led by sophomore Rachel Strecker, a native of Ellinwood.
Strecker has finished at the top of the Lady Cougars in all four meets this season, sixth, second, third and first, respectively. 
On Monday, Strecker finished with a score of 121 to place her at the top of the KJCCC meet.
    “Strecker won the region last year,” Kaiser said. “She is a great golfer, very consistent. She’s the leader of the team.”
Kaiser said that his other sophomore leader, Shanda Thompson, has struggled so far this season.
“Shanda has been struggling to find her swing this season,” Kaiser said. “She is beginning to level out her game. It’s a good thing for her, a good thing to take into the end of fall.”
At the Dodge City invite at the beginning of the season, Thompson carded a 201 to finish tied for 19th place.
On Monday, Thompson finished in fourth place after shooting 141.
The Lady Cougars also had two freshman players finish in the top 10, Chelsea Dietz, who shot a 143 for fifth place and Natasha Hillman, who carded a 149 to take seventh place.
Kaiser said that the team’s attitude is the reason it has improved this season.
“This team gets along real well,” Kaiser said. “They all like to practice. This meet was the last until March and none of the girls wanted it to end.
“If the team wins the region, they all get to go to Daytona Beach for the (NJCAA) national tournament. I think Florida is a big motivator for the team.”
Kaiser said that the team’s success will lead to more success thanks to new recruits.
“I’ve been traveling to the state tournaments this week, and I have talked with maybe five or six girls who are interested in playing for Barton,” Kaiser said. “It used to be that everyone wanted to play for Dodge, but now I think there is more interest in us.”

    Kansas Jayhawk Community
    College Conference Golf
    At Coffeyville Country Club
    Monday’s results
    Team results
    1. Barton, 577; 2. Colby, 609; 3. Dodge City, 611; 4. Coffeyville, 695.
    Barton results
    1. Rachel Strecker, 121; 4. Shanda Thompson, 141; 5. Chelsea Dietz, 143; 7. Natasha Hillman, 149; Lindsey Wait, 160; Tara Schremmer, 164; Kaylee Miller, 165.