MacKenzie Weaver hits out of a bunker during IHSAA Girls Golf State Finals Play at Prairie View in Carmel. (Photo provided)

CARMEL — MacKenzie Weaver got off to a tough start in the final round of the IHSAA Girls Golf Finals Saturday, finishing with a 93 to slip from 38th on the leaderboard to a 56th place finish in the final standings.

Weaver wound up with a 176 score after two rounds at the big meet at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel, following her 83 score Friday.

“Today was just one of those things in golf; the start was just dreadful, but to her credit after being 10 over through five holes, she played the next 10 holes at only five over,” said NorthWood coach Adam Yoder. “At the end, there just wasn’t enough left in the tank, and she had a rough finish. She found, I think, seven hazards today, so that’s seven penalty shots, plus the distance the bad shots cost her.”

Weaver carded a triple bogey on 13 sandwiched between doubles on 11 and 14 and bogeyed both 10 and 12 after starting on the back nine at Prairie View. But she settled in with pars on 15 and 18 and Eagled No. 2, the only Eagle by anyone for the round.

“The grit she showed in the middle part of the round was what I will remember about her growth this season,” said Yoder. “She was rewarded for that grit on the Par 4 second when she holed out for Eagle from 125 yards. It was a great shot, right at the pin, and while downwind, it was coming in a little hot, but it took one hop and fell in.”

Weaver closed out her junior season at her second state finals after making the cut with her team as a freshman in 2015. She is only the third golfer in her program’s history to take the individual route to state, following 1988 state champion Gina Yoder and 2009 qualifier Amy Thompson. Weaver is expected to be one of seven golfers returning with the Lady Panthers next season.

“There are so many positives to look forward to with MacKenzie and our program next year,” Yoder said. “She’s got a shot next year to become our first ever three-time state finalist, and for her to take another step forward, we’ll have a plan in place that she’ll work at tirelessly, I’m sure. We had a great turnout of support from her teammates, and that was very much appreciated by MacKenzie and her family. Both make me a very proud coach.  While we lose two great seniors in Madison Richner and Hope Cripe, we return seven players who have shot at least under 100 for 18 holes and under 45 for nine. Our eighth grade class has two solid players in Cybil Stillson and Breanna Gall, which will help add to the mix.”

Meanwhile Saturday, Zionsville backed up its No. 1 state ranking with a 620 for the state title, the program’s first ever. Plainfield’s Kayla Benge followed up a 71 Friday with a 74 Saturday to edge out Lake Central’s Alexis Miestowski by a stroke for individual titleist honors.

Culver Girls Academy finished in ninth place with a 687 score after two rounds. Freshman Reese Wilson placed 10th individually with a 155 to lead the Lady Eagles. Junior Amanda Kurteff shot 165 over the two rounds, while freshmen Masako Hatano and Katherine Shin shot 183 and 185, respectively, and sophomore Jiayi Wang turned in a 191.

Northridge sophomore Braedyn O’Dell finished in 179 to tie for 62nd place.