DIVISION I-A: Faith Lutheran hottest team in any division on first day

The saddest part was the Crusaders knew they would be in a similar situation competing in the Division I tournament.

Playing the same course as the Division I schools, the Crusaders shot the best round of the day at 298, a score that would have given them a 35-stroke lead in the Division I tournament.

“It kind of sucks, because we know we’re really good and we would have a really good chance of winning Division I,” said Faith Lutheran senior Brianna Becker, who shot 4-under-par 68 to take the individual lead. “Either way, it’s good to go out there and try to win a state title, but we would have really liked to play in Division I.

“We just kind of wanted to beat Green Valley, since they’ve beat us in state the past three years I’ve been here — but we’ll still know who really won once day two is over.”

A year ago, Faith Lutheran would have been playing against those schools in the Class 4A tournament, but realignment placed the Crusaders in Division I-A.

Becker’s teammate, Annie Freman, was second with a 69. Becker and Freman posted lower scores than the Division I first-round leader, Alex Kaui of Green Valley, who shot 70.

Kaui said she still considers Faith Lutheran to be Green Valley’s biggest competition, as was the case last season at state.

“Last year our biggest competitors were from Faith Lutheran and Coronado, but Faith Lutheran was the stronger team, and I still think of us being in the same division,” Kaui said.

Faith Lutheran’s Julia Becker is third individually at 79. The Crusaders trio accounted for the only Division I-A players to shoot under 80.

Clark is second in the team standings at 388. The final round tees off at 9 a.m. today.