The show of emotion had little to do with how her last round of high school golf went, rather that it was simply her last round of high school golf.

Beeghly shot 78-85–163 to finish third overall and the Comets collected second place by the slimmest of margins during Friday’s finishing round at the Class 1A girls’ state golf meet at the American Legion Memorial Golf Course in Marshalltown.

BCLUW compiled a 740 team score, shaving two strokes off Thursday’s opening round to overtake Highland by a one-shot margin, 740-741. First-day leader Easton Valley took 15 shots off its opening round and ran away with the 1A title, finishing in with a 711.

The Comets’ runner-up finish marked its best result at the girls’ state golf meet since the 1990 team claimed the 1A title.

“It was just sad knowing that it’s over, but we had a good run and I’m glad I got to do it with all my friends,” said Beeghly, who will continue her golf career at Hawkeye Community College in the fall. “We all did well. Everyone said they could have done better I’m happy with the way it all turned out.”

Beeghly and fellow senior Sydney Anderson held the state runner-up trophy between them as the Comets posed as a team on the ninth green following Friday’s finale. It’s the third year in a row BCLUW has brought home a team trophy from state, with the senior duo standing sturdily in the center.

“We came into today a little bit nervous, but we knew we all needed to cut some strokes off to get the job done,” said Anderson. “We came up a little short of first place, but I’m still super-grateful to end up second.

“Just seeing that we have done better each year shows a lot. I’m super-grateful for this team, super-proud.”

The Comets came away with ninth place in the 1A tournament on the same golf course two years ago. Last spring, BCLUW climbed all the way to fourth in the 1A meet at Cedar Pointe Golf Course in Boone.

The team hoped the third time in a row was the charmed one, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

“The goal is always the ultimate and we’d love to be able to be first, but it just didn’t work out that way for us,” said BCLUW head coach Stacy Simpson. “We played the way we needed to play.

“It’s nice to be able to come back (to state) three times in a row and each time we improved. The girls did a wonderful job.”

The start of Friday’s final round was threatened by morning thunderstorms, but the Legion absorbed enough of the rainfall to play on without delay. Anderson said the overnight wait might have been the hardest part of trying to come back from an eight-stroke deficit to Easton Valley.

“We woke up not knowing if we were going to play today, which was a little nerve-racking, but I’m glad we got a full 18 holes in,” she said. “That really changed the outcome.”

BCLUW trailed the River Hawks, 363-371, after Thursday’s opening round, with Highland (367) stuck in between. But the Huskies shot seven strokes worse than the day before, while BCLUW managed to get two shots back.

Easton Valley went 363-348 to secure the school’s first girls’ state golf championship.

New London (750), Akron-Westfield (756) and Eash Buchanan (757) trailed BCLUW and Highland in the 10-team tournament.

For the Comets, all six golfers’ scores counted one one day or another. Beeghly led the way with her 78-85–163, while Anderson placed 17th overall with a 90-89–179. Leah McEwen’s 105 didn’t count on the first day, but her 97 did on Friday. Delaney Legg shot 106-98–204 to contribute to Friday’s total.

Gracie Andrews shot 101-109–210 to count towards the team total on Thursday, as did Marissa Schnathorst (102-103–205).

“The younger girls, they really stepped up too,” said Anderson. “They love the game and I have no doubt in them for next year.”

Legg and Schnathorst are juniors, while Andrews and McEwen are sophomores. It’s up to them now to carry the Comets’ torch into the future.

“Our seniors are a huge backbone to this team,” Simpson said. “They’re going to be greatly missed. It’s going to be hard to replace them, but we’ve got kids who are willing to step up and put the time in so it’s just one of those traditions that the seniors started and hopefully it will continue with the younger groups.”

New London’s Taylor Phillips claimed the individual crown, shooting 73-76–149 to win by two strokes over Jaylee Shaffer of Mount Ayr (76-75–151).