North Miami Middle/High School

PERU — Hot off an HNAC Conference Championship win, North Miami’s girls golf team showed Monday night that there’s more than one way to win. The Warriors edged Pioneer 224–225 on the back nine at Peru Municipal Golf Course, pulling out a one-stroke victory despite not having Kinley Deardorf, a strong and consistent piece of their regular lineup, and with Alex Blackford battling an injury. Blackford is expected to be ready to go for Friday’s sectional. Bryanne Sturch earned medalist honors with a 49, continuing a strong stretch of golf on the tough back of the muni. One of the biggest performances of the night, though, came from Savannah Rentschler. Rentschler fired a 52 — the second-lowest score of any golfer from either team and a personal best. It was a big performance at exactly the right time and another example of the depth North Miami has developed throughout the season. And in a match decided by a single stroke, Alivia Haynes picked the perfect night to shoot a personal-best 66. Her best round of the season proved critical in securing the Warriors’ one-stroke victory. For North Miami, Monday’s win was about more than another mark in the win column. It showed what can happen when the experience at the top of the lineup begins to carry throughout the team. “We’ve said all year that if Sturch and Blackford continue to lead through their experience and leadership, the rest will follow. Tonight was a great example of that. Savannah stepped up in a huge way, and Alivia gave us a personal best on a night when we needed every single stroke. To find a way to win without Kinley in the lineup and with Alex battling an injury says a lot about this group.” Coming off a conference championship and now a one-stroke team victory, the Warriors have one more thing in front of them: Friday’s sectional