Talk about a full and complete season.
When Malia Perry participates in next week’s Virginia High School League Girls State Open golf tournament, the Washington-Liberty Generals’ senior will have played in every postseason tournament possible this fall — five in total.
Perry earned a berth in the State Open by shooting a 75 at the 18-hole Northern Zone Qualifier event at Twin Lakes Golf Course in Clifton on Monday (Oct. 21). She was one of 11 from the field of 70 to earn a spot.
The Girls State Open is Monday, Oct. 28 at Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg. Perry is thought to be the only player in Washington-Liberty history to earn a berth in the Girls State Open.
“This was my goal, because I really want to play in the State Open,” Perry said after the qualifier. “I only had one birdie today, but I played a good round and felt good. I hit the ball real well off the tee, and that set me up well.”
The 75 was Perry’s best 18-hole score in her high-school career.
“I have improved a lot this season. I played or worked at it every day,” Perry said.
Perry played in the second-to-last group of the day, finishing as darkness was setting in. The other 10 qualifiers played in the early groups.
Prior to the state girls events, Perry was a top player and captain on the Washington-Liberty co-ed team that enjoyed its best season in program history. The Generals won the Liberty District tournament title, finished second in the 6D North Region tourney, then finished fifth in the Class 6 state competition.
Washington-Liberty also won the season-opening, three-team Arlington County championship.
“That became the biggest and best part of our season, what we did as a team and all of that,” Perry said.
Yorktown High School sophomore Ginger Beall shot 78 at the qualifier and also earned a berth in the Girls State Open. The two were among 13 players from Arlington schools participating in the qualifier.
Perry and Beall are the first players from an Arlington school to qualify for the Girls State Open since the 2020-21 pandemic season.
Yorktown’s Maddie Cameron shot 82 to have the third lowest score among Arlington golfers. Also from Yorktown, Ainsley Gary shot 87 and Caitlin Wright 89. Ellie McCracken, Malena Cardinale, Gigi Orbitts, Madeline Rubenstein and Maren Akst also played from Yorktown, which had the most players from any school with nine.
From Wakefield High School, Eliana Procida shot 89 and Samantha Phipps was in the field, as was Bella Menn from Washington-Liberty.
