DUBUQUE - Megan Furnish began playing golf when she was about 8 years old, but it didn't stick as her favorite sport the first time around.

"I actually quit for a couple of years to play softball," she said Monday with a smile.

Furnish picked up the golf clubs again when she was about 12 and hasn't put them down since. "I figured this is something I want to keep doing and stick to it and get good at it," she said.

The Cedar Rapids Jefferson senior has become very, very good at it.

She's developed into the top high school golfer in the Metro area and ranks as one of the top in the state, and next year she'll begin playing in college at Missouri State University.

Furnish won another major championship Monday when she claimed top honors at the Mississippi Valley Conference divisional meet at Bunker Hill in Dubuque on a delightful day for golf.

Furnish shot a 6-over-par 75 on the lush, rolling hills in Dubuque to give her a 36-hole score of 147 and a seven-stroke victory over Alison Roling of Cedar Falls.

Furnish won the MVC Super Meet title last week at Ellis Park with a 72, and her 36-hole score of 147 makes her the Valley Division champion as well. "It's nice," she said after the victory was confirmed. "It's a good way to end, because the season is almost done."

Her next big goal -- in fact, the biggest goal of the season -- will be qualifying for the state tournament, something that's eluded her the last two two years as a varsity golfer.

Maddie Bertsch of Xavier claimed third place in the Valley Division standings with a 36-hole score of 161. Grace Winker placed seventh with a 171 and Taylor Wertzberger finished 12th to give the Saints three golfers in the top-dozen at Bunker Hill.

Cedar Falls ran away with the Valley Division title with a four-girl, 36-hole score of 650. The Xavier Saints finished second in the seven-team tournament at 721.

Furnish played softball at a high level as a young girl for the Blue Devils -- "I was OK," she said modestly -- but golf became her passion and her love. She enjoys being outdoors, on a golf course, challenging herself to improve and hit good shots.

"It's just a relaxing mood for me," she said.

Furnish credits her father, Craig, with being a big influence in her life and in her budding golf career. They frequently play golf together and he's a regular fan at her meets, just as he was Monday, walking all 18 holes at Bunker Hill to lend his quiet support.

"He's just my biggest supporter," she said. "He's always coming to meets. I don't mind him coming to watch. Some people can't deal with it (having parents on the course), but I like it.

"He pushes me really hard and makes me practice. It's good that we can actually go out and practice together. And we always take road trips for golf. It's just a fun thing to do."

Furnish got off to a slow start Monday with two bogeys and a double-bogey on the first three holes, but didn't let it ruin her day. "I tried not to think abut that, because there were a lot of holes left," she said. "I tried to forget about it, because I knew there were more birdie holes out there."

Furnish had a strong stretch on the 12th through 18th holes with a string of straight 220-yard drives, good chip shots and effective putting. She missed a series of 8, 10 and 12-foot putts for birdies, but left herself with short tap-ins for pars to keep moving forward.

She caught a break on the 181-yard 12th hole when her drive bounced on the asphalt golf path and took a fortuitous hop onto the green, where she two-putted for a birdie.

The district golf meet will be held May 21 at the Ottumwa Country Club, followed by the state meet May 29-30 at Otter Creek Golf Course in Ankeny.

MVC VALLEY DIVISION MEET
At Bunker Hill
4,318 yards, Par 69

NOTE: Final 36-hole results are combined from MVC Super Meet at Ellis Park April 30 and MVC Valley Division Meet at Bunker Hill May 7.

Team Standings

1. Cedar Falls 650, 2. Xavier 721, 3. Iowa City West 768, 4. Jefferson 801, 5. Prairie 814, 6. Dubuque Hempstead 820, 7. Waterloo East (incomplete).

Top 12 Individuals

First Team All-Valley

1. Megan Furnish, Jefferson         72-75--147
2. Alison Rolinger, Cedar Falls       79-75--154
3. Maddie Bertsch, Xavier            81-80--161
4. Taylor Roberts, Cedar Falls       82-81--163
5. Megan Brewer, Cedar Falls       85-79--164
6. Hannah Hagarty, Cedar Falls     86-83--169

Second Team All-Valley

7.  Grace Winker, Xavier              79-92--171
8.  Tiffany Danger, IC West         91-90--181
9.  Abby Rolinger, Cedar Falls       93-89--182
10. Olivia Ewing, IC West            97-90--187
11. Shannon Moody, Cedar Falls   97-94--191
12. Taylor Wertzberger, Xavier   105-89--194

Athlete of the Year -- Megan Furnish, Jefferson

XAVIER (721): Maddie Bertsch 81-80--161, Grace Winker 79-92--171, Taylor Wertzberger 105-89--194,   Lisa Olberding 101-102--203, Morgan DeLong 104-107--211, Kara Zwanziger 108--DNP, Hailey Sojka DNP-95.

JEFFERSON (801): Megan Furnish 72-75--147, Emily Aukes 112-102--214, Marisa Fehlhafer 111-104--215,   Megan Kibby 109-120--229, Sammy Seeman DNP-116, Sarah Tortora 135-DNP, Erin Kibby 141-DNP.

PRAIRIE (814): Emily Perrin 101-99--200, Kerstin Flugum 107-95--202, Konnor Griffith 100-104--204,   Emily Machula 99-109--208, Alissa Beisker 111-109--220, Jenna Niccolls
118-DNP, Sammie Farmer DNP-131.