WINTER HAVEN — McKeel girls' golf has been a dominant force in the 2020s. And despite losing top-tier talent, they continue to reload and have players fill in the shoes of those who dominate the competition.
In this particular situation it's the 2026 girls' golf Polk County Championship at the Cypresswood Golf and Country Club in Winter Haven where McKeel junior golfer Georgia Grace Spence won the county title for the first time on Monday thanks to shooting a 71, which helped the program win its sixth straight county title under head coach Jeremy Bohnenstiehl.
"It feels great. We all put in so much work, and we've had a great season so far. And so coming into county, district, regional and state, we have a mindset where we are going to play our best and even if we don't, we are going to be there for each other. That's a given for us," Spence said.
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For Spence — a five-year high school golfer thus far — she listened to a church message that gave her the mindset to stay positive no matter what. And from there it was on, as on hole two despite battling the gusty winds, she was able to save par, which really propelled her to the county championship based on the position she was in.
Aside from individual accomplishments, the Lakeland native and all-county golfer was a part of a team that comprised two top two finishers, including second-place finisher in junior Leonie Tavares who shot a 74. Tavares won county last year (2025).
"Today was not my best. I could have played a lot better. Greens were really fast and I came here to play my best. I was hoping I could play under par like I did last year at Cleveland Heights. ... I tried to stay calm which I didn't. The driver was not what I was looking for," Tavares said.
Still, Tavares has a chance to make amends in districts coming up. And while Tavares thought that she could have done better, Bohnenstiehl was very much happy about his overall team's performance.
"It feels fantastic. These girls put in a lot of work to do what they needed to do to prepare. I'm extremely proud of them and the program," Bohnenstiehl said.
Also working hard was Frostproof junior Hannah Castillo ― The Ledger's 2025 Girls Golfer of the Year — as she tied for second with Tavares with a 74 as well. Castillo won the county championship in 2024.
"There were a couple things here or there that I could have improved on. But I'm happy for Georgia and I feel OK about how today went," Castillo said.
Other top 11 Polk County girls' placers were Lakeland senior Elizabeth Hall (fourth, 75), Winter Haven sophomore Danica Becker (fifth, 82), Ridge Community freshman Audra Sanford (sixth, 83), Auburndale sophomore Rylee Smith (sixth, 83), George Jenkins' junior Katherine Novotny (eighth, 84), McKeel junior Diya Kavalackal (ninth, 88) All Saints junior Sydney Rasnake (10th, 89) and Frostproof junior Sydney Rasnake (11th, 90).
Girls' team finishers were Frostproof (second), Lakeland Christian (third), Auburndale (fourth), Bartow (fifth), Winter Haven (sixth), Lake Wales (seventh), George Jenkins (eighth), All Saints (ninth), Lakeland (10th) and Mulberry (11th).
This article will be updated with the boys' finishers.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: McKeel, Spence win county golf title; see Polk's top finishers