Shore Conference girls golfer gets top-10 finish at NJ State Championship

After finishing second at both the Monmouth County and Shore Conference Tournaments this spring, Marlboro’s Kashish Malik came through with the best score among area competitors at Tuesday’s NJSIAA Girls Golf State Championship at Raritan Valley Country Club in Bridgewater.

The Mustangs’ junior, who won the Shore Conference title as a freshman, posted an even-par 74 to finish 10th overall, six shots behind individual champion Ysabel Liu from Millburn, whose 68 gave her a two-shot victory over Pingry's Rayee Feng.

No Shore Conference teams qualified, as Academy of Holy Angels won the team title at 305.

In all, five players from Monmouth County qualified as individuals. Holmdel junior Sirina Ganne, who won the Monmouth County and Shore Conference titles this season, came in as the defending state champion. Ganne and Minna Liang, her sophomore teammate, each finished at 79.

Trinity Hall sophomore Lauren Nam, third at the Shore Conference Tournament, finished at 84, and Howell junior Ruby Haloukas shot 90.

Malik, who began her round on No. 1 in the shotgun start, birdied the opening hole, a par-5, and remained in red figures until a bogey at No. 4. After making the turn at even-par, Malik made three birdies and three bogeys on the back nine, including a birdie at No. 8 to cap a top-10 finish.