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Milton’s Stair to play Division I golf at SIE

Photo

Photo by Kyle Bursaw

Ashton Stair watches her ball at University Ridge golf course during the high school girls state tournament in Madison, Wis. on Tuesday. Stair had a record-setting performance for the tournament on Monday.

MILTON — Milton High senior Ashton Stair, the 2010 WIAA Division 1 girls state golf champion, is headed to the University of Southern Illinois-Edwards-ville on a Division I women’s golf scholarship.

Stair signed her letter of intent this week. Stair also received a Division I offer from UW-Green Bay.

“It’s a good atmosphere,” Stair said of the SIE campus. “There was not much to complain about.”

Stair is eager to flex her muscles in women’s college golf competition.

“In high school, you play on short courses,” she said. “I never got to use my strength and use my length.”

College women usually play on courses 6,200 yards long, about 1,000 yards more than high school competition. Milton coach Andrea Wieland sees no problems for Stair.

“Ashton will have no problem playing the longer courses,” Wieland said. “She is long off the tee.”

Stair’s magnificent 36-hole charge to the championship in October at University Ridge in Madison is a sign for good things to come. Stair fired a tournament-record first-round 68 and added a par 72 for a 140 Division 1 tournament-record two-day total.

“I’ve always called Ashton a diamond in the rough,” Wieland said. “They don’t

realize the potential she really has, and she showed it at the state tournament.”

Stair joins Wieland, Jackie Wagner (University of Missouri-Kansas City) and Ellyn Hansen (UWGB) as Milton golfers to receive scholarships.