Kennedy Gutierrez is in the hunt.

The Valparaiso freshman carded an even-par 72 on the first day of the IHSAA girls golf state finals Friday at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel.

"I was two-putting a lot to start and was kinda waiting for it to click," Gutierrez said. "Then, I made a couple and found a groove."

The Vikings star birdied was 2-over par through her first six holes of the day after bogeys on holes 10 and 15. She answered with a pair of birdies on 16 and 17 to get back to even. Her back nine — on the course's front nine — featured another two birdies and bogeys.

"For her first time playing Prairie View, today was a good learning experience," Valparaiso coach John Gutierrez said. "This is a demanding course that demands good shots off the tee."

The round puts Gutierrez in fi

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