ROCKINGHAM — There are a lot of ones in ROSports’ No. 1 top sports story from the 2018-19 school year.
Locking in the top spot is Hailey Miller’s first career hole-in-one on the golf course. The junior golfer for the Richmond Senior High School Lady Raider golf team drained perhaps the once-in-a-lifetime shot during the first day of the NCHSAA 4A state tournament.
Miller would finish tied for 29th at the two-day state championship tournament, also a career best, but she etched her name in the record books with one swing of her club. Playing at Pinehurst No. 3, Miller sunk her tee shot from the No. 8 hole par three from 166 yards out.
The ball hit the green, rolled across the surface before finally dropping into the cup. On hand to watch her historic shot were Richmond head golf coach Keith Parsons, and several of Miller’s family members, including her parents Dwayne and Renee Miller.
It was the first ace in at least a decade in the 4A state tournament and the first NCHSAA championship hole-in-one at any level since Joyce Zhang of Weddington High School recorded one in the 3A tournament in 2016.
Miller’s single shot beat out several worthy candidates for the No. 1 spot in this year’s countdown. Below is a complete list of the recognitions, counting down 10 to one:
No. 10: Richmond baseball defeats RJ Reynolds in walk-off playoff win.
No. 9: Richmond boys’ basketball defeats 71st on the road for the first time in 15 years.
No. 8: Richmond softball redeems itself and wins Beach Diamond Invitational title.
No. 7: Richmond football upsets Butler and begins program turnaround.
No. 6: Richmond sees over 20 student-athletes sign to play college athletics.
No. 5: Richmond softball hits 14 home runs in a three-day span.
No. 4: Richmond girls’ 4x100-meter relay set state championship school record.
No. 3: Richmond swimming records seven personal records in regular-season finale meet.
No. 2: Richmond football wins first conference championship since 2010, defeats Scotland.
No. 1: Richmond’s Hailey Miller hits first career hole-in-one at state championship.
Click the photo below to read the original match story written by sports contributor Deon Cranford for the Oct. 24, 2018, edition of the Richmond Observer.
