Former Arcata High golfer Avary Henry got the 2022 collegiate season off to a flying start last week when she placed first at the Benedictine University Invitational tournament in Illinois.

Competing for Aurora University at the NCAA Division-III level, Henry won with a round of 79, outpacing the field by an impressive six strokes.

The tournament, which had a field of 21 golfers, was held at the St. Andrews Golf & Country Club in Illinois.

Henry graduated Arcata High in 2020 and has impressed in her first couple of years playing for Aurora.

Last year she earned All-Conference honors and finished fifth at the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference championships, while averaging a 83.3 in six rounds of golf.

She carried that impressive form into this spring, with last week’s big win followed by a third-place showing at the two-day Carthage College Firebird Spring Invitational this past weekend.

Henry had a two-round score of 166 (81/85), which was good enough to tie for third overall in the 14-team, 81 golfer field.

The Aurora women took first as a team.