DALEVILLE - The majority of 17-year-olds might have trouble sleeping on the lead the night before the biggest round of their young golfing careers.

    Obviously, Hunting Hills' Vicki Kasza isn't like most.

    "I'll go out with my friends [Saturday night], then go home and sit in the hot tub for a while and then go to sleep," Kasza said.

    "I'll be fine, I'm sure."

    Certainly, all was fine Saturday afternoon for Ms. Kasza.

    Taking dead aim in her shot to her first major tournament title, Kasza fired a 3-over-par 76 at Ashley Plantation Golf Club to snare a two-shot lead heading into today's final round of the 26th Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame women's championship at Hidden Valley.

    "I play Hidden Valley a lot and I really like that course," said Kasza, the No.2 player on the Cave Spring boys' team last fall.

    "And I'm telling you, I'm not going to give it away. I will be incredibly happy if I win. It would be so huge for me."

    Kasza, who just completed her junior year of high school, still has some work left. Reigning City-County women's champion Meg Davies, Smith Mountain Lake resident Teresa Shull and 13-year-old Meredith Swanson of Roanoke County Club are tied for second. Five-time champion Dot Bolling, 2002 champ Valeta Pittman and 1991 winner Mar-C Milona are four shots off the pace.

    "I'd love to see Vicki win this thing," said Bolling, longtime holder of the title of the Roanoke Valley's No.1 women's player.

    Last summer, Kasza finished third in the City-County and State Junior championship. She's itching to take home the big trophy this time.

    "I just was trying not to freak myself out today," said Kasza, laughing. "Truthfully, I'm not real happy with 76. I had three or four three-putts and I'm kind of upset. I definitely gave up a lot, I think."

    Davies, 21, a rising senior at James Madison University, has been in position to win this event the past two years, only to falter down the stretch.

    "I couldn't get any rhythm going," Davies said. "I couldn't make any putts, so I'm glad to shoot what I did."

    Swanson, who is ranked 35th in the world among 13-year-old girls by Junior Golf Scoreboard, would have been the leader if not for bogeys on the final three holes.

    "I didn't finish as well as I would have liked," said Swanson, a rising eighth-grader at Hidden Valley Middle School who often plays with Kasza. "I wasn't nervous at all. I'm having fun."

    Defending champion Marilyn Bussey of Countryside was even-par through five holes before hopping a bogey train that shipped her to an 85.

    Paced by Kasza, Hunting Hills leads the The Lake Courses squad by one shot in its pursuit for its first women's team title.

Reprinted with permission from The Roanoke Times.