Washington senior Deanna Peiffer signs her letter of intent to play college golf at William Penn University next fall. Photo by KCII’s Nate Gonner.

A member of this year’s state champion Washington Demon girls’ golf team has decided to continue her playing career in college. Denna Peiffer made her collegiate announcement Tuesday morning at Washington High School, signing a letter of intent to play golf at William Penn University.

Peiffer, a senior this year,  played a pivotal role in Washington’s title run. She finished among the top ten in several postseason events, including a pair of second place finishes in the Southeast Conference (+15; 85) and regional tournaments (+11; 81). She ended her junior campaign as the eighth best girls golfer in Class 4A, posting a 34 over 176 for the two day tournament held at the American Legion Golf Course in Marshalltown. Peiffer and the Washington girls’ golf team captured the Class 4A state golf team championship, winning the event by 24 strokes over the rest of the field.

Peiffer’s future team has recently been competitive inside the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). William Penn University, based in Oskaloosa, was ranked 18th in the initial NAIA Women’s Golf Top 25 Coaches Poll released last month. It was three spots higher than the Statesmen’s final ranking a season ago. This spring marks the first season William Penn will compete in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, a 12 member league consisting of institutions from Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas.