Lady Warriors Win Golf Sectional
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
The Lady Warriors did more than just advance, they shot their best 18-hole team score of the year and won the Warsaw Sectional at Stonehenge with a 332.
The Lady Warriors, who returned four players from last year's state finalist team, beat defending sectional champion NorthWood by 12 strokes, capturing the program's fifth sectional title and first since 2010.
“The No. 1 goal has to be to get out, because if you wanna go to state, you have to make it to the regional,” said Coverstone. “We wanted to win, but we didn't want to put that kind of pressure on ourselves that we had to win. It worked out well for us this time.
“NorthWood, I don't think they played that bad, really ... 344 is a pretty good score. We just played out of our heads today.”
Making it even more impressive that Wawasee shot its best score of the season Saturday was that it came on a course that is difficult enough already, and then there was plenty of wind and wet course conditions.
“I thought the scores would be a lot higher today with the wind the way it is,” said Coverstone. “And the wet spots ... the course played tough today. We had four good scores.”
Mikala Mawhorter led the Lady Warriors with an 81, while Kylee Rostochak shot 83 and Aubrey Schmeltz and Madison Beaman each carded an 84.
With four players in the clubhouse for both Wawasee and NorthWood, the Lady Warriors trailed 344-352.
Beaman, playing in the No. 5 spot for Wawasee, became the hero when she turned in her 84, helping her team’s score improve by 20 strokes.
“To come out here and play that well on a difficult course in difficult conditions is really thrilling for the girls,” said Coverstone. “We’re thrilled. The girls did a great job, and they stayed away from the big number.
“I could tell on the way over here we were either gonna play really good or really bad, just the way most of them were really quiet and ready to play.
“I wasn’t sure which one it was going to be. And Mikala’s 81, she played really well. Madison Beaman with 84, that’s probably the low round of her career.”
The top three teams, as well as the top three individuals not on an advancing team, qualified for Saturday’s regional at Noble Hawk Golf Links in Kendallville.
Joining Wawasee and NorthWood will be fellow Northern Lakes Conference school Plymouth, which shot a 375.
Warsaw finished fourth with a 398, followed by Bremen (418), Rochester (449), Tippecanoe Valley (474), Caston (541) and Triton (547).
Lakeland Christian had just one golfer compete, Abigail Fishel, who shot 126.
Whitko didn’t have a team score either, as the Lady Wildcats had just three golfers – Claire Reiff (118), Aurelia Slusher (127) and Alexys Rider (141).
NorthWood’s Linnzie Richner was the sectional medalist with a 75, followed by Rochester’s Kinley Lingenfelter and Mawhorter.
Lingenfelter advanced as an individual, as did Warsaw’s Madi Graham (89) and Tippecanoe Valley’s Victoria Biddle (95).
NorthWood’s runner-up finish included Richner’s 75, Summer Stillson’s 87, Madison Richner’s 88 and Mackenzie Weaver’s 94.
“What can you say? That’s a great round. We haven’t shot 332 this year,” said NorthWood coach Adam Yoder, giving praise to Wawasee. “They had four girls at 84 or under. That’s how you win. That’s the recipe to success. That’s gonna win a lot of sectionals in this state, not just this one. Hats off to them, they played like the more experienced group, and they are the more experienced group.”
Though disappointed the season concluded Saturday, first-year Warsaw coach Tad Nieter is happy with the progress his team made this fall.
The Lady Tigers shot their best 18-hole team score of the season Saturday.
Graham led the way with her 89, while the rest of Warsaw’s lineup included Page Desenberg (97), Morgan Fuentes (101), Delaney Wihebrink (111) and Madison Martz (131).
“I’m pretty proud of how they played,” Nieter said of his players. “Madi shooting an 89 in these conditions is good. For her to advance, that was her goal, and she met it.
“We wanted to break 400 today, and we did that. We broke 400 at Meadow Valley (in the conference tournament), but Stonehenge is a step up from that.”
Fuentes was the only senior in Warsaw’s lineup, and Nieter is eager for his second season as the Lady Tigers’ coach.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am for next season,” said Nieter. “It’s gonna be fun to see what the girls do in the offseason. Just like any other sport, if they don’t practice in the offseason we’ll be right where we’re at right now. But, I don’t think that’s where any of the girls want to be. I expect a lot of the girls to go out and work their tails off. Next year, we could be where Wawasee, NorthWood and Plymouth are at this time.”
WARSAW SECTIONAL
(Stonehenge, par 71)
Note – the top 3 teams, as well as the top 3 individuals not on an advancing team, qualify for the regional
Team Scores – Wawasee 332, NorthWood 344, Plymouth 375, Warsaw 398, Bremen 418, Rochester 449, Tippecanoe Valley 474, Caston 541, Triton 547
Medalist – Linnzie Richner (NW) 75
Advancing individuals – Kinley Lingenfelter (Roch) 77, Madi Graham (War) 89, Victoria Biddle (TV) 95
Wawasee – Mikala Mawhorter 81, Kylee Rostochak 83, Aubrey Schmeltz 84, Madison Beaman 94, Kamryn Foy 104
Warsaw – Madi Graham 89, Page Desenberg 97, Morgan Fuentes 101, Delaney Wihebrink 111, Madison Martz 131
Valley – Victoria Biddle 95, Blake McBrier 116, Liz VanMeter 117, Makayla Sandbakken 146, Lexi Cumberland 146
Triton – Kate Gardner 122, Tessa Heaton 127, Kayla Kreft 129, Samantha Edington 169
Whitko – Claire Reiff 118, Aurelia Slusher 127, Alexys Rider 141
LCA – Abigail Fishel 126[[In-content Ad]]
The Lady Warriors did more than just advance, they shot their best 18-hole team score of the year and won the Warsaw Sectional at Stonehenge with a 332.
The Lady Warriors, who returned four players from last year's state finalist team, beat defending sectional champion NorthWood by 12 strokes, capturing the program's fifth sectional title and first since 2010.
“The No. 1 goal has to be to get out, because if you wanna go to state, you have to make it to the regional,” said Coverstone. “We wanted to win, but we didn't want to put that kind of pressure on ourselves that we had to win. It worked out well for us this time.
“NorthWood, I don't think they played that bad, really ... 344 is a pretty good score. We just played out of our heads today.”
Making it even more impressive that Wawasee shot its best score of the season Saturday was that it came on a course that is difficult enough already, and then there was plenty of wind and wet course conditions.
“I thought the scores would be a lot higher today with the wind the way it is,” said Coverstone. “And the wet spots ... the course played tough today. We had four good scores.”
Mikala Mawhorter led the Lady Warriors with an 81, while Kylee Rostochak shot 83 and Aubrey Schmeltz and Madison Beaman each carded an 84.
With four players in the clubhouse for both Wawasee and NorthWood, the Lady Warriors trailed 344-352.
Beaman, playing in the No. 5 spot for Wawasee, became the hero when she turned in her 84, helping her team’s score improve by 20 strokes.
“To come out here and play that well on a difficult course in difficult conditions is really thrilling for the girls,” said Coverstone. “We’re thrilled. The girls did a great job, and they stayed away from the big number.
“I could tell on the way over here we were either gonna play really good or really bad, just the way most of them were really quiet and ready to play.
“I wasn’t sure which one it was going to be. And Mikala’s 81, she played really well. Madison Beaman with 84, that’s probably the low round of her career.”
The top three teams, as well as the top three individuals not on an advancing team, qualified for Saturday’s regional at Noble Hawk Golf Links in Kendallville.
Joining Wawasee and NorthWood will be fellow Northern Lakes Conference school Plymouth, which shot a 375.
Warsaw finished fourth with a 398, followed by Bremen (418), Rochester (449), Tippecanoe Valley (474), Caston (541) and Triton (547).
Lakeland Christian had just one golfer compete, Abigail Fishel, who shot 126.
Whitko didn’t have a team score either, as the Lady Wildcats had just three golfers – Claire Reiff (118), Aurelia Slusher (127) and Alexys Rider (141).
NorthWood’s Linnzie Richner was the sectional medalist with a 75, followed by Rochester’s Kinley Lingenfelter and Mawhorter.
Lingenfelter advanced as an individual, as did Warsaw’s Madi Graham (89) and Tippecanoe Valley’s Victoria Biddle (95).
NorthWood’s runner-up finish included Richner’s 75, Summer Stillson’s 87, Madison Richner’s 88 and Mackenzie Weaver’s 94.
“What can you say? That’s a great round. We haven’t shot 332 this year,” said NorthWood coach Adam Yoder, giving praise to Wawasee. “They had four girls at 84 or under. That’s how you win. That’s the recipe to success. That’s gonna win a lot of sectionals in this state, not just this one. Hats off to them, they played like the more experienced group, and they are the more experienced group.”
Though disappointed the season concluded Saturday, first-year Warsaw coach Tad Nieter is happy with the progress his team made this fall.
The Lady Tigers shot their best 18-hole team score of the season Saturday.
Graham led the way with her 89, while the rest of Warsaw’s lineup included Page Desenberg (97), Morgan Fuentes (101), Delaney Wihebrink (111) and Madison Martz (131).
“I’m pretty proud of how they played,” Nieter said of his players. “Madi shooting an 89 in these conditions is good. For her to advance, that was her goal, and she met it.
“We wanted to break 400 today, and we did that. We broke 400 at Meadow Valley (in the conference tournament), but Stonehenge is a step up from that.”
Fuentes was the only senior in Warsaw’s lineup, and Nieter is eager for his second season as the Lady Tigers’ coach.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am for next season,” said Nieter. “It’s gonna be fun to see what the girls do in the offseason. Just like any other sport, if they don’t practice in the offseason we’ll be right where we’re at right now. But, I don’t think that’s where any of the girls want to be. I expect a lot of the girls to go out and work their tails off. Next year, we could be where Wawasee, NorthWood and Plymouth are at this time.”
WARSAW SECTIONAL
(Stonehenge, par 71)
Note – the top 3 teams, as well as the top 3 individuals not on an advancing team, qualify for the regional
Team Scores – Wawasee 332, NorthWood 344, Plymouth 375, Warsaw 398, Bremen 418, Rochester 449, Tippecanoe Valley 474, Caston 541, Triton 547
Medalist – Linnzie Richner (NW) 75
Advancing individuals – Kinley Lingenfelter (Roch) 77, Madi Graham (War) 89, Victoria Biddle (TV) 95
Wawasee – Mikala Mawhorter 81, Kylee Rostochak 83, Aubrey Schmeltz 84, Madison Beaman 94, Kamryn Foy 104
Warsaw – Madi Graham 89, Page Desenberg 97, Morgan Fuentes 101, Delaney Wihebrink 111, Madison Martz 131
Valley – Victoria Biddle 95, Blake McBrier 116, Liz VanMeter 117, Makayla Sandbakken 146, Lexi Cumberland 146
Triton – Kate Gardner 122, Tessa Heaton 127, Kayla Kreft 129, Samantha Edington 169
Whitko – Claire Reiff 118, Aurelia Slusher 127, Alexys Rider 141
LCA – Abigail Fishel 126[[In-content Ad]]
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