Perfect Timing
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
Entering Saturday's Warsaw Sectional at Stonehenge Golf Club, Turner's Warsaw Lady Tigers will tee off with a 17-0 regular season record.[[In-content Ad]]Turner's been at the helm of the Warsaw program for almost two decades, but the years haven't been in succession. After coaching the Tigers between 1987 and 2001, Turner stepped away from the sport after his wife became ill.
"I just needed to take care of some things," he said.
Following a good run by Chris LaLonde between 2002 and 2006, which featured two-time state winner Emily Johnson, Turner retook the reins, thanks to some persuasion by former Warsaw Community High School Athletic Director Dave Fulkerson.
"He told me they didn't have anyone to do (coach the girls)," Turner said. "He twisted my arm until I told him 'yes.'"
In his first year back, Warsaw did alright, got a little better the next year, advanced out of the sectional last year and carry a perfect record into the postseason this year.
"In my first year back, we were kind of starting over," Turner said. "The teams had done awfully well before that, during the Emily Johnson era."
Things really began to turn around last season, when the girls won the Warsaw Sectional.
"We really began to peak toward the end of last season," Turner said.
Following last season's finish, Turner decided it was once again time to step away from the sport, making this year his last, hoping to finish his tenure with the freshmen he coached in his first year back - Audrey Petro and Alyssa Cameron.
"We'd like to send him out with a special season," Petro, Warsaw's No. 1 golfer, said. "Qualifying for state would be a highlight, and get him a dream season."
This year's team, which also features junior Kayla Hutcherson, sophomore Sarah Hartle and 15-year-old foreign exchange student Laksika Kannasut, has already given Turner a memorable season.
"Being undefeated and being conference champions is a highlight," Cameron said. "We were also his first (girls) team to win an invitational."
The Tigers did win the Huntington North Invitational back on Aug. 6, but even then, an undefeated campaign didn't seem all that feasible.
"It was a little bit of a shock," Petro said about going undefeated. "We had hoped to, but didn't really know we would be able to."
"I'd say we didn't expect to be undefeated," Cameron said. "Especially in conference."
The Tigers did manage to go 7-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference, claiming the title by a half-point over NorthWood following a second-place finish at the conference match in Plymouth over the weekend. The conference championship is decided by combining points earned during the regular season with those generated at the conference match.
"We didn't do well in that tournament," Cameron said. "So with sectionals coming up, it wasn't that good, especially with all our varsity girls shooting in the 90s. We won't get out of regionals shooting like that."
Despite the second-place finish, Warsaw's regular-season record helped it claim the crown, but the tournament may have been a blessing in disguise.
"It reminded us that we still need to work hard and not take anything for granted," Petro said.
With the tournament behind them, the Tigers can now focus on the sectional, which will be played on more familiar turf - their home course.
"We play well here at Stonehenge," Turner said. "A lot of teams don't like playing here, but we still have to play well."
And playing well this year hasn't been a problem, led by Turner's seniors.
"Audrey is an exceptional athlete, lettering in three different sports," he said. "And Alyssa is an exceptionally hard worker. She really practiced a lot this summer."
But it's not just the work of the seniors that got the Tigers to 17 wins.
"The key for us is, we have five girls," Turner said.
"Kayla has a lot of the same attributes as Audrey," Turner said of Hutcherson. "She is really a hard worker. And Sarah Hartle went to regionals in tennis last season, so she is familiar with competing at a high level."
An unknown coming into the season was Kannasut, the foreign exchange student from Thailand, who had to sit out the first few matches, being cleared by the Indiana High School Athletic Association.
"She passed everything," Turner said.
Once she was on the course, Kannasut just got better and better.
"That was the piece of the puzzle," Turner said. "She had played golf in Thailand, but had never played on a team.
"If she gets her putting game down, we're pretty decent," Turner said.
And with a perfect record, other teams may say the Tigers are a little better than "pretty decent."
"We just have to work hard to get better and hopefully get to state," Cameron said. "We know we have the potential."
As long as Warsaw keeps winning, Turner's coaching tenure will continue.
However, if the Tigers don't advance, he'll be done, and he's okay with that.
"You know when it's time, and it's time," he said. "I'm not nervous or anything. You just know when it's time. And it's time."
Entering Saturday's Warsaw Sectional at Stonehenge Golf Club, Turner's Warsaw Lady Tigers will tee off with a 17-0 regular season record.[[In-content Ad]]Turner's been at the helm of the Warsaw program for almost two decades, but the years haven't been in succession. After coaching the Tigers between 1987 and 2001, Turner stepped away from the sport after his wife became ill.
"I just needed to take care of some things," he said.
Following a good run by Chris LaLonde between 2002 and 2006, which featured two-time state winner Emily Johnson, Turner retook the reins, thanks to some persuasion by former Warsaw Community High School Athletic Director Dave Fulkerson.
"He told me they didn't have anyone to do (coach the girls)," Turner said. "He twisted my arm until I told him 'yes.'"
In his first year back, Warsaw did alright, got a little better the next year, advanced out of the sectional last year and carry a perfect record into the postseason this year.
"In my first year back, we were kind of starting over," Turner said. "The teams had done awfully well before that, during the Emily Johnson era."
Things really began to turn around last season, when the girls won the Warsaw Sectional.
"We really began to peak toward the end of last season," Turner said.
Following last season's finish, Turner decided it was once again time to step away from the sport, making this year his last, hoping to finish his tenure with the freshmen he coached in his first year back - Audrey Petro and Alyssa Cameron.
"We'd like to send him out with a special season," Petro, Warsaw's No. 1 golfer, said. "Qualifying for state would be a highlight, and get him a dream season."
This year's team, which also features junior Kayla Hutcherson, sophomore Sarah Hartle and 15-year-old foreign exchange student Laksika Kannasut, has already given Turner a memorable season.
"Being undefeated and being conference champions is a highlight," Cameron said. "We were also his first (girls) team to win an invitational."
The Tigers did win the Huntington North Invitational back on Aug. 6, but even then, an undefeated campaign didn't seem all that feasible.
"It was a little bit of a shock," Petro said about going undefeated. "We had hoped to, but didn't really know we would be able to."
"I'd say we didn't expect to be undefeated," Cameron said. "Especially in conference."
The Tigers did manage to go 7-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference, claiming the title by a half-point over NorthWood following a second-place finish at the conference match in Plymouth over the weekend. The conference championship is decided by combining points earned during the regular season with those generated at the conference match.
"We didn't do well in that tournament," Cameron said. "So with sectionals coming up, it wasn't that good, especially with all our varsity girls shooting in the 90s. We won't get out of regionals shooting like that."
Despite the second-place finish, Warsaw's regular-season record helped it claim the crown, but the tournament may have been a blessing in disguise.
"It reminded us that we still need to work hard and not take anything for granted," Petro said.
With the tournament behind them, the Tigers can now focus on the sectional, which will be played on more familiar turf - their home course.
"We play well here at Stonehenge," Turner said. "A lot of teams don't like playing here, but we still have to play well."
And playing well this year hasn't been a problem, led by Turner's seniors.
"Audrey is an exceptional athlete, lettering in three different sports," he said. "And Alyssa is an exceptionally hard worker. She really practiced a lot this summer."
But it's not just the work of the seniors that got the Tigers to 17 wins.
"The key for us is, we have five girls," Turner said.
"Kayla has a lot of the same attributes as Audrey," Turner said of Hutcherson. "She is really a hard worker. And Sarah Hartle went to regionals in tennis last season, so she is familiar with competing at a high level."
An unknown coming into the season was Kannasut, the foreign exchange student from Thailand, who had to sit out the first few matches, being cleared by the Indiana High School Athletic Association.
"She passed everything," Turner said.
Once she was on the course, Kannasut just got better and better.
"That was the piece of the puzzle," Turner said. "She had played golf in Thailand, but had never played on a team.
"If she gets her putting game down, we're pretty decent," Turner said.
And with a perfect record, other teams may say the Tigers are a little better than "pretty decent."
"We just have to work hard to get better and hopefully get to state," Cameron said. "We know we have the potential."
As long as Warsaw keeps winning, Turner's coaching tenure will continue.
However, if the Tigers don't advance, he'll be done, and he's okay with that.
"You know when it's time, and it's time," he said. "I'm not nervous or anything. You just know when it's time. And it's time."
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