Tigers, Vikings Return Experienced Golfers
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
As the 2004 high school girls golf season is about to get under way, one local team has a target on its back, while one local coach has a target in sight.
After graduating just one player, No. 2 player Katrina Bonahoom, from last year's team that won the sectional, finished second at the regional and eighth at the state finals, third-year coach Chris LaLonde's Warsaw Tigers should be a team to be reckoned with.
"We definitely have some experience coming back," said LaLonde. "We have a big target on our backs and I want to keep it fun and keep it simple. Some of the girls thought I was crazy last year when I said we could win sectional. We won sectional, finished second at regional and then finished eighth at state. If we work hard, we can have another very fine season."
The head coach at Tippecanoe Valley since 1989, Roger Moriarty needs just six wins to reach 300 for his career. His 294 career wins are a combined total of both the boys and girls teams.
"We're pretty experienced," said Moriarty. "I think we'll fare fairly well in our conference. We should have a pretty good season with the experience coming back."
Both Warsaw and Valley have the luxury of returning a number of key players from their teams of a year ago.
Not only do they return key players, both the Tigers and Vikings return arguably their best girls golfers in school history.
Coming back for her second prep season at WCHS is sophomore sensation Emily Johnson.
As a freshman, Johnson took the state by storm, winning the individual regional title and the individual state championship. Johnson, who lost the individual sectional title by just one stroke, was the first freshman and also the youngest female player to win the state title.
"It's incredible to have that kind of player in your lineup," LaLonde said of Johnson, who spent her summer playing in various tournaments around the country. "She gives it her all and she's so knowledgable. She brings out the competitive edge in everyone else. The girls listen to her. I learn from her, too. Emily wants to be the best, and she wants her team to be the best, too. She's a very talented golfer and she has a great attitude about it."
Warsaw, which finished the season with an impressive 14-1 mark last year, with its one loss coming by one stroke to Northern Lakes Conference rival Goshen, opened the season today at 1 p.m. at Stonehenge with the visiting East Noble Knights.
Mallory Hepler and Jessica Sadler return for their senior seasons, while juniors Jenny Manning, Laura Manning, Erica Schori and Elena Duncan are all looking to crack LaLonde's five-person lineup.
"We have some good experience coming back," said LaLonde. "The more these girls play, the better they're going to get. We have a great bunch of girls and we have the ability, if we work hard, to have a very good season."
Coming back for her senior season at Valley is Kara Kramer, who helped lead the school's varsity girls basketball team to a No. 1 ranking in the 3A poll.
On the golf course, she finished the season with a 44.1-strokes-per-match average, the best in Valley girls golf history for nine-hole play.
A team that didn't lose anyone to graduation, Valley's roster also includes Jenny Stiffler, Jenna Yeiter, Allison Rock, Margaret Warren, Amanda Warren, Angela Ogle and Haley Michaelson.
Ogle played for the Vikings as a freshman and sophomore, but played last season at Rochester.
The Vikings, who were 12-10 a year ago, open the season Wednesday with a home match at 10 a.m. at Mill Creek with Northridge and Glenn.
MANCHESTER SQUIRES
Home Course - Sycamore
Head Coach - Greg Carter
Last Year - .500 record
Key Losses - Tiffany Hippensteel, Katie Fairchild, Andrea Bonewitz
Lineup - Jessica Harms, Danielle Hodge, Abby Keffaber, Samantha Budnik, Stephanie King
Outlook - Third-year coach Greg Carter and his Squires will have their first full practice together today. Coming off a season in which Manchester finished with a .500 record, Carter said he expects big things from seniors Jessica Harms, Danielle Hodge and Abby Keffaber. The Squires open their season Thursday with a home match at Sycamore with county rival Wabash.
Carter - "It's going to take a little time to get things going, we had our first practice Friday but not everyone could make it, but I've seen improvement in the three seniors. They've been out there playing, and they've showed a tendency to take strokes off."
TIPPECANOE VALLEY VIKINGS
Home Course - Mill Creek
Head Coach - Roger Moriarty
Last Year - 12-10
Key Losses - none
Probable Lineup - Kara Kramer, Jenny Stiffler, Jenna Yeiter, Allison Rock, Margaret Warren
Other Members - Amanda Warren, Angela Ogle, Haley Michaelson
Outlook - With 294 career wins, counting both boys and girls dual matches, coach Roger Moriarty has plenty of experience returning as he looks to enter the 300-win club. Senior Kara Kramer finished last season with a 44.1-stroke average, the best in school history. Adding depth to Moriarty's team this year are two players not in the program a year ago - Angela Ogle and Amanda Warren. Ogle was at Valley as a freshman and sophomore but attended Rochester as a junior. Warren joins the team again after sitting out a year and concentrating on swimming.
Moriarty - "We didn't lose anybody. We should be pretty experienced. I think we'll fare fairly well in our conference."
WARSAW TIGERS
Home Course - Stonehenge
Head Coach - Chris LaLonde
Last Year - 14-1 (won sectional, second at regional, eighth at state)
Key Losses - Katrina Bonahoom
Probable Lineup - Emily Johnson, Jessica Sadler, Mallory Hepler, Jenny Manning, Laura Manning
Other Members - Erica Schori, Elena Duncan
Outlook - With just one golfer lost to graduation from last year's team - Katrina Bonahoom - Chris LaLonde's Tigers set out to get back to the state finals, where they finished eighth as a team last year. Sophomore sensation Emily Johnson, who won last year's individual state title as a freshman and was the youngest to ever accomplish the feat, comes in after another busy summer of golf and will once again be one of the state's marquee players.
LaLonde - "We definitely have some experience coming back. We have a big target on our backs. I want to keep it fun and keep it simple. Some of the girls thought I was crazy last year when I said we could win sectional. We won sectional, finished second at regional and then finished eighth at state. If we work hard, we can have another very fine season."
WAWASEE WARRIORS
Home Course - Maxwelton
Head Coach - Scott DeHart
Last Year - 12-12
Key Losses - Nicole Ward, Kacy Finkenbiner
Probable Lineup - Jessica Rondeau, Lindsey Best, Hannah Scantlen, Kelsey McAdams, Amanda Xanders
Other Members - Madi Hike, Jenna Ruch
Outlook - With its top five golfers back, Wawasee looks to improve on its 12-12 record from a year ago. Sixth-year coach Scott DeHart said he thinks his team can be very competitive, and its No. 1 goal is to prepare for the end-of-season tournament. The Warriors open their season Tuesday with a 9 a.m. home match with Whitko and Concord.
DeHart - "I think this group of girls can be very competitive. That's what our No. 1 goal is right now, to be competitive and get ready for the end of the season and the tournament. The girls have worked hard this summer, and I think they'll be competitive."
Note - Attempts were made to contact coaches at Triton and Whitko, however, they could not be reached. [[In-content Ad]]
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As the 2004 high school girls golf season is about to get under way, one local team has a target on its back, while one local coach has a target in sight.
After graduating just one player, No. 2 player Katrina Bonahoom, from last year's team that won the sectional, finished second at the regional and eighth at the state finals, third-year coach Chris LaLonde's Warsaw Tigers should be a team to be reckoned with.
"We definitely have some experience coming back," said LaLonde. "We have a big target on our backs and I want to keep it fun and keep it simple. Some of the girls thought I was crazy last year when I said we could win sectional. We won sectional, finished second at regional and then finished eighth at state. If we work hard, we can have another very fine season."
The head coach at Tippecanoe Valley since 1989, Roger Moriarty needs just six wins to reach 300 for his career. His 294 career wins are a combined total of both the boys and girls teams.
"We're pretty experienced," said Moriarty. "I think we'll fare fairly well in our conference. We should have a pretty good season with the experience coming back."
Both Warsaw and Valley have the luxury of returning a number of key players from their teams of a year ago.
Not only do they return key players, both the Tigers and Vikings return arguably their best girls golfers in school history.
Coming back for her second prep season at WCHS is sophomore sensation Emily Johnson.
As a freshman, Johnson took the state by storm, winning the individual regional title and the individual state championship. Johnson, who lost the individual sectional title by just one stroke, was the first freshman and also the youngest female player to win the state title.
"It's incredible to have that kind of player in your lineup," LaLonde said of Johnson, who spent her summer playing in various tournaments around the country. "She gives it her all and she's so knowledgable. She brings out the competitive edge in everyone else. The girls listen to her. I learn from her, too. Emily wants to be the best, and she wants her team to be the best, too. She's a very talented golfer and she has a great attitude about it."
Warsaw, which finished the season with an impressive 14-1 mark last year, with its one loss coming by one stroke to Northern Lakes Conference rival Goshen, opened the season today at 1 p.m. at Stonehenge with the visiting East Noble Knights.
Mallory Hepler and Jessica Sadler return for their senior seasons, while juniors Jenny Manning, Laura Manning, Erica Schori and Elena Duncan are all looking to crack LaLonde's five-person lineup.
"We have some good experience coming back," said LaLonde. "The more these girls play, the better they're going to get. We have a great bunch of girls and we have the ability, if we work hard, to have a very good season."
Coming back for her senior season at Valley is Kara Kramer, who helped lead the school's varsity girls basketball team to a No. 1 ranking in the 3A poll.
On the golf course, she finished the season with a 44.1-strokes-per-match average, the best in Valley girls golf history for nine-hole play.
A team that didn't lose anyone to graduation, Valley's roster also includes Jenny Stiffler, Jenna Yeiter, Allison Rock, Margaret Warren, Amanda Warren, Angela Ogle and Haley Michaelson.
Ogle played for the Vikings as a freshman and sophomore, but played last season at Rochester.
The Vikings, who were 12-10 a year ago, open the season Wednesday with a home match at 10 a.m. at Mill Creek with Northridge and Glenn.
MANCHESTER SQUIRES
Home Course - Sycamore
Head Coach - Greg Carter
Last Year - .500 record
Key Losses - Tiffany Hippensteel, Katie Fairchild, Andrea Bonewitz
Lineup - Jessica Harms, Danielle Hodge, Abby Keffaber, Samantha Budnik, Stephanie King
Outlook - Third-year coach Greg Carter and his Squires will have their first full practice together today. Coming off a season in which Manchester finished with a .500 record, Carter said he expects big things from seniors Jessica Harms, Danielle Hodge and Abby Keffaber. The Squires open their season Thursday with a home match at Sycamore with county rival Wabash.
Carter - "It's going to take a little time to get things going, we had our first practice Friday but not everyone could make it, but I've seen improvement in the three seniors. They've been out there playing, and they've showed a tendency to take strokes off."
TIPPECANOE VALLEY VIKINGS
Home Course - Mill Creek
Head Coach - Roger Moriarty
Last Year - 12-10
Key Losses - none
Probable Lineup - Kara Kramer, Jenny Stiffler, Jenna Yeiter, Allison Rock, Margaret Warren
Other Members - Amanda Warren, Angela Ogle, Haley Michaelson
Outlook - With 294 career wins, counting both boys and girls dual matches, coach Roger Moriarty has plenty of experience returning as he looks to enter the 300-win club. Senior Kara Kramer finished last season with a 44.1-stroke average, the best in school history. Adding depth to Moriarty's team this year are two players not in the program a year ago - Angela Ogle and Amanda Warren. Ogle was at Valley as a freshman and sophomore but attended Rochester as a junior. Warren joins the team again after sitting out a year and concentrating on swimming.
Moriarty - "We didn't lose anybody. We should be pretty experienced. I think we'll fare fairly well in our conference."
WARSAW TIGERS
Home Course - Stonehenge
Head Coach - Chris LaLonde
Last Year - 14-1 (won sectional, second at regional, eighth at state)
Key Losses - Katrina Bonahoom
Probable Lineup - Emily Johnson, Jessica Sadler, Mallory Hepler, Jenny Manning, Laura Manning
Other Members - Erica Schori, Elena Duncan
Outlook - With just one golfer lost to graduation from last year's team - Katrina Bonahoom - Chris LaLonde's Tigers set out to get back to the state finals, where they finished eighth as a team last year. Sophomore sensation Emily Johnson, who won last year's individual state title as a freshman and was the youngest to ever accomplish the feat, comes in after another busy summer of golf and will once again be one of the state's marquee players.
LaLonde - "We definitely have some experience coming back. We have a big target on our backs. I want to keep it fun and keep it simple. Some of the girls thought I was crazy last year when I said we could win sectional. We won sectional, finished second at regional and then finished eighth at state. If we work hard, we can have another very fine season."
WAWASEE WARRIORS
Home Course - Maxwelton
Head Coach - Scott DeHart
Last Year - 12-12
Key Losses - Nicole Ward, Kacy Finkenbiner
Probable Lineup - Jessica Rondeau, Lindsey Best, Hannah Scantlen, Kelsey McAdams, Amanda Xanders
Other Members - Madi Hike, Jenna Ruch
Outlook - With its top five golfers back, Wawasee looks to improve on its 12-12 record from a year ago. Sixth-year coach Scott DeHart said he thinks his team can be very competitive, and its No. 1 goal is to prepare for the end-of-season tournament. The Warriors open their season Tuesday with a 9 a.m. home match with Whitko and Concord.
DeHart - "I think this group of girls can be very competitive. That's what our No. 1 goal is right now, to be competitive and get ready for the end of the season and the tournament. The girls have worked hard this summer, and I think they'll be competitive."
Note - Attempts were made to contact coaches at Triton and Whitko, however, they could not be reached. [[In-content Ad]]