No. 2 Warsaw, Triton Get 18-Hole Meet InIt wasn’t a conference match, but it was one the Triton and Warsaw boys golf teams wanted to get in. Originally scheduled to take place Tuesday at Warsaw’s Stonehenge Golf Club, the dual meet between the second-ranked Warsaw Tigers and Triton Trojans was moved to Wednesday at Rozella Ford Golf Club in Warsaw. With the clouds parting, the cold winds continued, but the 18-hole match was still played, with Warsaw winning 311-313. “We have the Joe Harris Shootout here (at Rozella Ford) Tuesday, a small little invite, so it just made a lot of sense,” Barkey said about working to get the match played. “I know (Triton coach) Jack (Carpenter) wanted to get his guys a competitive round, and of course we wanted to too. We haven’t seen our JV play in a couple weeks. It was just good for us to get out for a good, competitive round and see where everybody’s at and what we need to work on.” Weather has wreaked havoc on spring sports, and with this week’s rain submerging many golf courses, teams have struggled to get much action. Wednesday’s dual match was Warsaw’s third competitive match of the season, while it was Triton’s sixth. “Playing 18 holes is good, but we just need to play,” Carpenter said. “The weather’s been so bad this spring. Hitting balls outside, seeing the flight of the balls – we just haven’t been able to do it. The kids just aren’t getting into a rhythm. You have a couple nice days, then you’re able to play, but then you have some days when you can’t play. There’s only so much you can do inside.” One player looking to find a rhythm is Triton senior Quentyn Carpenter. Already signed to play at Ball State next season, Carpenter has struggled in the large invitationals, such as the Hall of Fame Invitational on April 6 and Spring Preview this past Saturday, but did well in a three-team Northern State Conference match at Bremen’s Sprig O’Mint Golf Course, shooting a one-under 35 on a cold, rainy April 10 night. In his latest outing, he earned medalist honors, shooting par with a 70. “He has not played well this spring, so to speak,” his coach/father said. “He had one good round at Sprig, and this is his best round by far. He’s not had a good rhythm with his swing, and it’s not because of lack of practice. It’s just rounds – getting to play.” After finishing 24th in the state finals as a sophomore, Quentyn Carpenter missed the cut to make the state finals last year. Signing with Ball State in the fall, he’s done well in national tournaments. Competing in Future Collegians World Tour events, he finished fourth at Cog Hill Country Club in Orlando, Fla. in October, as well as 15th at Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Course in Seaside, Calif. in late January. Despite that, he’s playing No. 2 on his high school team, behind Ryan Rapp. “Quentyn’s got to earn it,” Carpenter said. “My rule is, ‘You have to beat the guy in front of you two times in a row.’ This would be the second time for Quentyn, but I don’t know if I’ll let him play in front of him (tonight at Plymouth Country Club) or not. We’ll see.” Rapp has been Triton’s most consistent player, shooting a 75 at Rozella. “Ryan’s just played better this spring,” Carpenter said. “He’s a very capable player. They’re kind of like 1 and 1a, because they can both play the game. Ryan’s improved so much. He’s worked on his body, losing a lot of weight so he’s much more fit than he was last year.” Quentyn Carpenter’s last FCWT event was at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. during the first week of March. At that event, he finished 31st with a 158, while his future Ball State teammate Jon Schram, of Warsaw, was 11th with a 151. Schram finished Wednesday’s round with a 73, but wasn’t matched up with his future college teammate, because he was playing at No. 1, paired with Rapp, while Carpenter was in the No. 2 group. “He’s a workaholic, just like Jonathan Schram,” Carpenter said of Quentyn. “Sooner or later he’ll find it. Hopefully, tonight’s the beginning.” Schram’s 73 was the low score for Warsaw, as sophomore Jonny Hollar finished with a 78, followed by an 80 each from senior Tim Ahlersmeyer and junior Will Petro. Like Carpenter, Schram also has high aspirations for a state run, but has been more consistent in his senior campaign. In his team’s season opener, he finished in a second-place tie, involving Hollar, by shooting a 75 at the Hall of Fame Invitational at Peru’s Rock Hollow, then shot a par 72 at the Spring Preview at The Legends Golf Club in Franklin, finishing one stroke behind Hollar. “You expect those kinds of scores from him, because he’s a good player,” Barkey said of Schram. Despite Schram’s stellar scores, Barkey’s had the luxury of having Hollar right with him, which is the kind of depth other coaches dream about. Going six deep against Triton, Warsaw senior Evan Cultice and sophomore Brandon Eckert each shot an 82, while the JV was led by sophomore Ryan Cultice’s 77. “There’s a couple spots open that we’re looking at so we can make good decisions for the weekend and Tuesday,” Barkey said. Taking part in Saturday’s Wawasee Invitational at South Shore Golf Club in Syracuse, Warsaw will be the hands-down favorite to win its third-straight crown, but Barkey’s not as focused on claiming that title as he is with seeing his guys improve. “We’re really focusing in on individual player growth,” he said. “What do we need to do to make that player consistent. If invites and matches get in the way of our practices for getting them to be little bit better players during the season, that’s fine. It just gives us a test run to see how they’re doing.” Following today’s Match Play competition against Plymouth, the Trojans will look to defend its Marshall County title at Culver’s Mystic Hills Golf Club on Saturday. “We need to play well there,” Carpenter said about the weekend invitational. “We’ve won it four or five times in a row – I’m not sure how long it’s been. We do need to play well there, because that’s where the conference meet is (on May 18). We also have a huge CMA Invite there with 18 teams (on May 11). It’s a course we play a lot, so need to play it well.”
WARSAW 311, TRITON 313 (Rozella Ford G.C., Par 70) Medalist – Quentyn Carpenter (T) 70 Warsaw – Jon Schram 73, Jonny Hollar 78, Evan Cultice 82, Tim Ahlersmeyer 80, Will Petro 80, Brandon Eckert 82 Triton – Ryan Rapp 75, Carpenter 70, Tanner Shepherd 84, Lucas Shafer 84, Greg Music 88 Warsaw JV (351) – Ryan Cultice 77, Josh Ahlersmeyer 87, Jacob Foster 88, Reid Cameron 99, Curtis Archer 103
