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ROCHESTER - Even with a 4-11 overall season record, Tippecanoe Valley girls golf coach Roger Moriarty says he thinks his team can win the Three Rivers Conference.
Valley, the conference champ the past two years, got a taste of the TRC competition in a four-way match with Manchester, North Miami and Whitko Thursday at Rochester's Mill Creek Golf Course.
Rochester is the only other TRC school that plays golf. The Vikings will see the Zebras Tuesday.
Led by senior and match medalist Dorey Bungitak's 45, Manchester, 11-3 on the season, pulled out the win Thursday with a team score of 211. Whitko finished second with a 218, followed by North Miami with a 220 and Valley with a 226.
Other scores for Manchester included Miriel Speicher 45, Alexis Leininger 57, Lindsey Music 55 and Lindsay Hix 58.
"She had some trouble tonight," Manchester coach Gary Goshert said of Bungitak. "But her trouble isn't like other people's trouble. She wants to play at such a high level. She hit the ball solid, just too aggressive in her birdie putts, and that left her with some long finishing putts which she didn't make."
Kendra Koser and Trista Moyer led Valley with 53s. Freshman Hannah Ervin followed with a 58, while Jenni Yeiter finshed with a 62 and Kelly Moon shot a 63.
"The last time we played here we shot our season-best," Moriarty said. "On the year our average is a 237. I'm not displeased, I just thought we would do better on our home course."
In Valley's last appearance at Mill Creek, Koser shot a 47. In practice this week she shot a 41. Moyer's score Thursday was three strokes off her season average and was her season low.
And these are the reasons why Moriarty says his team can win the TRC for the third consecutive year.
"What a great competition match," Moriarty said of the four-way match. "It could be a close match for the conference title. We're the defending champs, and we're not far out of it. A stroke here and there, and we're down there with the others."
Whitko's 218 was its best team score of the year. Two Wildcats shot their career bests.
Angie Herron led Whitko with her season-best score of 49. Ashley Schrader turned in a 55, while Marla Rowland shot a 58 and Miranda Krider ended the nine-hole match with a 61. Beth Truman, Whitko's No. 5 golfer, shot a career-best 56.
Whitko's other career best came from JV player Emily Cripe, a first-year golfer, who shot a 50.
"It was just an awesome night for all of our girls," Whitko coach Jennifer Carr said. "I'm so happy and proud of all of them. Golf is a funny game, sometimes you have it and sometimes you don't. Tonight we had it. I am extremely happy for Angie who broke 50 for the first time, and Melissa who had a 50. She has really been playing well for a first-year golfer. We have come a long way and are certainly headed in the right direction."
And Whitko, which went through all of last season without a win and is now 4-5, is getting praise from its opponents.
"Whitko is shooting 60 strokes less than they were last year," Moriarty said. "They're turning their program around, I love that. Jennifer is doing a great job over there."
Brittany Eisenmenger led North Miami with a 53. Erin Neff followed with a 55, while Chrissy Hanson and Erin LaValley shot 56s.
Valley will be on the course again Tuesday at Peru Municipal Course with Maconaquah and Rochester. Manchester, which played three matches this week, will play West Noble Tuesday. Whitko will be off until Sept. 5, when it travels to Tippecanoe Valley again.
MANCHESTER 211, WHITKO 218, NORTH MIAMI 220, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 226
Manchester scores - Dorey Bungitak 45, Miriel Speicher 54, Alexis Leininger 57, Lindsay Music 55, Lindsey Hix 58
Tippecanoe Valley scores - Kendra Koser 53, Trista Moyer 53, Hannah Ervin 58, Jenni Yeiter 62, Kelly Moon 63
Whitko scores - Angie Herron 49, Ashlee Schrader 55, Marla Rowland 58, Miranda Krider 61, Beth Truman 56
North Miami scores - Chrissy Hanson 56, Erin LaValley 56, Erin Neff 55, Brittany Eisenmenger 53, Alissa Browning 88
