The Tippecanoe Valley boys golf team nabbed the Three Rivers Conference championship Saturday at Rozella Ford Golf Club in Warsaw. Shooting a four-man score of 332 on the par-70 course, the Vikings claimed its third TRC title in five years, with Whitko winning last year and 2011. “These kids have worked hard,” Valley head coach Roger Moriarty said. “We didn’t start our season out real strong. We’ve changed some things, mixing up our top five and challenging some of our seniors. It’s nice to see them come through and get the win.” Senior Tanner Neeley led the Vikings with a 77, earning the medalist honors for the tournament by defeating Whitko’s Daniel Zawlocki in a two-hole playoff. Neeley has been Valley's No. 2 golfer this season, but has narrowed the gap on junior Bryce Zimpelman, who shot an 80, which was tied for the third-best score of the day. “Tanner is on a roll right now,” Moriarty said. “He has played extremely well the last two weeks. I think Bryce went out on a 15-, 16-stroke lead on him (on the season), in total strokes, and it was down to a six-stroke difference last week. They’re averaging 41.36 and 41.86, before this (tournament). It’s pretty much even. “He and Bryce, this goes back to junior high, they would push each other all year long,” he added. “I love to see how it goes the rest of the year, because it will be tight. It’s a nice problem to have.” Along with Neeley and Cumberland pushing Valley to the top, the team also benefitted from a penalty to Northfield's No. 1 golfer, Braydon Schindler, leading to a disqualification. Without its No. 1 player, Northfield finished 12 strokes behind Valley with a 344, tied with Rochester, but fell to third on a fifth-player score. The defending TRC-champion Whitko Wildcats were fourth with a 352 and Manchester placed fifth with a 378. Along with Zawlocki placing second, Whitko’s Cole Bechtold earned all-conference honors with an 83, good for sixth place individually. Manchester’s Connor Eichenauer was also an all-conference performer, placing seventh with an 85. For the championship team, Valley sophomore Trevor Neeley had an 87, sophomore Cole Cumberland shot an 88 and senior Ben Shriver finished with a 90. And while the five players helped bring a TRC title back to Valley, Moriarty says the lineup isn’t set in stone, as the Vikings return to Rozella for the June 6 sectional. “Is this the team that will play in the sectional? I can’t tell you that right now, because I have two kids at home right now that were disappointed that they weren’t playing today,” he said. “You better keep playing if you want to play (at the sectional). There’s three weeks until the sectional, and you better play, because we’ve got some kids that are challenging. As a coach, my responsibility is to put the five players out there that are playing the best at that time.” His team’s 332 may have been good enough for a TRC title, but Moriarty is aware that it won’t be good enough to for a top three finish at the sectional, which would advance the Vikings on to the regional. “Warsaw shot a 311 out here (May 7 at the Joe Harris Shootout) and Plymouth was three strokes behind them,” Moriarty said. “Columbia City is (also) tough and Triton is tough. A 332 is wonderful, but it won’t get it.”
THREE RIVERS CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS Team Scores – 1. Tippecanoe Valley 332, 2. Rochester 344, 3. Northfield 344, 4. Whitko 352, 5. Manchester 378, 6. Southwood 388, 7. Wabash 423 (Rozella Ford G.C., Par 70) Top 10 – 1. Tanner Neeley (TV) 77, 2. Daniel Zawlocki (Wh) 77, 3. (tie) Bryce Zimpelman (TV), Austin Trump (N) 80, 5. Andrew Eckerley (N) 82, 6. Cole Bechtold (Wh) 83, 7. Connor Eichenauer (M), Killian Bailey (R), Aaron Orr (R) 85, 10. Jackson Sawyer (R) 86. Valley – Zimpelman 80, Ta. Neeley 77, Trevor Neeley 87, Ben Shriver 90, Cole Cumberland 88. Rochester – Bailey 85, Orr 85, Luke Cannedy 88, Sawyer 86, Markis Smiley 103. Northfield – Braydon Schindler (DQ), Eckerley 82, Trump 80, Caleb Kroh 88, Austin Burns 94. Whitko – Zawlocki 77, Bechtold 83, Will Peters 91, Matt Hathaway 113, Tim Gensch 101. Manchester – Eichenauer 85, Noah Cain 90, Xzavier Whitaker 94, Rainer Borgmann 109, Eli Shaum 131. Southwood – Casey Huston 94, Paul Farlow 106, Keaton Boyer 93, Hunter Law 95, Steve Matz 110. Wabash – Josh Provance 93, Brodie Hough 94, Aaron Hartley 97, Travis Easthorn 139.
