The Warsaw Tigers played their best match of the season again, while the Wawasee Warriors were able to survive and advance.
As a result, both high school girls golf teams will play in Saturday's regional at Cobblestone Golf Course in Kendallville.Shooting a season-best 18-hole score of 355, the Tigers won Saturday's 10-team sectional at Stonehenge, finishing 12 strokes ahead of runner-up Plymouth and 20 strokes ahead of the third-place Warriors.
The top three teams, as well as the top three individuals not on an advancing team, will play in the 12-team regional at Cobblestone.
"This is a group of five girls," said Warsaw coach Bob Turner. "That's the way I've always coached. We're team oriented. Team comes first. I'm very pleased with the way we played today."
Following Warsaw (355), Plymouth (367) and Wawasee (375) were Culver Girls Academy (377), Rochester (388), Whitko (408), Columbia City (419), Tippecanoe Valley (442), Triton (453) and Caston (576).
"It's good to get out," Wawasee coach Scott DeHart said of his team advancing to the regional. "Taylor Goshert's score is icing on the cake. It's good to get out as a team. That was our goal, and we're going to play in the regional. Survive and advance, that's the name of the game."
Wawasee senior Taylor Goshert was the individual sectional champion with her round of 80.
"That's a great round," DeHart said of Goshert's performance. "She had a couple falters on the backside, but the backside is a little tougher than the front. She played a great round today. She's very competitive, and when things get tougher she buckles it up and goes after it."
Whitko's Kelsea Visalli finished second individually with an 83, while Rochester's Kelsi Posthuma, Warsaw's Audrey Petro and CGA's Frances Staadt tied for third with rounds of 85.
Visalli, Posthuma and Staadt advanced individually to the regional.
"I'm very happy for the girl from Whitko," said Turner. "I'm a believer that good things happen to good people. I'm really happy for her."
Turner was also very happy for his team, which turned its best 18-hole score of the season. In the final regular season match, the Tigers turned in their best 9-hole score of the season, a 178 at Stonehenge against Manchester.
In Saturday's sectional, Warsaw continued playing well, and along the way beat a number of teams that beat the Tigers earlier this season.
"A 355 is the best we've done all year," said Turner. "We're a small team. We only had six girls come out. Winning the sectional, this group is very special to me. We finished 4-3 in the conference, fifth place overall, and we played very well today against teams that beat us this season. We beat Wawasee, who won the conference, Plymouth, who was second in the conference, CGA who is great, and Whitko who beat us earlier this year. I'm very proud of these girls."
To go with Audrey Petro's 85, the Tigers got an 88 from Kayla Hutcherson, a 90 from Sarah Hartle and a 92 from Alyssa Cameron. Kristina Cripe rounded out the Tiger lineup with a 109.
Other scores for Wawasee included Krista Zurcher's 87, Cortney Rassi's 103, Paige Geer's 105 and Alexis Linnemeier's 116.
Meredith Craig led Tippecanoe Valley with a 106, while Bethany Shively carded Triton's best score, a 109.
Team scores - Warsaw 355, Plymouth 367, Wawasee 375, Culver Girls Academy 377, Rochester 388, Whitko 408, Columbia City 419, Tippecanoe Valley 442, Triton 453, Caston 576
Warsaw - Audrey Petro 85, Alyssa Cameron 92, Kayla Hutcherson 88, Sarah Hartle 90, Kristina Cripe 109
Wawasee - Taylor Goshert 80, Krista Zurcher 87, Paige Geer 105, Alexis Linnemeier 116, Courtney Rassi 103
Whitko - Kelsea Visalli 83, Sierra Doty 109, Danielle Graves 116, Taylor Snavley 102, Lauren Strandlund 1114
T. Valley - Samantha Summe 113, Amber Long 107, Amanda Clennon 116, Meredith Craig 106, Tori Carpenter 121
