Prep roundup for Monday, Sept. 27
Sep. 27—Western's girls golf team is headed back to the IHSAA State Finals after the Panthers posted a composed 356 Saturday at Battle Ground G.C. to take second place at the Lafayette Jeff Regional.
The top three teams at the regional along with the top five players not on advancing teams reach state and the Panthers will head to Carmel's Prairie View G.C. on Friday for the two-day state meet with a couple familiar faces alongside. Tipton senior Lucy Quigley was second overall and the top individual advancer in booking her third straight trip to sate. And Northwestern senior Audrey Koetter tied for fourth overall and took the third individual spot at state.
Elizabeth Mercer led Western with a 78, tied with Koetter for fourth overall. Kylee Duncan and Ava Williamson each shot 91 for the Panthers and Chloe Barker shot 96.
"[Scores] 2, 3 and 4, all the scores were real tight — 91, 91, 96. We squeezed them in and [Natalie Nutt's] 97 was our fifth score. No one shot over 100," Western coach Steve Hoppes said. "Elizabeth shot a little off to be honest with you with a 78, but team-wise it was a complete team thing getting your scores together like that."
The Panthers did well in challenging conditions.
"It was a rough course [Saturday]," Hoppes said. "Eighteen teams and 18 individuals, that's a bunch, and only five girls broke 80. It got a little windy. Friday morning it rained more over there than it did here, we could tell as we were driving over there. Course was fine, but it was wet and you got no roll. It played every bit of [5,600 yards].
"They just said, 'Well, we've got to hit it a little harder maybe, or chip a little better.' They handled it well."
The Panthers are making their second straight trip to state, with an experienced crew.
"To be honest with you, that's all we set our goal on this year, because so many of them went last year. Four girls on this team played in the state finals last year," Hoppes said. "The only one who hasn't been to the state finals is Chloe.
"They all got a taste of it and said they want to go back. There were 15 teams last year and we got 15th. We know where we stand and we'd like to knock off a couple teams. Elizabeth, she can be in contention to be in the top 10."
Culver Academies took first in the 18-team regional with a score of 328. Crown Point took the last team spot in state with a 363, one shot better than Valparaiso. Maconaquah was fifth with a 370, seven off an advancing spot. Northwestern was 13th with a 387. Culver Academies' Yilang Zhang was medalist with a one-over 73, a shot ahead of Tipton's Quigley.
"Lucy had a tremendous round and really showed her experience," Tipton coach Jason Bales said. "She didn't get into a great deal of trouble, but when she did, she seemed to always have an answer.
"Her punch shots on 7 and 12 were simply incredible. She sank putts when she needed to. [She had] 15 pars and a birdie in that wind. She was tough all around [on Saturday]."
Audrey Koetter's first trip to state was powered by a strong opening nine holes.
"It was fantastic," NW coach Kurt Koetter said of the round. "It was up and down honestly. After the first nine holes she was one under par. So she had a nine-hole score of 35 and turned for the second nine and shot 43. She believed she may have blown her opportunity so to make it out to state, she was pretty relieved and excited."
The Tiger coach said Audrey Koetter putted well to get to regional.
"On her first nine she had 11 putts for nine holes," he said. "Her short game definitely saved her first nine. She hit the ball well and then the second nine the wind picked up and it just got tough out there. There were times where it was a two- or three-club wind."
Also for Northwestern on Saturday, Jocelyn Smith and Berkley Wray shot 99s, and Maranda Padfield shot 111.
Ava Snyder led Maconaquah with an 87, followed by Kianna Sharp at 91, Daisy Williams at 94 and Miranda Stoll at 98.
Two more local individuals wrapped up their seasons at the regional. Kokomo's Elizabeth Lytle shot 87 and Eastern's Cora Bartrum shot 100.
FOOTBALL
KOKOMO 56, S.B. WASH. 6
Plez Lawrence scored five touchdowns to highlight the Wildkats' 56-6 rout of South Bend Washington at South Bend.
Lawrence also converted a pair of two-point conversions for a total of 34 points.
QB Evan Barker, backup QB Andrew Barker and Devon Thomas also had touchdowns for the Kats, who improved to 5-1.
BOYS SOCCER
CARROLL 4, RENSSELAER 2
Owen Duff scored two goals and Mason Ray and Aydrial Taylor added a goal apiece in the Cougars' 4-2 victory over visiting Rensselaer. Noah Falkenberg dished three assists and Owen Wise had one assist. Cohen Miller had eight saves in goal.
Duff pushed his season goal total to 30, which is a school record.
Carroll (11-2-1) hosts Logansport on Tuesday.
KATS 5TH IN NCC
Kokomo beat Muncie Central 4-1 and beat Lafayette Jeff 9-0 in games at Muncie to earn a fifth-place finish in the North Central Conference tournament.
MAC WINS INVITE
Maconaquah beat Winamac and Michigan City Marquette Catholic to win Winamac's four-team invitational.
Against Winamac, it was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation. The game went straight into a shootout and the Braves prevailed 3-2 with goals from Kevin Nord, Isaac Lorenz and Zach Sparks. Lorenz had the Braves' goal in regulation.
Maconaquah then beat Marquette Catholic 2-0 to win the title. Lorenz and Bauer Maple scored the Braves' goals.
The Braves (7-3) visit Manchester today for a Three Rivers Conference match.
BOYS TENNIS
WILDKAT INVITE
Peru beat Marion 5-0 and beat Kokomo 4-1 to win Kokomo's invitational.
Singles platers Ian Potts, Ben Beckman and Gavin Eldridge and the doubles duo of Jackson Rogers and Lucas Slagel all had 2-0 days for the Bengal Tigers.
Peru finished the regular season with a 16-1 record and the Three Rivers Conference title. The Bengal Tigers will host a sectional beginning Wednesday.
GIRLS SOCCER
KATS 6TH IN NCC
Kokomo concluded North Central Conference tournament play Saturday with a pair of matches at Logansport. First, Kokomo beat Muncie Central 5-0. Next, Logansport beat Kokomo 4-0 in the fifth-place game.
Against Muncie, Kate Mayfield scored two goals for the Kats and Emily Riggle and Nicole Burdette scored once each. The Kats' other goal came on a Bearcat own goal.
Against Logansport, Kokomo trailed only 1-0 at halftime, but the Berries pulled away in the second half.
BOYS XC
CULVER AC. INVITE
Maconaquah led the local continent, taking 12th in the 28-squad small school division of the multi-state Culver Academies Invitational with a score of 353, placing three runners in the top 20. Isaiah Wittenberg finished sixth (17:02), Kaden Miller was 16th (17:49) and Daylen Schrock two seconds behind for 17th (17:51).
Northwestern was 13th (360) with Caden Lechner taking 37th (18:20) and Gunnar LaShure 39th (18:23).
Eastern was 20th (534). James Webster led the Comets in 82nd (19:24). Carroll was 21st (5:47). Eli Harshbarger led the Cougars in 54th (18:41). Peru was 27th (638). Aiden Stewart led the Bengals in 76th (19:15).
Madeira (Ohio) won the small school team race with a score of 132.
Kokomo was 19th out of 21 teams in the large school division with a score of 583. Collin Keesling led Kokomo, taking 64th (17:45). Mason (Ohio) won the team race with a score of 24, putting all five scoring runners in the top 10.
GIRLS XC
CULVER AC. INVITE
Western had the top finish among local squads at Culver Academies, taking fourth in the 24-team small school division. The Panthers scored 189 with Hattie Harlow finishing 24th (21:25), Maddy Shoaff taking 25th (21:24), Lauren Bradley 35th (21:45), Destiny Herr 50th (22:11) and Cam Caldwell 55th (22:22).
Maconaquah was 10th (235) with Abby Jordan finishing third in 19:55. Cass was 13th (370) with two runners in the top 20. Makenna Leicht finished fourth for the Braves (20:00) and Liberty Scott was 14th (20:40).
Northwestern finished 16th (459) with Hannah Moore taking first place overall in 19:08. Eastern was 18th (486) and had Eva Kantz take 38th (21:53). Carroll was 23rd (559), led by Anna Goodrich in 26th (21:24).
West Lafayette won the small school team race with a score of 94.
Kokomo was 20th (591) in the 22-team large school race. Julynne Spidell led the Wildkats in 19th (20:27). Mason (Ohio) won the team competition with a score of 54.
