Jay County places 5th

BLUFFTON - For the third straight season, the Patriots came up just a shot or two short.

Abby Denney and Cara Garringer each shot 95 at Saturday's sectional tournament hosted by Norwell at Timber Ridge Golf Course, coming just two strokes short of reaching the regional tournament. They led the Jay County High School girls golf team to a score of 404 as it finished fifth for the second straight season.

"It was the little things, a putt here a putt there," said JCHS coach Butch Gray. "Getting the ball up-and-down, the chipping and the putting."

South Adams' Tricia Crider qualified for the regional as she posted a 92, which was the second best among non-qualifying teams. The top three teams and top three other individuals advance to regional play.

Homestead won the tournament at 352 followed by Canterbury (369) and New Haven (376). Norwell finished fourth at 378, but got two individuals through with Kristen Springer (91) and Cassie Herndon (93).

South Adams was eighth in the 11-team field at 429.

Denney turned in a spectacular finish for the Patriots as her second shot on the 389-yard par-5 18th hole roled to the back-left corner of the green. Her eagle attempt went just about six inches to the left of the hole before she tapped in for a birdie.

The junior had a birdie chance again on the 18th hole as she tried a putt from the left fringe. She went just high of the hole and then nailed her 2-foot comeback putt for a par.

"It's a great finish," said Gray of Denney, who shot 45 on the back nine after posting a 50 on the front. "She didn't back off. She just kept grinding and got to where she was hitting it pretty good."

Denney had two other pars in her round along with the closing par on 18, and also added six bogeys.

Garringer had four pars before hitting her chip to within a few feet of the pin on her third shot on the 18th hole. She hit her putt for her fifth par of the day to go along with six bogeys.

"I think they figured out to play the game that they have, rather than try to do things that they can't do," said Gray of Denney and Garringer, who also played well at the Olympic Athletic Conference tournament to earn all-conference honors. "They just played within themselves, did things the way they could ... And they got a little bit better at their putting and their chipping."

Denney missed a regional berth by just one stroke last season, as did then-senior Jennifer Hunt, and Garringer was one stroke short. In 2007 Trisha Champ missed by one stroke, and Hunt was two strokes off the pace.

For South Adams, Crider had a chance to be in the top five in the sectional before taking a 10 on the 449-yard, par-5 14th hole.

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She didn't let the hiccup hurt her, parring two of the next three holes and finishing with seven pars and six bogeys.

Macey Gerber of the Patriots got off to a great start with two pars and two bogeys in her first five holes. She added thre emore bogeys to shoot a team-best 46 on the front nine.

She added four bogyes on the back nine and finished at 101.

"Macy had a great front side," said Gray. "If she improves her short game she could be pretty darn good because she hits the ball a long way and she can hit it out of trouble."

Brittany Stevens rounded out the JCHS team score with a 113 as she gutted out her round on the back nine. Playing with a left knee injury, she dragged her leg along though the final stretch and came up with her lone par on the 331-yard, par-4 16th hole.

Whitney Gray had four bogeys as she shot 121.

"I thought the girls were just starting to get where they were playing well, and now the season is over," said Gray, who will return all five players next season. "They've practiced hard and worked at getting batter. Hopefully things are looking up."[[In-content Ad]]