Jay tops visiting AH

The Patriots are hoping Monday's results can be the start of a good run.

Jay County High School's girls golf team opened its dual-meet season with a 205-222 victory over the Anderson Highland Scots at Portland Golf Club.

"Any time you beat a conference opponent that's nice," said JCHS coach Butch Gray, whose team is 15-4 in its last two invitationals and Monday's meet combined. "I'm happy with the way the girls are playing."

Junior Cara Garringer put up the low score for the Patriots against Highland, recording her two pars in the final four holes. She played even on the 401-yard, par-4 sixth hole and then crushed a drive down on the 348-yard, par-4 ninth.

Her second shot on the final hole of the evening landed in the rough just to the right of the green and she got up-and-down for her second par to earn medalist honors with a 48.

Emily Parker was the low scorer for the Scots with a 52.

Abby Denney, also a junior, got of to a solid start with bogeys on one, three and four. Her tee shot on the 113-yard, par-3 second hole landed on the fringe the top-left corner of the green and she used a pair of putts to record her lone par of the day.

She added bogeys on the sixth and fourth holes to post a 50.

Both Garringer and Denney scored at their 2008 nine-hole averages - 47.9 and 50.6 respectively - and their numbers could have been better if not for some penalty strokes. The water on the dogleg seventh hole caught both of them.

Gray said avoiding penalties is something he expects his team to improve on, especially in the next week.

The Patriots have a chance to put together a good run as they are scheduled to play on their home course four times in a span of eight days. That includes tonight's meet against Union, followed by home duals against Muncie Southside Thursday and South Adams Aug. 25.

Each of their final seven matches before the sectional will be on the road.

"Don't hit in the water. Don't hit it out of bounds. That kind of thing," said Gray of the things his top several golfers learned from their round. "They're going to know the course so they should stay away from penalty strokes and be smart when they play the game."

Junior Macey Gerber turned in the best shot of the day for Jay County, hitting her third shot on the sixth hole to right next to the cup. She finished off for the team's only birdie of the day.

She also had three bogeys on the way to a 51.

Gray said a big key for his players has been the ability to put a bad hole behind them. Denney and Gerber both struggled on the seventh hole, but bounced back with strong finishes.

"That's the amazing thing," said Gray. "I've noticed that if they have a bad hole, 'OK, it's a bad hole, go on and play the next one."

Sophomore Brittany Stevens recorded back-to-back bogeys on the second and third holes. She also matched Garringer's effort on the ninth hole with a par on the way to rounding out the JCHS team score with a 56.

See Jay page 9

Continued from page 10

"Really the top four have been consistent," said Gray. "I think they want to get better. I think they want to learn ... I'm pleased.

"We'll get through all these meets in the next week or two and then maybe we can get into fine-tuning what they need to work on."

Whitney Gray and Alysia Fennig each totaled 67s. Cortney Myers shot 75, and Emily Morris posted a 77.[[In-content Ad]]