JCHS 8th in opener

While other teams are just starting practice this week, the high school girls golf season is already underway.

With just two practices under its belt, Jay County kicked off the 2009-10 high school sports season Monday with an eighth-place finish at the Richmond Invitational. The Patriots, who are in action today at the Monroe Central Invitational at Hickory Hills Golf Club, shot 444.

Hagerstown eked out the victory Monday over the host Red Devils thanks to the fifth-player tiebreaker. Both teams shot official scores of 358.

Connersville, one of Jay County's Olympic Athletic Conference rivals, was third at 361.

"They didn't get discouraged," said JCHS coach Butch Gray, who had only four players available for the opening tournament. "They just kept hanging in there and playing. They didn't let things bother them. ...

"I was real happy with what they did. They were an easy group to work with ..."

Abby Denney led the Patriots in their opening tournament of the season at Highland Lake Golf Course. She shot an even 100, just two strokes off the score she posted at the 2008 sectional.

Macey Gerber followed Denney with a 102. Brittany Stevens and Whitney Gray rounded out the team total with scores of 119 and 123 respectively.

Butch Gray, who has led the boys golf team since 2004 and is in his first season coaching the girls, said the key now is to make progress through the whirlwind start to the season. After starting practice Friday, the team played an 18-hole invitational Monday followed by another.

It will play three more 18-hole rounds before Aug. 12.

"The last few days have been a blur," said Gray. "I just want to see improvement. When we have Wednesday off we're going to work on some basic fundamentals.

"We only had two days of formal practice. ... They really don't get their swing going until midway through."

He will also have more players to work with as the first week goes on, with several returning from band or vacation. He said he expects one of those, Cara Garringer, to step into the No. 1 spot.

The junior scored a 99 at the 2008 sectional as she, Denney and then-senior Jennifer Hunt all fell just short of a regional berth. Kristen Springer of Norwell and Megan Gregory of North Side were the final two golfers to make it out of the sectional with scores of 97.

Gray said Garringer's finish last year would probably make her the team's best scorer to start the 2009 season.

"And she has been out and played this summer," he said. "She's strong off the tee. She hits it off the tee pretty darn well. ..."

Denney, also a junior, will join Garringer at the top of the Patriot line-up. In addition to her sectional score last season, she posted a 102 at the Olympic Athletic Conference Tournament and had the team's best score in its final dual meet of the year.

"She's pretty good off the tee," said Gray after watching Denney's first 18 holes of the year. "She's gotten better with the irons."

Gray said he expects Gerber, Stevens and his daughter Whitney to fill out his top five. Courtney Myers, Lisa Fennig and Emily Morris round out a fairly small roster, although more players could be added to the fold.

The group will have a tall task to repeat the team feats accomplished over the past two seasons. In both 2007 and 2008 Jay County finished with and 11-1 record, which is the best winning percentage (.917) in school history.

The previous best was 12-2 (.857) in 1990.

The Patriots finished fifth in the sectional last season, 11 strokes away from a regional berth. They have gone the last two years without an individual regional qualifier.

"By the end of the season, I'd like to see that we're competitive ... with our sectional," said Gray, noting the scores posted by Denney and Garringer a year ago. "If we can repeat that or improve a little bit we can maybe do something. It's going to be interesting."[[In-content Ad]]