Season-best at sectional

MUNCIE — Butch Gray had been searching for his perfect lineup all season.

It seems the same five players were never in the same spot from one match to the next.

With his lineup finally set, one player set a new career best Saturday as the Jay County High School girls golf team had its year come to a close by finishing eighth in the IHSAA girls golf sectional at Crestview Golf Course.

“It’s nice to peak at the end,” said JCHS coach Butch Gray, whose team shot a season-low 452. Delta won the team championship with 374, ahead of Muncie Central (384) and Wapahani (400). The top three teams and top three players not on qualifying teams advance to the Lapel regional on Saturday.

“Got to look at it as we only lose one girl out of all that,” Gray added. “Maybe that can bode good things in the future.”

Jazzmine Howell, the lone senior on the squad, shot 112 to finish two strokes off her career best she set in the Allen County Athletic Conference tournament on Sept. 9. Howell, who had no varsity experience entering her final year on the team, made par once on her first nine holes and made the turn at 55. She made par twice more, including the par-5 second and the par-4 sixth, over her final nine holes.

“She was a pleasant surprise,” Gray said. Howell posted the second-best score for the Patriots.

Madalyn Garringer began the year as the only JCHS player to have played a varsity round, and she capped her junior season with a career-best 105 to lead the team.

Like Howell, she made par on the 405-yard second hole, and had the lowest nine-hole totals — 53 and 52 respectively — on the team. This came a week after she missed the ACAC tournament.

“She came back … shot her best,” Gray said, whose team is two years removed from its last regional appearance.

Sophomore Mackenzie Parks, who after the second round of the season played her way into the No. 1 position, was third on the team with 114. Jay County began its day on the 10th tee, and Parks struggled on her first nine holes to make the turn at 60. She rebounded to shoot 54 on her final nine holes to finish four strokes off her career best.

Abby Huey, a freshman, completed the Patriots’ team score with a 121, edging sophomore Eden Basford by one stroke.

It was a slow tournament, one that began with a damp, humid course and ended seven hours later with a bright overhead sun and a slow breeze. The Patriots had difficulty getting into a rhythm, often having to wait to tee off or to make their second shots because groups ahead of them were still on greens.

“I talked about how they had to adjust to the slow play,” Gray said. “I told them to walk slow. That is about typical for a sectional.”

At the same time, the wet greens played slower earlier in the round, but as the sun evaporated the water the greens got harder and the ball didn’t stick very well.

Some of the Patriots were unable to adjust correctly to the change in speeds. They left putts short early, and later in the round putts were zooming past the hole.

“I think the big thing was the greens dried out and got faster,” Gray said. “Of course they’re big greens. They’re not used to playing real big greens.”

Muncie Central’s Teddi Bishop was the individual champion with an 89.

Lauren Kimble (93) of Wes-Del, Bella LaPierre (94) of Yorktown and Becca Chamberlain (97) earned the three individual regional qualifying spots.