Jay golfers runner-up, SA 6th

CELINA, Ohio – It was a foregone conclusion Heritage was heavily favored.

It was defending a title and had already won the round robin championship.

Where the rest of the teams placed behind them turned out to be the biggest surprise.

The Jay County High School girls golf team was runner-up to Heritage on Monday while South Adams placed sixth in the Allen County Athletic Conference tournament at Celina Lynx Golf Club.

“Pleasantly surprised with the way the team shot, but that's right about where we've been,” said JCHS coach Butch Gray. The Patriots shot 219, while Heritage won the nine-hole tournament – it was postponed from Saturday because of unplayable conditions – with 198.

“Happy for the girls,” Gray added.

South Adams coach Seth Sprunger, whose Starfire team beat every conference team but Heritage during the regular season, was upset at his team's 253 and sixth-place finish.

“The conditions were not ideal by any stretch, but certainly hoped for better in terms of the team score,” he said, mentioning the soggy wet playing conditions following three days of rain. “We beat all of these teams head-to-head all year, then to finish sixth it's obviously a disappointing finish.”

Abby Sheehan of Heritage shot 44 for the individual championship and earn first team all-conference honors. Shayla Welch, who led the Starfires with a 52, won a tiebreaker to finish fifth and be named to the first team all-ACAC. Jay County Mackenzie Parks also had 52 and was sixth to make the first team.

The top seven individual scores get named to the first team while places eighth through 14th were second team.

“Shayla played well,” Sprunger said. “Had a couple holes that she'd love to do over again but she played pretty well.”

Welch did make par twice, first on the par-3 third hole and again on the par-4 fifth.

Parks, a junior, was consistent in shooting her 52 as she only had one triple bogey and was either 1- or 2-over par on the other eight holes.

Jay County's Abby Huey was one stroke behind Parks but placed 10th because of a tiebreaker. Eden Basford and Sierra Caster both tied with rounds of 57 to complete the team score.

Basford grabbed the final second team all-conference spot because of a tiebreaker, and Caster also got a ribbon to finish honorable mention.

“Very happy for those girls,” Gray said. “Nice springboard going into sectional coming Saturday. Just hope we can build on it going on.”

Millie Gaskill of South Adams began her round by making par on the first hole but struggled the rest of the way as she shot 58. Maggie Evans (67) and Katie Stiltner (76) rounded out the Starfires' team total.

“I tried to get the girls to not dwell on the past too much; try to learn from it, try to get things better for the next night,” Sprunger said. “We have too much to look forward to to dwell too much on tonight.”