August 6, 2019 at 10:04 p.m.

Two place in top 15

Jay County girls golf opened season Tuesday in Bellmont Invitational
Two place in top 15
Two place in top 15

Copyright 2019, The Commercial Review

All Rights Reserved

By CHRIS SCHANZ

The Commercial Review

DECATUR — Playing a few members down, the Patriots had to open their season focusing on individual successes.

Two were honored for their efforts.

A pair of Jay County High School girls golfers placed in the top 15 Tuesday as they began their 2019 campaign in the Bellmont Invitational at Cross Creek Golf Club.

“I thought the three girls represented themselves very well,” said JCHS coach Butch Gray, who did not have enough players to qualify for a team score. Squads are allowed to play with five golfers, and the four lowest scores comprise a team’s total. “I’m not unhappy with their scores. In the past, scores have, as the year goes on, seem to go down as they get more practice and playing time.”

Host Bellmont shot 390 to win the seven-team tournament. Adams Central shot 423 for second, and Norwell placed third with 434. Bluffton (442) and Garrett (453) rounded out the top five.

South Adams only had three golfers as well and did not post a team total.

Junior Abby Huey paced things for the Patriots by shooting a 107 for 13th overall. She began her round on the 400-yard 18th hole, and was even on the par 5. Huey made par three more times, the most of any Patriot, including the par-3 third and par-4 fifth holes.

It matched her career-low she set in the sectional tournament a season ago.

Makenzie Parks, one of two seniors on the squad, was two strokes behind and finished 15th overall. As the team’s No. 1 golfer, Parks had a half dozen bogeys and just as many double-bogeys. 

Huey and Parks both received ribbons for their accomplishment.

Raquel Wehrly finished with par three times on her way to 110.

Because Jay County was going to be one player shy of competing as a full team, Gray simply told the girls they had to focus on themselves and play the course, not necessarily the opponents in the same group.

“Try to beat the course,” he said. “That is probably the only thing I talked about.”

About midway through the round, a steady rain blanketed the course, causing the pace of play to slow down a bit. That, Gray said, was about the only effect the precipitation had on the tournament.

“I think they handled the rain pretty well,” he said. “Looked like they were all prepared.”

The Patriots are an eight-member team, but prior obligations and illnesses prevented others from making their season debut Tuesday.

Eden Basford, who was showing animals at the Indiana State Fair, and Tea Nichols both return for their senior seasons. Basford was regularly the team’s low scorer as a junior, and Nichols spent most of the season playing junior varsity.

Erika Heitkamp is back as a junior with sectional experience, Jacqueline Smith is back as well, and her freshman sister Rosealynn rounds out the team.

Gray is hopeful this squad, which only graduated one senior, can continue to improve as the season goes on much like it did last year.

“I always tell them we’re not going to start the year like we finish,” he said. Jay County was fourth in the sectional last season and runner-up in the Allen County Athletic Conference meet. “I thought we finished the year strong, so maybe we can, you know, make a little run at the conference stuff.”
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