2024 Jay County girls golf preview

Fast facts

•The Patriots’ top returning golfer, Maddy Snow, earned match medalist five times in 2023, made the First Team All-Allen County Athletic Conference and was seven strokes away from a regional berth.

•This will be Carissa Allred’s first year as Jay County’s head coach and the first year back since her tenure as an assistant under Butch Gray. 

•Bailey Towell is the only incoming golfer with competitive experience prior to this season. As an eighth grader, she averaged 42 strokes in six-hole matches and shot a 48 in the lone nine-hole match.

Projected lineup

Maddy Snow

Brooklynn Bright

Bailey Towell

Erin Aker

Jenna Bricker

Top returners

Maddy Snow

48.9 strokes/nine holes

Brooklynn Bright

61.2 strokes/nine holes

Matches to watch

Monday, Aug. 5, in South Adams Invite

The South Adams Invite is the first time during the season when the Patriots will play 18 holes and the first taste of the format they will have in the sectional.

Thursday, Sept. 5, at Muncie Central

In the past, Jay County hasn’t played at Crestview Golf Course until the sectional, but the addition of the Bearcats on the schedule gives it a chance before they hit the playoffs.

Saturday, Sept. 14, at ACAC Tournament

The Allen County Athletic Conference Tournament directly correlates to conference accolades based off of performance. It also provides one final tune up in an 18-hole match before the sectional later in the month.

2023 season

The Patriots struggled with numbers and consistency in last season, stumbling into a 2-10 record. By the end of the season, Jay County couldn’t field a full team resulted in the ACAC Tournament, a dual match against Southern Wells and the sectional ending in no contests, while Maddy Snow, Brooklynn Bright and Whitney McInitre competed as individuals. The only wins Jay County picked up came against Monroe Central and Adams Central on back-to-back days in late August. While the Patriots didn’t qualify  as a team, Snow and Bright finished out strong with their best performances of the season in 18-hole matches.

Coach Carissa Allred says

“I was really nervous entering this year as the head coach, because our numbers have been low in the past to where we actually haven’t had an official full team. ... I was able to get some older students willing to enter the program who have never golfed before, but I have seen huge improvements over the summer.  So my main goal for this year is to just continue to increase the number of golfers that are a part of the program. If we don’t have numbers, we won’t have a full team and we’re not competitive.”'