JCHS 2nd in OAC (09/16/2008)

ANDERSON - The Patriots picked a good time to post their best score. Now they hope to do it again Saturday.

With a season-best 18-hole score of 382 Monday, the Jay County High School girls golf team finished as the runners-up in the Olympic Athletic Conference tournament.

The score was 10 strokes better than the Patriots' previous best for 18th holes this year, and placed them second behind Connersville (354). Anderson Highland was a distant third at 426, and Muncie Southside was last at 512.

"We played some really good golf today," said JCHS coach Tom Ferguson, whose team plays in the sectional tournament Saturday at Bluffton's Timber Ridge Golf Course. "It's nice to see the girls shoot well in big matches."

Sophomore Cara Garringer and senior Jennifer Hunt each shot career-best scores to lead Jay County at Grandview Golf Course.

Garringer parred the fourth, fifth and sixth holes and finished with just one score worse the bogey on the front nine. She added two more pars and the Patriots' lone two birdies on the back nine to post an 87 and finish as the OAC runner-up.

Connersville's Sara Bernzott won the tournament with an 83, and her teammate Devyn Duncan was third at 88.

Hunt poured in four pars on the way to a front-nine 43, then added two more on the back to finish with a 91. She was fifth overall, one stroke behind Connersville's Lexie Crutchfield, as she and Garringer both earned All-OAC honors.

The top score for Highland was a 98 by Mandi Short, and Taryn Beckman led Southside with a 101.

Sophomore Abby Denney had three pars for JCHS, all on the back nine, as she shot 102. Senior Ivy Simons also scored a 102 with both of her pars coming on the front nine.

Rachel Osterholt also shot a career-best score for 18 holes, parring the 18th for a 104.

Jay County is now 30-14 overall and 9-1 in dual matches this season. It can tie the school winning percentage record with victories today over Southern Wells and Blackford.[[In-content Ad]]