Starfires repeat as ACAC champs

GENEVA — Without the best golfer the program has ever had, the Starfires were looking for a way to move on after the Sydney Willis era.
Willis, a two-time state qualifier and NCAA Division I golfer, carried the team throughout her career in Berne.
Monday, the Starfires turned the page.
The South Adams High School girls golf team was the only squad to shoot sub-200 in winning the Allen County Athletic Conference tournament at Golf Club of the Limberlost.
It was the second title in as many seasons for the Starfires, who totaled 198. Southern Wells was the runner-up with 207 and Heritage — it was crowned ACAC round robin champion — was third with 211. The tournament was postponed from Saturday because of inclement weather and was reduced to a nine-hole round.
“From top to bottom everybody played what we needed to play or better,” said SAHS coach Seth Sprunger.
Sophomore Katie Gorrell led the Starfires with a 45, finishing third overall. Teammate Becah Schwartz shot a 48 for fifth, Allyson Schwartz had a career-best 51 to place seventh and Selina Jones shot a 54 for 15th.
Gorrell and Becah Schwartz were named to the all-ACAC first team, an honor that went to the top six players. Those finishing seventh through 12th were given second-team recognition.
“Allyson Schwartz came up huge tonight,” Sprunger added. “If Allyson doesn’t have this night we have no chance.”
Allyson Schwartz, a sophomore, tied for the team-best by making par on two holes, the 255-yard, par-4 first hole and the 236-yard, par-4 fourth. Gorrell also made par twice and had one birdie.
“We’ve seen matches like Becah and Kaiti,” said Sprunger, noting that the two of them had been the top two golfers all season. What he was most pleased about was Allyson Schwartz finishing with her career-low to help bring the team score down.
Leading the way for Jay County were seniors Cassie Reno and Madison Brown. They had identical scores of 53 — so did Karlee Fackler of Heritage — but because of tiebreakers Reno was ninth, Fackler 10th and Brown 11th.
“The last couple weeks we’ve been shooting this type of score,” said Butch Gray, Jay County’s coach. The Patriots matched their season high total for a nine-hole round.
“We are staying right about there,” Gray said.
Carlie Wickey was third on the team and 16th overall for the Patriots with her score of 56, and Kendra Dodd was one place behind with 57 on a course with wet, slow fairways and exceptionally fast greens.
“I’m not unhappy with them but I thought we could have done better,” said Gray, whose team hosts Blackford and Southern Wells tonight before the sectional tournament at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Crestview Golf Course in Muncie.
Also competing for South Adams was Katie Stiltner, who shot a career-best 59 for 21st overall. Jay County’s Madalyn Garringer was 30th with a 75.