Jay Co. ninth at SA Invite

GENEVA — The Patriots didn’t quite get the improvement they were hoping for.

Jay County High School’s girls golf team shot nine strokes higher than it did the day before in finishing ninth in the South Adams Invitational on Wednesday at Wabash Valley Golf Club.

Bellmont, which earned the title at its invitational Tuesday, made it two-for-two on the young season with its score of 398. Heritage was runner-up seven strokes behind the Braves, and Norwell placed third with 413.

Jay County shot 488 for ninth out of 10 teams, with Allen County Athletic Conference rival Adams Central last with 503.

Paityn Chapman led the Patriots with her round of 114, four strokes better than her season-opening round a day earlier. Her round included a birdie — the first of her career — on the 85-yard, par-3 ninth hole, and she made par on the 236-yard, par-4 fourth.

Maddy Snow was second for the Patriots, shooting a career-best 122. She made par on the 85-yard, par-3 12th hole. Janae Jacobs was three strokes behind her with 125, and Rosealynne Smith completed the team total with her score of 127.

Kristen Wendel, a senior, made her debut and shot 137, but her round did not factor into the team’s total.

Carley Rodenbeck of Heritage shot 88 to claim the individual championship.