Tribe clinches first share of MAC golf title

The Indians have never won a Midwest Athletic Conference title before.

Their match on Monday guaranteed that will change this year.

The Fort Recovery High School girls golf team took down the St. John’s Bluejays 191-213 at Portland Golf Club to secure at least a share of the MAC title with the Minster Wildcats.

Olivia Knapke tied her career best and earned match medalist honors for the fifth time this year by shooting a 43.

Mallory Evers followed with the second-best score of 47 strokes.

Evvie Briner put up a 49 out of the sixth position for the Indians (11-2, 7-0 MAC). Briner tied St. John’s leader, Faith Cross.

Emma Will and Georgia Wenning both provided the final score of 52 strokes.

Eva Kahlig’s 54 didn’t affect the final.

The junior varsity team also won 218-246. Ella Schoen blew the competition away with a 46.

Doubles dominate

MUNCIE — The Jay County boys tennis team picked up its second win of the year as it took down the Muncie Central Bearcats 4-1 on Monday.

Both doubles teams gave up a total of 5 games. Alex Miller and Kaden Carpenter claimed the No. 1 doubles match 6-2, 6-3 over Matt Ryer and James Sue. Meanwhile, the No. 2 doubles contest was claimed 6-3, 6-2 by Blake Kahlig and Jacob Monroe over Alex Navarro-Cortez and Elijah Phillips.

Eli Dirksen cruised to his fourth win of the year at the No. 1 singles position. He defeated Treyson Michelini 6-1, 6-2.

Both the No. 2 and 3 singles matches came down to a tie breaker.

Tucker Griffin pulled out a 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 10-7 victory over Caleb Byrn in the No. 2 singles contest, while Gabe Pinkerton fell 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 10-4.

Spikers roll

FORT RECOVERY — Fort Recovery’s volleyball team took down the Celina Bulldogs 16-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-18 on Monday on a big day from Karlie Niekamp.

The senior notched 14 kills in the match to lead the Indians (6-3). She also had a team-high three blocks.

Cameron Muhlenkamp also managed double-digit kills with 11 put downs. She topped her team with 19 digs as well. Her older sister, Kennedy Muhlenkamp, finished with nine kills and 13 digs.

Despite only four aces — two from Cameron Muhlenkamp and Bridget Homan — FRHS had a strong day at the service line, getting 83-of-86 attempts in the court. Kayla Heitkamp and Kenna Dues led the way with 18 serves each without committing an error.

Heitkamp assisted the Indians hitters 30 times. She also added nine digs and three kills.

First loss

The Jay County boys soccer team suffered its first loss on Monday when Allen County Athletic Conference foe Heritage took over for a 5-2 win.

Levi Muhlenkamp scored both goals for the Patriots (5-1, 1-1 ACAC). The initial score came in the first half when the senior striker got a through ball from Aryan Montes to tie the game at 1-1.

Muhlenkamp managed to score in the second half on a penalty kick in the 22nd minute.

Heritage (3-2-1 ,1-0 ACAC) struck early with the first goal of the match and bounced back from Muhlenkamp’s first score for two more before the intermission. It also netted the final two goals.

Sai Po La led Heritage with three goals and an assist, while Twa Rit found the net twice.

In his first full game in the goal, Raif Beiswanger made 10 saves, while allowing the five balls past.

Tribe tumbles

DELPHOS, Ohio — The Fort Recovery boys golf team fell 163-173 to the St. John’s Bluejays at Delphos Country Club on Monday.

Reece LeFevre led the way with a 38 for the Indians (6-5, 4-4 MAC), tying St. John’s Tyce McClain for match medalist honors. LeFever never shot worse than a bogey and made par six times.

Keegan Muhlenkamp followed with a 41 in a round powered by a birdie, two pars and five bogeys. Caleb Smith added 44 strokes that included four pars, while Mason Diller rounded out the team score with a 50.

Eli Lennartz and Colson Post both shot 52s that didn’t affect the final. Despite being the first match Lennatz didn’t score in for the 2024 season, he matched Muhlenkamp with a birdie on the par-3 second hole.