A few strokes short

MUNCIE — Erin Aker opened her season with a 119.

Her best 18-hole round heading into the sectional was a 106.

In the past few weeks, though, something has clicked. That led to the best round of her career.

Aker, a Jay County High School junior, played a steady round Saturday at Crestview Golf Club, recording seven pars en route to a career-best score of 94 in the sectional tournament that left her just three strokes shy of a regional berth.

“I’ve really just been practicing and concentrating,” said Aker. “And just relaxing when I go up to hit. It’s been going pretty good.”

Her round paced the Patriots, who finished seventh out of nine scoring teams with 471. They were four strokes behind sixth-place Daleville.

Yorktown, coached by Jay County graduate Nathan McClung, took the team title with a 325. Monroe Central (338), led by individual champion Lucy Huston (76), and Delta (363) earned the other two team berths to the regional.

Kingsley Southard (87) of Burris, Hayden Browning (90) of Wes-Del and Audrey Capes (91) of Daleville earned the individual regional berths. (The top three teams and top three individuals not on advancing teams move on to the next round.)

“I’m really pleased with how the girls shot today,” said JCHS coach Carissa Allred. “We’ve had a few major improvements and some career accomplishments.

“Erin shot under 50 for both nine holes, making it under 100 … which is a huge accomplishment.”

“And then (Alexa Ridenour), who only had one year under her belt in junior high golf, she broke even with 100. And she shot her career low of 46 (for nine holes).”

After a slow start — the Patriots began their day on the back nine — that saw her at 6-over-par through the first three holes, Aker got her day on track with a par on the 300-yard, par-4 13th hole. It was the first of three pars in the final six holes that got her to the turn with a 47.

The junior added pars on the second and third holes and needed another one on No. 9 to match the score she posted on the front. Her first shot landed on the front-left portion of the green, leaving her a lengthy uphill putt for a potential birdie. She rolled her try to within 2 feet and then finished off the par for her 94.

“I hit all my drives pretty straight,” said Aker. “My irons were pretty good.”

Allred said she’s seen Aker’s game reach a new level recently, including her career-best nine-hole score of 45 on Sept. 16 against Southern Wells.

“Erin has been hitting the ball hard and far and straight. It has been the last three weeks that this has happened. …

“She’s one- or two-putting. That’s huge.”

The tournament served as a learning experience for the rest of the team, as Aker was the only returning player from the 2024 squad that competed in Saturday’s tournament. (Bailey Towell missed most of the season, including the sectional, with an injury.)

Alexa Ridenour, who like Aker started the year with a 119 in the South Adams Invitational, showed her improvement with a 100. Her highlight was consecutive pars on a trio of par fours — the 320-yard fifth, 221-yard sixth and 376-yard seventh. They keyed her 46 on the front nine after shooting 54 on the back.

“Erin and Alexa both did not lose a single ball today,” said Allread. “That means no penalty shots. If you can walk away with no penalty shots, you know you’re going to have a decent score.”

Elizabeth Brunswick, a sophomore in her first year as a golfer, finished with a 105 that included a par on the 395-yard, par-4 12th hole. Reny Lingo posted the final score toward the Patriots’ team total with a 118.

Taven Bentley was just one stroke behind Lingo.

“We had a lot of gains today,” said Allred, who will not lose anyone to graduation. “And I truly expect that the way the girls were smiling when they saw these scores that they’re gonna start in June with those same scores and just continue to grow.

“I look forward to next year.”