As much as 11 Johnson County girls golfers hoped to keep their seasons going, what transpired Saturday at The Legends Golf Club might have been more about next year.
No local teams or players made it out of the Roncalli Regional, which isn’t to say there wasn’t considerable value in an event that extended into the late afternoon in unseasonably steamy temperatures.
Franklin, which features four underclassmen, placed eighth with a score of 362. Center Grove with no seniors in its lineup was four shots back in ninth place.
Individually, Center Grove junior Lucy Young came within four shots of advancing to the State Finals with a 43-40—83. Whiteland junior Bri Harwell (42-43—85) and Franklin freshman Olivia Parramore (41-44—85) also played well.
“Basically, all you have to do is keep your head in the game, and mine just really wasn’t really in the game the first nine,” Harwell said. “Last year we made it as a team regional. This gives me more experience as an individual.
“It makes me realize that I need to be more self-dependent. With your team there you have all that support, and today it felt like there was an absence there.”
Franklin coach Chris Kacarab said he’ll miss the presence of his No. 1 player, senior Avery Auton (47-43—90), but believes the Grizzly Cubs’ future is bright. His Nos. 3, 4 and 5 players on Saturday were freshmen.
“Avery was the true leader of the team. I appreciate her good humor and smile. Personally, as a coach I’m going to miss her,” Kacarab said. “We finished OK today, but throughout the season these players have shown their competitiveness and that they want to win.”
Ninth-graders Ellie Beavins and Carly Woodward shot 90 and 97, respectively, for Franklin. Junior Taylor Drake had a 98.
Center Grove’s Nos. 2-5 players showed good balance. Freshman Lauren Pagel carded a 92, while her classmate, Meg Fosnot finished with a 95. Sophomores Halle Booher and Maddie Heineman both shot 96.
“We just didn’t play very well. Our inexperience caught up with us,” Trojans coach Jim Williams said. “But this was a great experience for us to take into next year. As a team I thought we came miles from where we started out this season.
“This is probably one of the most enjoyable teams I’ve ever coached. They really love to play golf, and Lucy was an excellent leader for us.”
Greenwood and Indian Creek qualified for regionals other than the one hosted by Roncalli.
The Woodmen finished 17th of 18 teams at the Lapel Regional played at Edgewood Golf Course in Anderson with a score of 391. Maecee Terhune shot a 91 to lead Greenwood, while teammate Laila Stein posted a score of 96.
At the Washington Regional played at Country Oaks Golf Club, Indian Creek shot a 411. The Braves’ low scores came from Lauren Parsley with a 90 and Jacqui Button’s 98.
