Warsaw, Wawasee Set For Sectional
WARSAW – It’s put up or pack it up for girls’ golf teams come Saturday.
The state tournament series begins in earnest as Warsaw plays host to sectional action at the Stonehenge Golf Club.
The host Tigers will be shooting for a third straight sectional championship on their home course. Warsaw has won four of the last five sectional titles with Wawasee winning the crown in 2011.
Warsaw, which closed out a 14-2 season Tuesday with a win over Whitko at Stonehenge, will be challenged by the likes of NorthWood, Rochester, Wawasee and Plymouth in a strong sectional field of 11 teams. The Tigers shot a season low team total of 164 Tuesday in the win over the Wildcats.
“I think it is a strong field,” said Warsaw coach Chris LaLonde. “It is great to see that much competition in one field. No one is going to walk away with this sectional. It will be a great test to see who is the toughest mentally.”
The Tigers won the Northern Lakes Conference Tournament title on Saturday at Maplecrest in Goshen. Warsaw shot 386 with NorthWood second at 389 and Wawasee third at 409.
Warsaw has been tough on their home course this season, going undefeated at Stonehenge.
“I think playing at Stonehenge is a big advantage, LaLonde remarked. “Anyone would say that playing on their home course gives them the advantage. However, the girls have to take advantage of that.
“I feel our girls have a good chance of winning. The girls are working on playing the course smart. Our No. 1 goal is to play the course on Saturday. We can’t worry about others. We have to focus on our game.”
Warsaw’s lineup Saturday will include seniors Nikki LaLonde and Elizabeth Meadows and juniors Alexis Manwaring and Kristen Watson. The fifth spot was still to be determined. The Tigers won the sectional title in 2012 with a team score of 357. Meadows earned individual medalist honors after defeating Mikala Mawhorter of Wawasee in a playoff after each shot 85. LaLonde shot 88 and Manwaring 91 in last year’s sectional championship.
“The top four teams at the sectional have girls that can hit the ball off the tee and into the greens,” noted coach LaLonde. “So yes, the team that chips and putts the best will come out on top.”
Wawasee knows the challenge in front of them Saturday. The youthful Warriors have had a great fall with a 16-3 mark. A year ago, they tied Plymouth for third in the sectional with a team score of 389, but the Pilgrims advanced on to the regional thanks to its fifth player tiebreaker score.
“The girls need to do a good job evaluating risk versus reward according to their abilities,” said Wawasee coach Steve Coverstone. “We need to avoid big numbers and play the golf course.”
“Obviously, it is a very tough sectional. Some good teams will be staying home. I think our experience will help. I don’t think the girls need any extra motivation from last year’s near miss. They will go out and play the best they can.”
“Hopefully we will be mentally fresh and ready to go on Saturday.”
The Warrior sectional lineup will feature junior Elizabeth Jackson and sophomores Mikala Mawhorter and Kylie Rostochak to go with freshman Aubrey Schmeltz. The fifth spot was still to be determined. Jackson shot 95 and Mawhorter 96 at the NLC Tourney. Mawhorter had an 85 and Jackson 96 at last year’s sectional.
NorthWood joins the mix at Stonehenge this year. The Panthers shot 350 last year to earn sectional runner-up honors in the East Noble Sectional. NorthWood captured the overall NLC title with its 7-0 regular season mark and second place finish in the league tourney. The Panthers are led by senior standout Heidi Morganthaler, the medalist in the NLC Tourney the past two years.
The Warsaw Sectional field also includes Triton, Tippecanoe Valley, Whitko, Bremen, Caston, Columbia City, Plymouth and Rochester. Rochester was sectional runner-up in 2012 with a 371 and Plymouth took third with a 389.
Triton was fourth at the Northern State Conference Tournament this past Saturday with a 454. Hannah Jennings led the Trojans with a round of 93 at the Sprig O’Mint Golf Course in Bremen.
Whitko was fourth in the Three Rivers Conference Tournament with a 436 and Valley sixth with a 447 on Saturday. April Bishop shot 97 to pace Whitko and Alyssa VanMeter fired a 99 to lead Valley in the tourney played at the LaFontaine Golf Club in Huntington.
Action at Stonehenge on Saturday is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. The top three teams and the top three individuals not on an advancing team earn a spot in the East Noble Regional on Sept. 28 at Noble Hawk in Kendallville.