Addison Meadows was going to do whatever it took to help her team bring home the county title on Wednesday. When the final scores were tallied, it was the Mounties who earned county bragging rights as they shot a 205 to earn the county crown. Crawfordsville took second with a 228 and North Montgomery ended the evening with just three players so they had an incomplete score.
Meadows, as she routinely does, earned medalist honors with a 37. Both Stella Snook and Kelsey Thompson shot 55’s for the Mounties while Courtlyn Carpenter shot a 58 and Parker Church rounded out the scoring with a 60. Despite the county championship, Southmont coach Bill Whalen knows his team is way better than what they showed.
“I told them the only two good things to come out of tonight were that we won county and that Addison shot a 37,” Whalen said. “After that there’s nothing that’s acceptable about the way we played. 205 on your own course simply won’t cut it. I also told them if they shoot like that on Saturday at the sectional they won’t be moving on. We just have to be laser focused these next couple of days or else our season will be over.”
The Mounties on Saturday will be among the favorites to compete for the sectional crown with the likes of Western Boone and Benton Central. However Whalen and his team both know that on paper means nothing and that they will have to go out and earn their spot on Saturday.
“It’s golf and anything can happen on any given day,” he said. “We need to shoot the 181 that we shot here on the back last Saturday to show up again. I’ve always told them that I don’t care if we win or lose, I care about how we’re shooting and tonight just was unacceptable.”
Leading the way for the Athenians in their second place finish was Carli Payne with a 54. Sadie Walker recorded a 55 with Ada Hutson ending her night with a 58. Christen Saunders rounded out the scoring for the Athenians with a 61.
The 228 for Crawfordsville wasn’t what coach Tony Thomas had in mind as just a few days ago on Monday CHS shot a 208.
“On a rainy course at Harrison Hills we go out and shoot 20 strokes better than we did tonight,” Thomas said. “Golf is weird spot like that and I know the other two coaches weren’t too thrilled either. When you have a big meet like this, sometimes there’s an emotional high that’s hard to get over. We have two days to get over it because Saturday will be here very quick.”
Thomas knows his team has to put their poor showing behind them and get ready for what could be their last meet of the season. Saturday provides the Athenians with another opportunity to go out and show what they are made of.
“It’ll come down to whoever shoots best that single day,” Thomas said of the upcoming sectional. “There’s about six teams who have scores that are very similar. We know that it’s do or die and we want to go out there and put our best foot forward.”
It was a rough night for the Chargers as already down their No. 2 golfer in Grace Shrader, they were without their No. 4 on Wednesday in Bella Priddy which cost them a team score. Individually Shayna Ratcliff led the way with a 51. Maggie Yeager carded a 57 and Grace Littell shot a 65.
Charger coach Bob Ryker stayed positive after the meet as his team turns their focus to the sectional.
“It’s been a year of overcoming a lot of different things for us,” he said. “Tonight sucks but what I told them is that we still have Saturday which is more important. The sectional is what matters so we just have to control what we can control and play the cards that we are dealt. They all want to advance as a team and that will be our goal.”
There was one more positive that came out of Wednesday for the Mounties. They celebrated senior night for their lone senior in Snook.
“It’s really hard to believe that she’s a senior already,” Whalen said of Snook. “ I remember her walking down to the range the first day of her freshman year scared to death. She’s a great kids and is really fun to be around. We’re going to really miss her next year when she’s gone.”
The sectional on Saturday morning will take place at Harrison Hills in Attica. The top three teams will qualify for the regional as well as the top three individuals with the lowest score on non-advancing teams.
