Natalie, Jenna, Sara, Katie, Coach EmbryPhoto by Dawn Embry
Jeff’s Shepherd Tops All-Area Team Henryville's Bobay Earns Second Team Honors11/02/2011 by Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
JEFFERSONVILLE — If there is one word to describe Erika Shepherd’s senior season, it would be consistent.
During the 2011 campaign, the Jeffersonville High School golfer compiled a nine-hole scoring average of 39 and an 18-hole average of 80.3. Shepherd was medalist in seven out of the Red Devils’ 14 matches this season.
That consistency helped Shepherd earn the News and Tribune Area Player of the Year award for the girls’ golf season, as voted by the coaches in the Clark-Floyd area. Eight of the 10 area coaches returned ballots to the News and Tribune sports department for the 2011 all-area girls’ golf team.
“She was consistent and solid this season,” Jeff head coach Shadd Clarke said. “She’s just consistent. Every swing is the same and she doesn’t make too many mistakes. Those things helped her have the season she had. She works hard and loves the game.”
Shepherd’s biggest victory this season was in the New Albany Sectional at Valley View Golf Club in Floyds Knobs. She earned sectional medalist honors by shooting a 79, as she was the only player to score in the 70s.
Shepherd was determined to play well at sectional after she missed the tournament her junior year because of a hairline fracture in her wrist.
“The key for her was just being consistent,” Clarke said. “She didn’t make a lot of birdies, but she had no big numbers on any holes. She hit a lot of greens.”
Along with winning the sectional, Shepherd finished second at the Hoosier Hills Conference meet at Sunrise Golf Course in Madison, enabling her to make the all-HHC team. Shepherd fired a 79, five strokes behind HHC medalist Amanda Detmer of Madison.
“It was a great season for her,” Clarke said. “Her mental attitude was so much improved. I’m proud of her. She didn’t get down on herself.”
Shepherd came up short of reaching the IHSAA State Finals. She fired an 83 in the Evansville North Regional on Sept. 24, three strokes shy of the No. 3 individual qualifier, Vincennes Rivet’s Carly Waggoner.
Clarke said the rain-soaked Eagle Valley Golf Course, which got drenched with 6 inches of rain that weekend, had an effect on Shepherd’s game.
“She hadn’t played a lot in the rain all year,” Clarke said. “She gave shots away on the front nine, but she bounced back on the back nine.”
The next step for Shepherd is to play at the college level. Clarke said Shepherd has gotten some interest from Hanover, Indiana State, Evansville and Bellarmine.
The Red Devil coach says Shepherd has all the tools to become a solid collegiate golfer.
“She has so much potential,” Clarke said. “She has no idea how good she can be. Her skills and course management will make her an asset for any college team.”
REST OF THE FIRST TEAM • Eliza Hudson (Floyd Central, So.) — Hudson is one of the most improved players in the area.
Hudson, who started playing golf 2 1/2 years ago, concocted an 18-hole scoring average of 83 this season after averaging 101 as a freshman. She made the all-HHC team after finishing in the top five at the HHC meet.
Hudson finished second individually at the sectional with an 80.
The next week at regional, she nearly qualified for state with another 80. Hudson was tied with Waggoner for the final qualifying spot at the end of regulation and lost in a playoff.
“I thought it was awesome,” Floyd Central head coach Lenny Hartlage said about Hudson’s season. “She totally dedicated herself to golf. She played on weekends. She did whatever she could.”
• Holly Roth (New Albany, Sr.) — Roth was the leader of the Bulldogs’ sectional championship team.
The senior fired an 82 to lead New Albany to its first-ever sectional championship. Her score placed her third individually at sectional.
At regional, she shot an 87 as the Bulldogs finished seventh as a team.
She finished seventh in the HHC meet, earning honorable-mention all-conference honors.
Roth collected medalist honors five times this season and recorded an 18-hole scoring average of 83.
“Her season was very good. She carried the team,” New Albany head coach Rick Belcher said. “She made a great comeback on the back nine at sectional.”
Belcher said Roth has talked to two colleges about continuing her golf career and is planning to contact several other schools in the upcoming months.
“She definitely wants to play in college. It just depends on how the cards fall,” Belcher said. “I think she is a (NCAA) Division II golfer. She has those abilities.”
• Quincy Cooper (Clarksville, Jr.) — The junior qualified for regional for the third consecutive year by shooting an 87 in the sectional.
She almost advanced to the state finals for the second time in her career at regional. She carded an 81, one stroke shy of the final qualifying spot.
Cooper finished second in the Mid-Southern Conference meet at Old Capital Golf Club in Corydon with a 79, earning her a spot on the all-conference team.
“She had a very good year,” Clarksville head coach Bob Liter said. “Her attitude was really good this season. She played her best golf at regional.”
• Alexa Busch (Floyd Central, Sr.) — Like Hudson, Busch was another Floyd Central player who improved by leaps and bounds this season.
In her junior year, which was the first season she played high school golf, Busch recorded an 18-hole scoring average of 121. She carded a 122 at the 2010 sectional.
This season, her 18-hole average dropped 35 strokes to an 86. That included firing an 83 at sectional.
“She came to me after her sophomore year about playing on the team,” Hartlage said. “She was a Class 10 gymnast and a very good athlete, and she wanted to play. She worked all year long on her game. She’s very smart and she has a great opportunity to get a scholarship to play in college.”
Hartlage says one of the colleges that has expressed interest in Busch is the University of Southern Indiana.
SECOND TEAM • Sydney Shrebtienko, Christian Academy of Indiana, Jr. • Heidi Steinert, New Albany, Fr. • Bailey Biggs, New Albany, Jr. • Kameron Salings, Silver Creek, Sr. • Natalie Bobay, Henryville, Jr.
Bulldogs, Jeff's Shepherd persevere at Valley View 9/17/2011 by Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
FLOYDS KNOBS — Saturday’s New Albany girls’ golf sectional at Valley View Golf Club was all about perseverance.
For the first time in their history, the host Bulldogs won the sectional championship with a team score of 353, eight strokes better than second-place and two-time defending sectional champion Floyd Central. Corydon ended up third with a 390.
“We wanted to play to win this season and (the New Albany golfers) put in the hard work,” Bulldogs’ head coach Rick Belcher said. “We’ve been competitive with the schools in our sectional this season like Floyd Central and Corydon.”
As for the individual standings, Jeffersonville senior Erika Shepherd earned medalist honors with a 79 after missing the sectional the past two seasons because of injury. Shepherd claimed her first-ever regional berth as she shot the lowest score among individuals on non-advancing teams.
The top three teams and top three individuals on non-qualifying teams advanced to the Evansville North Regional next Saturday at Eagle Valley Golf Course in Evansville.
“I didn’t think I would come in and be the low medalist at the sectional, but I’m glad I did,” Shepherd said.
New Albany was the only team to have three players shoot in the 80s.
Senior Holly Roth led the Bulldogs, finishing third in the individual standings with an 82. Teammate Bailey Biggs fired an 86 and New Albany freshman Heidi Steinert carded an 89.
“That’s awesome — absolutely awesome,” Belcher said about three scores in the 80s. “I’ve preached to them all year that all of them can shoot in the 80s. Once they got their scores in the 90s, they wanted to go lower.”
New Albany’s other two golfers — Franci Burton and Haley Roth — shot 96 and 101, respectively.
Belcher praised his team’s parents for assisting their children in improving their games this year. Those contributions included driving their kids to the golf course to practice or encouraging them to play in summer leagues or tournaments.
“I want to thank the parents of my golfers. They’ve done what it takes to get their girls to play better,” Belcher said.
Despite winning the sectional, Belcher thought his team could have shot lower on the front nine. The Bulldogs fired a 181 on the front side on a calm, sunny day at Valley View. But that was the same score New Albany shot last week in a match at Valley View when the temperatures were cooler.
“After the front nine, we felt like we took a step back,” Belcher said. “We thought we left a lot out on the front. With the conditions being better, we thought the weather would make a five- or six-shot difference from our score earlier in the week.”
Shepherd was the lone sectional participant to shoot in the 70s. She shot a 38 on the front nine and a 41 on the back. Shepherd made four birdies, which came at the third, sixth, 13th and 16th holes.
“Erika has been playing well all year,” Jeff head coach Shadd Clarke said. “She’s been very motivated all year and it was important for her to make the top three (on non-advancing teams) and advance to regional.”
Shepherd said all aspects of her game — driving, chipping, putting and iron play — played key roles in her winning the individual sectional title.
“It was a little bit of everything,” said Shepherd, who mentioned playing the Valley View front nine in a match earlier this season helped her tremendously Saturday. “On the front nine, I made some good putts and hit some good drives.”
Floyd Central’s Eliza Hudson finished a stroke behind Shepherd to finish second overall with an 80. Rounding out the scoring for the Highlanders were Alexa Busch with an 83, Morgan Stanley with a 98 and Scarlett Hartlage with a 100. Teammate Ashley Dankovich fired a 103.
Floyd Central head coach Lenny Hartlage was most proud of Busch. The senior did not start playing golf until last year. At the 2010 sectional, Busch fired a 122.
“Now look at her — now, she’s shooting an 83,” said Coach Hartlage, who credits Busch’s work ethic for turning things around. “She knows what it takes to get it done now.
“I was pleased with my Nos. 1 and 2 players. Overall, we have a deeper team this year, but I expected my Nos. 3,4 and 5 players to do better today. New Albany is a good, solid and deep team. They have no weaknesses from top to bottom.”
Another Clark-Floyd area player who will be joining the Bulldogs, the Highlanders and Shepherd in Evansville is Clarksville’s Quincy Cooper.
The junior qualified for regional for the third consecutive season by shooting an 87. She fired a 45 on the front side and a 42 on the back. Cooper advanced to the IHSAA State Finals in 2009.
Silver Creek and Henryville both came up short of making return trips to regional.
The Dragons finished fourth with a 394, four shots behind Corydon. Senior Kameron Salings carded Silver Creek’s lowest score with an 88. Fellow seniors Morgan Fleming and Kimi Fluhr shot 94 and 99, respectively. Also for the Dragons, Mackenzie Coulter carded a 113 and Emily Christman had a 117.
The Hornets were a stroke behind their West Clark rivals with a 395, placing fifth as a team. Junior Natalie Bobay paced Henryville with a 91. Rounding out the scoring for the Hornets, who qualified for regional the past two seasons, were seniors Sara Henson with a 99, Katie Cleveland with a 100 and Jenna Harrell with a 105.
“Natalie shot a nice round. She was our only player to shoot at or below her average,” Henryville head coach Robin Embry said. “Overall, it was a disappointing end to an otherwise good season. Our seniors have had a lot of success in their careers — two regional trips and over 100 victories. They are quality young ladies and we’re really going to miss them. However, they’d be the first to tell you that we should have been several strokes better today.”
The Red Devils finished sixth with a 414. Jeff sophomore Madison Kane shot a 98.
Borden ended up seventh with a 419, led by Sarah Potter with a 99. Christian Academy of Indiana finished ninth with a 424. Junior Sydney Shrebtienko shot the Warriors’ lowest score with a 93.
Charlestown placed 10th with a 454, as Sarah Trotter paced the Pirates with a 110. Adrienne Voelker led an incomplete Providence team with a 97.
Marie Rothrock registered Corydon’s lowest score with a 93. Also for the Panthers, Kayla Uhl had a 98, Kennedy Nash a 99, Carley Key a 100 and Taylor Frederick a 102.
North Harrison’s Devan Smith carded the second-lowest score among individuals on non-advancing teams with an 83. It was the second time in her high school career that Smith has qualified for regional, which happened in 2009.
(Top three teams and top three individuals on non-advancing teams advance to next Saturday’s Evansville North Regional.)
Team scores — New Albany 353, Floyd Central 361, Corydon 390, Silver Creek 394, Henryville 395, Jeffersonville 414, Borden 419, North Harrison 421, Christian Academy of Indiana 424, Charlestown 454.
Henryville Shines at Hidden Creek 9/14/2011 by Matt Koesters (The Evening News)
SELLERSBURG — The Henryville girls’ golf team was the most consistent on the course at Hidden Creek on Wednesday, playing through rapidly changing weather conditions for a team score of 171.
“I don’t know how much it affected the girls, but the winds kept getting stronger and stronger. It didn’t seem to affect the Henryville girls that much,” Silver Creek coach Joe Ledbetter said. “They had their scores packed all tight in there together, and that’s what you want with the sectional coming up — get four scores going that you can count on.”
Henryville was ahead of Silver Creek’s 179 and Jeffersonville’s 208.
Jeff’s Erika Shepherd was the course medalist with a 38.
“Erika Shepherd, she’s a player,” Ledbetter said. “She’s very consistent, capable of shooting low scores most of the time.”
Henryville’s Katie Cleveland led the Hornets with a 41. Sara Henson and Natalie Bobay each turned in 43s, and Jenna Harrell had a 44.
For Silver Creek, Kameron Salings led with a 41. Kimi Fluhr added a 42, Morgan Fleming hit a 44 and Emily Christman shot a 52.
“We need to shore up our No. 4 spot, get someone closer to the 40s and we’ll be OK,” Ledbetter evaluated. “Kameron Salings and Kimi Fluhr, they both had it on cruise control for a while. They just had a couple of holes that hurt them, but they played pretty steady. Morgan Fleming, I’m pretty happy with because now she’s starting to play like she did last year when we got out of the sectional.”
Outside of Shepherd, Jeffersonville struggled. Madison Kane shot a 51, Madison Gavin hit a 57 and Katie Bowen shot a 62.
Hornets defeat Borden 9/13/2011 by Matt Koesters & Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
Henryville fired a team score of 199 to win a dual match Tuesday at Champions Pointe Golf Club in Memphis against Borden. The Braves fired a 225. It was Senior Night for Henryville.
Hornet senior Katie Cleveland earned medalist honors with a 47. Rounding out the scoring for Henryville were senior Jenna Harrell with a 48 and senior Sara Henson and junior Natalie Bobay each with a 52.
“It was a pretty good round,” Hornets’ head coach Robin Embry said. “I’m sure for the seniors that nerves played a part, but we could’ve shot better than that. But overall, it was a good round.”
Three Borden players each shot a 56. They were Carson Casey, Chelsea Fraley and Haifa Ishtayeh. Also for the Braves, Christina Fink fired a 57 and Sarah Potter carded a 63.
Henryville battles weather at Wooded View 9/7/2011 by Debbie Harbeson (The Evening News)
Henryville defeated an incomplete Clarksville team at Wooded View Golf Course on Wednesday.
“The weather was a bit challenging, and our girls hadn’t played the course before today,” Henryville coach Robin Embry said. “We expect to shoot lower scores. However, all things considered, it was a good day.”
Clarksville’s Quincy Cooper posted the day’s best score with a 38. Clarksville’s only other golfer, Sarah O’Connell, shot a 68.
Henryville posted a team score of 198. Jenna Harrell led the team with a 47.
Also for the Hornets, Natalie Bobay shot a 49, followed by Katie Cleveland with a 50 and Sara Henson with a 52.
Hornets set school record with victory over Borden 9/6/2011 by Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
SELLERSBURG — The Henryville girls’ golf team broke its 18-hole school record by one stroke to defeat West Clark rival Borden in a dual meet Tuesday at Hidden Creek Golf Club, 369-457. The Hornets’ previous record was a team score of 370 on Sept. 3, 2010 in an 18-hole match against the Braves at Hidden Creek.
Henryville junior Natalie Bobay was the medalist in the rare 18-hole dual match, shooting an 88. Rounding out the scoring for the Hornets were Jenna Harrell and Sara Henson each with a 93 and Katie Cleveland with a 95.
Henryville head coach Robin Embry praised his golfers’ perseverance while playing in wet and windy conditions on the front nine.
“That’s a very good team score considering the conditions,” Embry said. “We showed some mental toughness.”
Senior Chelsea Fraley paced Borden with a 110. Also for the Braves, Haifa Ishtayeh shot a 113, Sarah Potter a 114, Christina Fink a 120 and Carson Casey a 124.
Henryville dissatisfied with win 8/31/2011 by Matt Koesters (The Evening News)
Henryville won at Hidden Creek over Charlestown and Christian Academy of Indiana, but the Hornets’ coach thinks the team can play better. So do his players.
“It was a good score, but honestly, our expectations are a little higher, especially with the lower three (players),” Henryville coach Robin Embry said. “They felt like each of them could have been three, five strokes better.”
Henryville won the match with a 186. Charlestown took second with a 204, while Christian Academy fielded an incomplete team.
Henryville’s Katie Cleveland shared the medalist honors with CAI’s Sydney Schrebtienko. Each shot a 42.
For Henryville, Jenna Harrell shot a 47, Natalie Bobay added a 48 and Sara Henson hit a 49.
“We just struggled a little bit with our short game,” Embry said.
Charlestown’s best score came from Rachel Foster with a 47. Marissa Knoebel hit a 48, Natalie Thompson shot a 51 and Sarah Trotter had a 58.
CAI’s Kendra Driver drove a 50, whily Karlie Byrd hit a 53.
Host Hornets win golf invitational 8/26/2011 by Matt Koesters (The Evening News)
HENRYVILLE — Henryville took a first-place finish at the Henryville Invitational at Champions Pointe on Friday.
“The girls played well,” Henryville coach Robin Embry said. “It’s really been a good week for us.”
Henryville’s team score of 181 led the pack, followed by Christian Academy of Indiana’s 224. Trinity Lutheran placed third with a 231, followed by Borden with a 237.
CAI’s Sydney Shrebtienko took medalist honors with a 42.
For Henryville, Katie Cleveland’s 43 was the best score. Jenna Harrell shot a 44, followed by Sara Henson with a 45 and Natalie Bobay with a 49.
For CAI, Carly Bird shot a 58, Kendra Driver had a 60 and Haley Lieviers hit a 64.
Carson Casey hit a 54 to lead Borden. Also for the Braves, Christina Fink and Chelsea Fraley hit 59 apiece, Sarah Potter shot a 65 and Haifa Ishtayeh chipped in a 67.
Henryvile (181) - Cleveland (43), Harrell (44), Henson (45), Bobay (49) CAI (224) - Shrebtienko (42), Byrd (58), Driver (60), Liviers (64), Jones (66) Trinity Lutheran (231) - Nagino (45), M. Hackman (61), Pollert (62), Sons (63), J. Hackman (64) Boden (237) - Casey (54), Fink (59), Fraley (59), Potter (65), Ishtayeh (67)
Henryville wins tri-meet 8/24/2011 by Matt Koesters (The Evening News)
Henryville defended its home course with a convincing win over Borden and Eastern at Champions Pointe on Wednesday.
Henryville notched a team score of 185.
“That is a good team score out at Champions,” Henryville coach Robin Embry said. “Champions plays a little tougher than most of the courses we play. However, it being our home course, the girls are comfortable out there.”
Borden was second with a 225 and Eastern placed third with a 268.
For Henryville, Katie Cleveland and Jenna Harrell shared the medalist honors with 44s. Natalie Bobay added a 46, Sara Henson shot a 51 and Alison Prather hit a 68.
“I think they’ve all got a little more commitment from last Friday,” Embry said. “They were disappointed with last Friday’s score, and I think they’ve kind of rededicated to doing a little better than that, which obviously they did today.”
Carson Casey was Borden’s best player with a 49. Christina Fink shot a 52, Chelsea Fraley added a 61, Sarah Potter chipped in a 63 and Haifa Ishtayeh hit a 65.
Madison's girls golf team carded one of its best rounds ever to post a 173-207 win over Henryville and remain unbeaten in dual matches for the season.
Playing at Sunrise Golf Course, the Cubs, now 5-0 in dual meets, were once again led by Amanda Detmer. The freshman carded a one-over 37 to claim medalist honors.
The Cubs then packed three players in the mid-40s - Elizabeth Mitchell-Ehlert and Sydney Dailey both with 45s and Hannah Holt with a 46 - to shoot within a stroke of the Cubs' best round this season which was the team's best round in years.
"We played really good top to bottom," Madison coach Doug Rusk said. "We've got a ways to go yet, but that was one of our best rounds ever."
Alyssa Fulton shot a 49 and Alex Barnes carded a 54 while Whiteney Sanders and Whitney Griffin both took 58s and Kyla Johnson had a 72 in Madison's non-scoring rounds.
Henryville was led by senior Sara Henson with a 47.
Henryville gets to full strength, downs Jeffersonville 8/15/2011 by Kevin Harris and Matt Koesters (The Evening News)
MEMPHIS — The Henryville girls’ golf team defeated Jeffersonville, Scottsburg and Austin in a quadrangular meet Monday at Champions Pointe Golf Club.
“The kids played well,” Henryville coach Robin Embry said. “It’s a matter of us putting practice time in and continuing to improve.”
The Hornets — finally at full strength after playing for more than a week without key pieces — took the win with a team score of 196, while Jeffersonville shot a 226 as a team. Scottsburg and Austin fielded incomplete teams.
Jenna Harrell paced the Hornets with a 44, followed by Sara Henson, who shot a 47. Also for Henryville, Katie Cleveland chipped in a 48, Natalie Bobay hit a 57 and Alison Prather hit a 72.
For Jeffersonville, medalist honors went to Erika Shepherd, who struck an even-par 36. The senior hit six of seven fairways and seven of nine greens in regulation. She attempted only 16 putts.
“I think Erika is one of the better players in the area,” Embry said. “She’s a good golfer and a good kid. If she stays healthy, she stands a very good chance of making it to regional. She might even win the sectional.”
However, the rest of the Red Devils were all in the 60s.
Madison Gavin and Janese Brooner hit 63 apiece, Madison Kane shot a 64 and Katie Bowen put up a 67.
“Erika had a really solid round of golf of even-par. She is really playing smart golf right now,” Jeff head coach Shadd Clarke said. “Our team score is not where it should be yet, but the girls are working hard to lower their scores during each match. So far, I have seen great improvement from our younger players, and I am looking forward to much more improvement as they gain confidence in their abilities.”
Henryville's Henson shares medalist honors in tri-meet 8/12/2011 by Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
SEYMOUR — The Henryville girls’ golf team fielded an incomplete team in a triangular meet Friday at Seymour Country Club against first-place Southwestern and Trinity Lutheran.
Hornets’ senior Sara Henson shared medalist honors with Southwestern’s Caitlin Hatton, shooting a 48. Teammate Jenna Harrell fired a 49, while Henryville junior Natalie Bobay had a 54.
“The three kids who came to the match played well,” Hornets’ head coach Robin Embry said. “It’s a tough course. We plan on Katie (Cleveland) coming back next week, so we can post some good team scores.”
Southwestern (Hanover) (243) - Hatten (48), Reeves (63), A. Stoner (65), Reno (67), M. Stoner (69) Henryville (NTS) - Henson (48), Harrell (49), Bobay (54) Trinity Lutheran (NTS) - B. Pollert (62), M. Pollert (63)
Corydon tops Silver Creek, Henryville in tri-match 8/9/2011 by Matt Koesters (The Evening News)
Taylor Frederick shot a 44 to earn medalist honors and lead Corydon past Silver Creek and Henryville in a triangular meet at Champions Pointe on Tuesday.
Corydon’s team score of 195 was good enough to capture the meet. Silver Creek checked out with a 220, and Henryville posted a team score of 229.
“I don’t think my girls are satisfied with that at all, and they shouldn’t be,” Silver Creek coach Joe Ledbetter said. “Especially my three main returners, Kameron Salings, Kimi Fluhr and Morgan Fleming. They all three know that they’re a lot better than what they showed today. They all were lamenting their putting, and that’s what we’re going to work on (at practice). They’re better than that.”
Salings hit a 50, Fleming had a 51 and Fluhr hit a 54. Also for Silver Creek, Emily Christman shot a 65.
“I know Kimi’s been struggling with her putting, and Morgan’s had some swing issues, but I think she’s started to iron those out,” Ledbetter said. “They’ve all talked about their putting, so they’ll be making an extra effort (today).”
Henryville’s Jenna Harrell was a stroke off the lead with a 45. Also for the Hornets, Sara Henson hit a 54, Natalie Bobay had a 58, and freshman Alison Prather shot a 72.
“My No. 2 from last year, (Katie Cleveland), is away this week, so we don’t really have our scoring team, if you will, until next week,” Henryville coach Robin Embry said. “Alison is a freshman who has just started this year, and she’s doing great, but when we get Katie back ... she’s a senior and we’re going to lean on her score a little more than we would for Alison.”
Embry said he was confident his team scores would be much lower when he has his full squad together.
“Our team scores are going to drop by probably 25 strokes or more,” he said.
Christian Academy defeats Eastern 8/8/2011 by Matt Koesters (The Evening News)
Sydney Shrebtienko’s 40 was good enough to earn a share of the medalist honors on Monday at Hidden Creek, where Christian Academy of Indiana downed Eastern, 209-267.
Also for CAI, Taylor Jones hit a 49, Kendra Driver drove a 56 and both Karlie Byrd and Haley Lievers hit 64s.
Henryville and Clarksville also played in the quadrangular match, but did not field enough players to qualify.
“Hopefully, we’ll have our entire team together next week and start shooting some good team scores,” Henryville coach Robin Embry said. “We want to keep improving.”
For Henryville, Jenna Harrell had a 44, Natalie Bobay chipped in a 49 and Sara Henson stroked a 50.
“Jenna had another nice round today,” Embry said. “It was good to see Natalie in the 40s and Sara is right there.”
For Clarksville, Quincy Cooper earned a share of the honors with a 40, while Sarah O’Connell had a 71.
Season Preview : Vying to Repeat 8/4/2011 by Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
SELLERSBURG — In 2010, the Silver Creek girls’ golf team accomplished a couple of firsts.
The Dragons won the Mid-Southern Conference championship for the first time in program history. Along with the league title, they earned their first-ever trip to regional by finishing second in the Floyd Central Sectional at Valley View Golf Club in Floyds Knobs.
With three players returning in its starting lineup, Silver Creek has its sights set on duplicating those feats in 2011.
The trio of returnees are all seniors. Kameron Salings and Kimi Fluhr are each entering their fourth year in the Dragons’ program. Fluhr played a critical role in helping Silver Creek get out of sectional last season by firing a team-low 88 at Valley View. Salings shot a 99.
The third senior is third-year player Morgan Fleming, who shot a 98 in the 2010 sectional.
Silver Creek head coach Joe Ledbetter thinks if the three seniors can shoot what they are capable of on a consistent basis and sophomore Emily Christman can shoot in the low 90s, the Dragons could be regional bound again.
“The three veteran players know what it takes to get to the regional,” Ledbetter said. “If we can get Kameron, Kimi and Morgan playing to their potential and then get our fourth player in the 90s, we can get to regional.”
Ledbetter believes Salings, Fluhr and Fleming each got a huge shot of confidence after winning the MSC title and making regional last season.
“Confidence is extremely important in golf,” Ledbetter said. “It’s important to stay on top of your game. If you’re confident, then you have that right to expect big things.”
Even though the Dragons have started the year by finishing 18th in Tuesday’s Fuzzy Zoeller Invitational and 10th in Wednesday’s Seymour Invitational, they have faced tough competition at two of Southern Indiana’s top golf courses — Covered Bridge Golf Club in Sellersburg and Shadowood Golf Course in Seymour.
Later on this season, they will face defending sectional champion Floyd Central and two-time regional qualifier Henryville in match play.
Ledbetter expects Brownstown to be the Dragons’ main competition when they try to defend their MSC championship Sept. 10 at Old Capitol Golf Club in Corydon.
BORDEN • COACH: Tony Wagoner
• RETURNING PLAYERS: Carson Casey, So.; Christina Fink, So.
• NEWCOMERS: Chelsea Fraley, Sr.; Haifa Ishtayeh, Jr.; Sarah Potter, So.
• KEY TOURNAMENTS: Henryville Invitational
• OUTLOOK: Wagoner plans on honing his players’ skills on the course throughout the season and hopes they will be competitive by the New Albany Sectional next month.
• WAGONER SAYS: “We have a young team this year, but there is a lot of potential in these young ladies. All the ladies have been very cooperative in the few practices we have had, and if I can do my job as a coach, this team will be competitive by the time sectional rolls around. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of progress these ladies can make over the course of the season.”
• KEY TOURNAMENTS: Mid-Southern Conference meet at Old Capitol Golf Club in Corydon.
• MSC CONTENDERS: Brownstown, Silver Creek.
• OUTLOOK: Doherty, who also is the head wrestling coach at Charlestown, takes over the Pirate coaching reins from Doug Wacker. Doherty is seeking gradual improvement from each of his golfers throughout the season. The four returnees comprise the entire Pirate roster.
• DOHERTY SAYS: “We’ve got some personal goals and we’ll focus only on how we play. I’m looking for improvement. They all want to get better, so that’s what we’re shooting for.”
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF INDIANA • COACH: Tim Byrd
• RETURNING PLAYERS: Sydney Shrebtienko, Jr.; Taylor Jones, Jr.; Karlie Byrd, Jr.; Kendra Driver, Jr.; Hayley Lievers, Jr.
• NEWCOMERS: None.
• KEY TOURNAMENTS: Henryville Invitational.
• OUTLOOK: Shrebtienko, the Warriors’ No. 1 player, was the medalist in approximately 80 percent of her matches last season. Jones is CAI’s No. 2 player. The Warriors recorded an overall winning record in 2010, and with the entire starting lineup back, they expect to accomplish that feat again.
• COACH BYRD SAYS: “I’m expecting good things. Sydney is our No. 1 player and she plays in tournaments all year long. I expect her to provide a lot of leadership. We’re optimistic about this year.”
• NEWCOMERS: Liter says three newcomers could join the Generals if they complete their preseason physicals.
• KEY TOURNAMENTS: MSC meet.
• MSC CONTENDERS: Silver Creek, Scottsburg, North Harrison.
• OUTLOOK: Liter thinks he has enough talent on his squad to prevail in some matches this season. Cooper has qualified for regional in each of her first two years on the Clarksville roster. She advanced to the IHSAA State Finals as a freshman in 2009. Carta returns to the Generals this season after missing last year because of knee surgery.
• LITER SAYS: “For the first time in a while, we’ve got a shot to win some matches. I think (Cooper’s) got a shot (to return to state).”
FLOYD CENTRAL • COACH: Lenny Hartlage
• RETURNING PLAYERS: Alexa Busch, Sr.; Julia Lee, Sr.; Eliza Hudson, So.; Scarlett Hartlage, So.
• NEWCOMERS: Morgan Stanley, Fr.; Taylor Payne, Fr.; Emma Bellus, So.; Merideth Sant, So.
• KEY TOURNAMENTS: Jennings County Invitational, Jasper Invitational, Bedford North Lawrence Invitational.
• HOOSIER HILLS CONFERENCE CONTENDERS: Jennings County, Seymour.
• OUTLOOK: The Highlanders face a stiff challenge in trying to replace last year’s top two players in Janice Heffernan and Bethany Huber. Coach Hartlage will rely on three players to consistently shoot low in Busch, Hudson and Scarlett Hartlage, the coach’s daughter. Those three players helped Floyd Central win its fourth sectional in the past five seasons last September.
• COACH HARTLAGE SAYS: “(Busch, Hudson and Scarlett Hartlage) learned a lot from Janice and Bethany. Now, these three need to (help lead) all of these new girls.”
HENRYVILLE • COACH: Robin Embry
• RETURNING PLAYERS: Katie Cleveland, Sr.; Sara Henson, Sr.; Jenna Harrell, Sr.; Natalie Bobay, Jr.
• NEWCOMERS: Alison Prather, Fr.
• KEY TOURNAMENTS: Henryville Invitational.
• OUTLOOK: The Hornets will be vying to earn their third consecutive regional berth this season. Embry sums up the key for Henryville to reach that unprecedented feat in one word — commitment. The Hornets must pick up the slack left by Embry’s daughter, Carissa Embry.
• EMBRY SAYS: “During the first half of the season, we’ll be getting back to where we were at the end of last season. Hopefully during the second half of the season, we can improve and be a bit better than last year. We hope to earn a trip back to the regional and maybe place a little higher in the sectional. It’s up to the girls — if they commit like I think they will, we’ll be pretty good by the end of the season.”
JEFFERSONVILLE • COACH: Shadd Clarke
• RETURNING PLAYERS: Erika Shepherd, Sr.; Madison Kane, So.
• KEY TOURNAMENTS: HHC meet at Sunrise Golf Club in Madison.
• HHC CONTENDERS: Floyd Central, New Albany, Bedford North Lawrence, Seymour, Jennings County, Columbus East.
• OUTLOOK: The Red Devils lack experience as their two freshmen have played very little golf in their lives. Shepherd has the most experience on the squad and Clarke expects her to be competitive in the HHC meet and New Albany Sectional this season.
• CLARKE SAYS: “With our lack of experience as well as number of golfers, our goal this year is to improve and build upon the girls’ golf program at JHS. We have mainly underclassmen with little to no competitive golf experience, so the learning curve will be pretty steep for us this year. Every girl will work to improve each and every week, enjoy the game of golf and have fun.”
• KEY TOURNAMENTS: Nelson County (Ky.) Invitational, HHC meet.
• HHC CONTENDERS: Bedford North Lawrence, Columbus East, Jennings County.
• OUTLOOK: The Bulldogs have a roster that is capable of qualifying for the regional for the first time since 2008 and winning their first-ever sectional title. Belcher thinks No. 1 golfer Holly Roth is one of the best players in the HHC and sectional. But the New Albany boss says the rest of his golfers must shoot in the 80s to have a shot at achieving those two goals.
• BELCHER SAYS: “I’m expecting a lot from this team. I have several really good returning players and several newcomers who are going to help. Holly Roth should be one of the best players in our sectional and conference. If she can be in the upper 70s or low 80s range and the other girls can get into the mid to high 80s, then we’ll be tough to beat. I know we can do it. We just have to put in the work and peak at the right time.”
• NEWCOMERS: Morgan Boone, Jr.; Morgan Faulkenburg, Fr.; Jessica Payne, So.; Jayd Gooch, So.
• KEY TOURNAMENTS: Sunnyside Classic.
• OUTLOOK: The Pioneers will have to rely on young and inexperienced players as they try to earn their first regional berth in four years. Pangburn expects Boone and Faulkenburg to be productive this season.
• PANGBURN SAYS: “I’m expecting to see improvement from all of my players as the season progresses. We are young and have little experience in tournament play. But the girls are working very diligently to improve on a weekly basis. Morgan Boone and Morgan Faulkenburg are going to be key players for us this year. Both are first-year players and both have golf experience prior to coming out for the team.”
SILVER CREEK • COACH: Joe Ledbetter
• RETURNING PLAYERS: Kameron Salings, Sr.; Kimi Fluhr, Sr.; Morgan Fleming, Sr.; Emily Christman, So.
• NEWCOMERS: Ledbetter has a pair of newcomers with no prior golf experience.
• KEY TOURNAMENTS: MSC meet.
• MSC CONTENDERS: Brownstown, Silver Creek.
• OUTLOOK: Salings, Fluhr and Fleming were a part of the Dragons’ historic season a year ago. In 2010, Silver Creek won its first-ever MSC crown and qualified for the regional for the first time. With a veteran lineup, the Dragons have a shot of duplicating those feats again.
• LEDBETTER SAYS: “If we can get our three veteran players to play like they did at the end of the year, I expect us to be a contender. They’re excited about the season.”
MEMPHIS — The Henryville girls’ golf team’s second match of the 2011 season was a triumphant one Thursday at its home course, Champions Pointe Golf Club.
The Hornets fired a team score of 221 to win a triangular meet over Christian Academy of Indiana and Trinity Lutheran. The Warriors, playing in their season opener, shot a 233 to finish second. Trinity Lutheran fielded an incomplete team.
“It was a good score. I’m happy with all the kids,” Henryville head coach Robin Embry said. “We’re showing improvement and that’s what we want to do the first part of the season.”
The closest battle on the Champions links was for the medalist crown between Henryville senior Jenna Harrell and CAI junior Sydney Shrebtienko.
Playing the front nine at the Fuzzy Zoeller-owned course, Harrell carded an 8-over-par 44 to capture medalist honors. Shrebtienko fell two strokes behind with a 46.
The determining factor in the medalist race was the two par-3s on the front side, which are the second and fourth holes.
Harrell shot 1-over on both holes, bogeying No. 2 and paring No. 4. Shrebtienko was 5-over on the par-3s, making a double bogey at No. 2 and a triple bogey at No. 4.
“Par-3s made the difference for them,” Embry said.
Shrebtienko made more pars than Harrell, nailing three of them while the Hornet veteran had two. Shrebtienko’s pars came at the first, fifth and ninth holes. But along with her struggles on the par-3s, Shrebtienko made a double bogey on the par-5 sixth hole.
Harrell’s second par of her round was at the par-4 No. 8, and her lone double bogey came at the par-5 No. 3.
Rounding out the scoring for Henryville were senior Sara Henson with a 52, junior Natalie Bobay with a 53 and freshman Alison Prather with a 72.
“Jenna shot a very good round,” Embry said. “We have high expectations for her and the rest of team.”
It is the fourth season that the Hornets have called Champions Pointe their home course. Embry thinks the challenging links have helped his players qualify for the Evansville North Regional the past two seasons.
“I think without a doubt it has helped,” Embry said. “(Champions head pro) Scott Ivey and his staff out here are very willing to assist us and they’ve helped the kids a lot.”
CAI’s No. 2 golfer Taylor Jones carded a 57. Also for the Warriors, junior Kendra Driver shot a 63, Karlie Byrd fired a 67 and Hayley Lievers had a 70.
“Taylor hit the ball well,” CAI head coach Tim Byrd said. “Sydney had an off-day, but she finished strong with a 46.”
Hornets begin golf season with loss to Madison 8/1/2011 by Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
The Henryville girls’ golf team teed off the 2011 season Monday afternoon with a dual-meet setback to Madison at Champions Pointe Golf Club, 194-208.
Senior Katie Cleveland paced the Hornets with a 48. Fellow senior Sara Henson chipped in a 50, while Henryville’s Jenna Harrell and Natalie Bobay each fired a 55. Hornet freshman Alison Prather scored a 72 in her high school debut. The Cubs’ Amanda Detmer earned medalist honors with a 5-over-par 41.
Despite limited practice time, Henryville head coach Robin Embry was pleased how his team began the season.
“It was a good start for us,” Embry said. “Typically, our girls don’t play a lot of summer golf, but I think we’ll improve quite a bit by the end of the season.”
The Hornets only lost their top player from graduation in Carissa Embry, the coach’s daughter. The younger Embry led Henryville to regional berths each of the past two seasons.
“Our expectations are pretty high,” Coach Embry said.
Boys: Senior Evan Embry played in four events. He finished T22 (78/77) at the inagural Indiana Golf Association Southern Masters held at French Lick Resorts Ross Course. At Quail Crossing (Booneville, IN), he fired a 70 for a T1 finish in the IGA Boys State Junior qualifier. After carding a 75 to qualify for the Championship flight, he finished in the final four at the Junior Falls City Championship in Louisville, KY (Sun Valley GC). In his final event, the IGA Boys State Junior Championship at Purdue University's Kampen GC, he shot 155 (73/82) to advance to the match play rounds.
Girls: Ex-Lady Hornet, and current IPFW golfer, Tosha Embry played in four events this summer. She defended her title in the Women's division at the Brazil Open, held at Forest Park golf course (Brazil, IN), where she carded a two day total of 161 (81/80). On the Musselman-Dunne College Tour (Louisville, KY), she won the Shawnee GC event with rounds of 91/85; finished second at the Seneca GC event (89); and she finished third in the Tour Championship at Big Springs Country Club with rounds of 95/93.
2011 Individual Season Statistics (Boys)
Player
Rds. (9-hole)
Average
Low Score
Course
Evan Embry
22
39.0
36
Champions Pointe GC
Cody Gray
20
54.3
46
Hidden Creek (Links) GC
Tyler Green
10
56.0
51
Shadowood GC
Logan Smith
15
60.8
48
Hidden Creek (Links) GC
Teddy Graf
19
62.1
50
Hidden Creek (Links) GC
Logan, Cody, Teddy, and Evan
Very falls in second round of match play 7/27/2011 by Matt Koesters (The Evening News)
WEST LAFAYETTE — Several local golfers from around the region were defeated in match play at the Boys’ State Junior Championship on the Kampen Course at Purdue University on Wednesday.
“It was good to see the local kids advance to the match rounds,” Henryville coach Robin Embry said.
Providence’s Bryce Very advanced to the second round of match play after defeating Matthew Specht of Munster, but fell to Vince Drahman of Noblesville in the second round.
Henryville’s Evan Embry fell in the first round of match play to Dru Hein of Jasper, five holes to four.
“Evan got behind and couldn’t quite recover,” Coach Embry said. “His ballstriking was a bit off and on this course that puts a lot of pressure on your short game. He’s had a very good summer. He’s played well in several tournaments.”
Floyd Central’s Devin Jenkins fell to Garrett Bianchi of Merrillville in the first round of match play, and Floyd Central’s Jared Sturgeon fell to Tryler Nicol of Portage, also in the first round. Glen Bertram was knocked off by Keegan McKinney in the first round.
Very very steady at state junior championship 7/26/2011 by Matt Koesters (The Evening News)
Bryce Very fired a three-over 75 for the second straight day at the Indiana Boys’ State Junior Championship on the Kampen Course at Purdue University on Tuesday.
Very’s tally of 150 through two days of stroke play was good for seventh place.
Floyd Central’s Jared Sturgeon recovered from a rocky first day with an even-par 72 on Day 2. Sturgeon finished stroke play with a seven-over 151.
Henryville’s Evan Embry had a tougher time on Day 2. After shooting a 73 on Monday, Embry hit a 10-over 82.
“Evan had a few shots get away from him,” Henryville coach Robin Embry said. “When you get out of position on this course, you usually drop a stroke or two. However, he’s excited about making the cut and is looking forward to the match play rounds.”
Embry finished the day tied at 28th.
Floyd Central’s Devin Jenkins is also tied at 28th after hitting a 73 on Day 2. Jenkins had hit an 82 on Day 1.
Glen Bertram of Floyds Knobs advanced to match play with a 14-over 158.
The top 64 golfers in the tournament advanced to match play today.
Embry has strong Day 1 at Junior Championship 7/25/2011 by Matt Koesters (The Evening News)
WEST LAFAYETTE — Henryville’s Evan Embry finished the first day of the Boys’ State Junior Championship in fourth place at the Kampen Course on the campus of Purdue University on Monday.
Embry hit a one-over 73, hitting two birdies and three bogeys.
“He shot a very solid round,” Henryville coach Robin Embry said.
Embry is five strokes off the lead after Day 1. Adam Wood of Zionsville hit a 68 to take the top spot on the leaderboard with a comfortable three-stroke lead over the field.
Bryce Very of Providence also had a strong showing on Day 1, hitting a plus-three 75. Very’s 75 was good enough for eighth place.
Jared Sturgeon of Floyd Central finished the day at seven over par.
Other area players included Glen Bertram at nine over, Devin Jenkins at 10 over and Alex Beyer at 13 over par.
The tournament will continue throughout the week.
Miller, Ledford reach boys' Falls Cities final Embry falls in final four7/15/2011 by Staff (The Courier-Journal)
Chris Miller birdied the final hole to defeat No. 2 seed Stephen Stalling 1-up - after Stallings narrowly missed an eagle - and advance totoday's boys' final of the Junior Falls Cities golf tournament at Sun Valley Golf Course.
Miller will play Bradley Ledford, who topped Evan Embry 3 and 1, in the 36-hole final at 7:30 a.m.
Note: Embry qualified for the Championship flight with a 75 on Monday. He then won three matches on Tuesday-Wednesday to reach the final four.
Three Highlanders, two Pioneers lead All-Area team 6/13/2011 by Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
FLOYDS KNOBS — During the 2011 high school boys’ golf season, Floyd Central and Providence remained the top two programs in the Clark-Floyd area as each team earned return trips to this week’s IHSAA State Finals.
New Albany nearly had its first individual state qualifier in four years. Henryville’s top golfer nearly won sectional medalist honors, while Charlestown’s No. 1 player rewrote the Pirates’ record books.
The stellar seasons by those three individuals, the Highlanders and the Pioneers helped earn them spots on the 2011 News and Tribune All-Area team.
The following is this season’s all-area players:
FIRST TEAM • RYAN BARNES, PROVIDENCE: The senior’s biggest accomplishment this season was collecting medalist honors at the Providence Sectional last Monday at Covered Bridge Golf Club in Sellersburg. Barnes was the only sectional golfer to finish under par with a 1-under-par 71.
In April, Barnes took home medalist honors in the Pioneers’ annual tournament, the Ron Veleta Invitational, at Wooded View Golf Course in Clarksville with a 77. Barnes was recently named to the Academic All-State team.
“He’s worked extremely hard this year. He’s done everything he can to be a contributor to this team,” first-year Providence head coach Ken Allender said.
• DEVIN JENKINS, FLOYD CENTRAL: The sophomore posted the Highlanders’ lowest scores at the Providence Sectional and Providence Regional.
He led Floyd Central to its ninth consecutive sectional title with a 75. Jenkins then matched his 75 at regional last Thursday at Champions Pointe Golf Club in Memphis, as the Highlanders finished second and qualified for the state finals.
“He’s gotten better and better as the season has gone on,” Floyd Central head coach Mike Cason said.
• DANIEL SHEPARD, FLOYD CENTRAL: Shepard shot in the mid-70s at the Hoosier Hills Conference meet, the sectional and the regional.
In May, he fired a 76 to help the Highlanders finish second in the HHC meet at Sunrise Golf Club in Madison. He had a 76 at sectional and a 77 at regional.
“He made a swing change this season and he has gotten better and better,” Cason said.
• JARED STURGEON, FLOYD CENTRAL: The Highlanders’ lone senior shot Floyd Central’s lowest score at the HHC meet with a 75. Sturgeon helped the Highlanders win the sectional title with a 76 at Covered Bridge.
“He’s probably our best competitor on the team,” Cason said. “If I had kids like him, I wouldn’t have to coach much golf because he never gives up.”
• BRYCE VERY, PROVIDENCE: The junior carried the Pioneers into the state finals last Thursday by winning medalist honors at the Providence Regional with an even-par 72. Very’s score helped the Pioneers earn the final state-qualifying spot as they finished third as a team.
Very also finished second in the Floyd Central Invitational in April with a 2-over 73.
“Bryce’s work ethic is terrific,” Allender said. “He’s a class kid and has a wonderful personality. He is humble about what he has done this season. When he plays bad, he stays on the (driving) range until he gets it right.”
SECOND TEAM • JAKE ATKINS, CHARLESTOWN: The senior broke his own nine-hole school record twice this season.
The first time happened on April 19 at Hidden Creek Golf Club’s Links Nine course with an even-par 35. Prior to that, he tied the school record in 2009 with a 36.
Then on May 24, Atkins returned to the Links Nine course and shot a 33 to beat his school record by two strokes.
• COREY EMBRY, NEW ALBANY: The junior was one hole away from punching his ticket to the state finals in last Thursday’s regional.
But Embry, who was vying to be one of the top three individuals on non-advancing teams to qualify for state, lost a playoff on the 10th hole against Triton Central’s Eric Davis and Bedford North Lawrence’s Chase Wagner. Embry shot a 75 during his regional round, as he tried to become the first Bulldog to reach the state finals since Logan Watts in 2007.
Embry suffered a similar fate at the HHC meet in May. He ended up tied with Madison’s Jordan Griffith for medalist honors with a 72 after 18 holes. But Embry lost a one-hole playoff with Griffith and had to settle for the runner-up spot.
Embry was the medalist at the Southern Indiana Open in May at Hidden Creek with a 76.
• EVAN EMBRY, HENRYVILLE: The junior came up one stroke shy of earning medalist honors at the Providence Sectional with an even-par 72 at Covered Bridge. He finished tied for second in the individual standings in becoming the first Hornet golfer to advance to regional since Ben Everage in 2002.
Embry warmed up for sectional by shooting a 74 in an 18-hole dual meet against Borden on May 27.
Embry earned medalist honors at the Southern Athletic Conference meet in May for the third consecutive season by winning a playoff.
• JAY HOLDERMAN, FLOYD CENTRAL: The junior helped the Highlanders reach the state finals by firing a 76 at sectional and a 79 at regional. He also had an 80 at the HHC meet.
• JACK SPARROW, FLOYD CENTRAL: The freshman shared honors with Jenkins for the team’s lowest individual score at sectional with a 75. Sparrow shot a 79 at both the regional and HHC meet.
Floyd Central, Providence make it out of Providence Regional 6/9/2011 by Matt Koesters (The Evening News)
MEMPHIS — So long, Bedford North Lawrence. See you later, Triton Central.
The state’s No. 19 team, Columbus North, put together a spectacular round with a team score of 297 to earn first place at the Providence Regional at Champions Pointe on Thursday, followed by second-place Floyd Central’s 310.
“You’re always happy to advance. That’s really the major goal,” Floyd Central coach Mike Cason said. “Quite frankly, I don’t think our kids played very well today, but just good enough to get out, and that’s the key.
“I’m really surprised about Bedford North Lawrence not making it. They had a nice team, and they just didn’t have a good day today.”
But after the top 2, there were a few surprises.
In an upset, the No. 7 Stars missed the cut by one stroke with a score of 318, edged by an unranked Providence squad that saw Bryce Very’s spectacular even-par 72 earn a share of the medalist honors.
“When he started, he was absolutely throwing darts,” Providence coach Ken Allender said. “He probably had seven puts inside of 10 feet, and they just weren’t staying in the hole. He was hitting the hole, but they just wouldn’t stay in. He hit the ball well enough to be in the mid-60s. He really did play well.”
Floyd Central’s second-place finish was paced by Devin Jenkins, who hit a 75.
“Devin, he was one-over going into the 18th hole and unfortunately made a double bogey,” Cason said. “But he played really solid. He had the ball in the fairways all day, and he’s really playing well.”
Despite Cason’s displeasure with his team’s performance, all five of the Highlanders on the course finished in the 70s. Jared Sturgeon, Jay Holderman and Jack Sparrow each stroked 79s, and Daniel Shepard hit a 77.
“We need to work on our short game, wedge game, chipping and putting,” Cason said. “We’re just not very good at that or at the quality you need to be to have a championship-type team. We’ll work hard on that this weekend and we’ll be better come Tuesday.”
Providence’s third-place finish came thanks largely to Very’s excellent round, but Cory Cahalan’s 77 helped seal the victory.
“Cory Cahalan got back to his regular self at a 77, but it was a bit of a roller coaster from there,” Allender said. “Obviously, it was very hot out there today and the kids were fighting that, but we pulled though and got to advance on.”
Rounding out the Providence round were Ryan Barnes — who was the medalist at the Providence Sectional — and Max Hupp with 84 apiece and Patrick Geary with an 85.
Meanwhile, in another surprise, Triton Central — recognized as an honorable mention on the final Indiana High School Golf Coaches Association poll — finished dead last with a team score of 364.
However, that didn’t stop Triton’s Eric Davis from winning a playoff against New Albany’s Cory Embry to become the third of three players to advance without a team.
While Embry opted to hit a four iron off the green and lay back, Davis’ aggressive strategy of using his driver on the playoff par-four 10th paid off. Davis hit the green on his second shot and two-putted his way into the state tournament.
New Albany coach Rick Belcher said Embry’s strategy was the right play for him, but one error was all it took for things to unravel for the Bulldog leader.
“It kind of came down to his second shot,” Belcher said. “Hi mis-hit, misjudged where he needed to be. All in all, it was a good experience for him.”
The New Albany squad ran up a team score of 330, paced by Embry. The rest of the group didn’t fare as well.
Tyler Banet’s 81 was the next-best score on the team, followed by Garrett Arnold and Damon Nelson with 87 apiece and Dustin Miller with an 88.
Belcher is optimistic for next year, as his full squad returns.
“If they play in the offseason, we’ll be good,” Belcher said. “I thought we were going to have that team this year. I thought we were going to be a 310, 315 team. It didn’t happen. They just need to play in the offseason and get more experience.”
Competing individually, Evan Embry missed the cut by a stroke with a 76. Embry’s biggest stumble was a double bogey on the par-five No. 3 hole.
PROVIDENCE REGIONAL at Champions Pointe, par-72 Columbus North 297, Floyd Central 310, Providence 317, Bloomington North 318, Beford North Lawrence 318, New Albany 330, Madison 332, Columbus East 334, Seymour 338, Shawe Memorial 340, Jennings County 349, Triton Central 364. Individual - Embry (Henryville) 76
Floyd Central gets that old familiar feeling 6/6/2011 by Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
SELLERSBURG — It does not matter if the Floyd Central boys’ golf team has veteran players or young players.
As long as the Highlanders have talent, they always have a good chance at winning the sectional.
On Monday at Covered Bridge Golf Club, Floyd Central’s skilled and deep program found a way to claim the Providence Sectional title again.
The 18th-ranked Highlanders shot a team score of 302 to win their ninth consecutive sectional title, defeating second-place Providence by three strokes. New Albany finished third with a 335. The top three teams and top three individuals on non-advancing squads advance to Thursday’s Providence Regional at Champions Pointe Golf Club in Memphis.
“I’m pretty proud of the kids. We’ve played three sophomores and a freshman pretty much all year. So to come together and win the sectional is pretty satisfying,” Floyd Central head coach Mike Cason said. “It was our best round of the year. We’ve been up and down all year. We have a talented and young team, and that’s why we’ve been up and down all year.”
The Highlanders’ individual scores were consistent across the board, as each Floyd Central golfer shot in the mid-70s. Sophomore Devin Jenkins and freshman Jack Sparrow each fired a 75. Teammates Jared Sturgeon, Jay Holderman and Daniel Shepard carded a 76 apiece.
“We’ve got five kids who are all even right now and they have the talent to go lower,” Cason said. “Hopefully, that will happen at regional.”
Despite not winning its first sectional championship since 1998, Providence got the individual medalist honor.
Playing in his first-ever sectional, Pioneer senior Ryan Barnes shot a 1-under-par 71 to take first place in the individual standings.
Barnes’ strategy of not using his driver all day paid off. He shot a 2-over 38 on the front nine, going up and down for par seven times and making bogeys on both the seventh and ninth holes.
But Barnes caught fire on the back nine. He sank birdies on No. 11 and No. 18 and recorded an eagle on the par-5 14th. He converted five pars on the backside along with a bogey on No. 16.
“I’m absolutely ecstatic with Ryan’s round,” said Providence head coach Ken Allender, who mentioned that Barnes can drive the ball 290 yards with his 3-wood. “He kept the ball in play. He got his head in the right place today.”
A pair of Pioneers each carded rounds in the 70s. Sophomore Max Hupp, who also was playing in his first sectional, scored a 76. Junior Bryce Very carded a 77. Also for Providence, Cory Cahalan shot an 81 and Patrick Geary had an 82.
Allender thought mental toughness was the difference between the Pioneers and Floyd Central.
“It was just our mental outlook at the start,” Allender said. “We were timid on the front nine. I think we tried too hard and that comes with experience. Once we settled down, we played well.”
New Albany earned a regional berth for the second consecutive season. Corey Embry topped the Bulldogs’ scoring chart with an 80, followed by teammate Garrett Arnold with an 83. Rounding out the scoring for New Albany were Damon Nelson with an 85 and Tyler Banet with an 87. Teammate Jonathan Smith fired a 98.
One area golfer who will be joining the Highlanders, Pioneers and Bulldogs Thursday at Champions Pointe is Evan Embry.
The junior was one shot shy of earning medalist honors with an even-par 72, tying him for second in the individual standings with last year’s sectional medalist, Scottsburg’s Andy Gladden.
Starting his round on the back nine, Embry fired a 39 during the first half of his round. He had to settle for three consecutive bogeys on Nos. 14-16.
But he got on a roll on the 18th hole with an eagle. Embry then carried that momentum onto the front nine, where he shot a 3-under 33 and made birdies on the second, fourth and seventh holes.
Embry developed some confidence playing Covered Bridge heading into the sectional. On Friday, May 27, he shot a 2-over 74 at Covered Bridge in an 18-hole dual match against Borden.
Plus Embry should feel comfortable at Champions Pointe since it is the Hornets’ home course.
Silver Creek wound up sixth with a 355. Jeffersonville finished tied with Lanesville for seventh with a 360. Charlestown was ninth with a 370, followed by Clarksville in 10th with a 373. Borden wound up 12th with a 400, Henryville was 14th with a 429 and New Washington placed 15th with a 497. Christian Academy of Indiana fielded an incomplete team.
Corydon’s Joseph Hinton, the son of former Floyd Central and Providence head boys’ basketball coach Joe Hinton, earned the third regional qualifying spot for the top three individuals on non-advancing teams with an 80.
The younger Hinton beat out area players Jason Arrell of CAI and Nick Cappola of Clarksville, who both shot 82.
Cason expects Thursday’s regional to be very competitive. The regional will feature No. 7 Bedford North Lawrence, No. 19 Columbus North, Bloomington North and Seymour. The Highlanders defeated the Stars by one stroke in an 18-hole dual match at Champions Pointe last Wednesday.
“You never know what you are going to get with this group,” Cason said about his players. “Champions Pointe is a harder course and it will depend on how the course is set up. But we play there a lot and we’re familiar with the course.”
Floyd Central 302, Providence 305, New Albany 335, Corydon 338, Scottsburg 343, Silver Creek 355, Jeffersonville 360, Lanesville 360, Charlestown 370, Clarksville 373, North Harrison 394, Borden 400, South Central 405, Henryville 429, New Washington 497, Christian Academy of Indiana NTS
Henryville — Embry 72, Gray 113, Graf 128, Smith 116. Click here for full results
Hornets finish third in regular-season finale 6/2/2011 by Matt Koesters and Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
Henryville ended its regular season by placing third in a triangular meet at Champions Pointe Golf Club in Memphis, shooting a team score of 216. Salem won the meet with a 173, while Trinity Lutheran was second with a 179.
Evan Embry led the Hornets with a 40. Rounding out the scoring for Henryville were Cody Gray with a 52, Logan Smith with a 60 and Tyler Green with a 64. Teddy Graf added a 65.
“We’re at the point where what we have is what we have. As a team, we could’ve shot lower,” Hornets’ head coach Robin Embry said.
Salem (173) - Brown (38), Nice (42), Fultz (43), Smith (50), Morgan (61), St. Clair (68) Trinity Lutheran (179) - Benter (43), Long (44), Hallow (45), Warren (47), Hendrix (54), Schepman (54) Henryville (216) - Embry (40), Gray (52), Smith (60), Green (64), Graf (65)
72nd Senior PGA Championship @ Valhalla Golf Club 5/24-29/2011
The team enjoyed an afternoon at Valhalla golf club in Louisville, KY watching the players' practice rounds. It was a good opportunity to see the pros up close and get a few photos.
Borden downs Henryville; Embry fires 74 5/28/2011 by Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
SELLERSBURG — The Borden boys’ golf team defeated Henryville in an 18-hole dual meet Friday at Covered Bridge Golf Club, 393-418.
Matt Smith paced the Braves with a 96. Rounding out the scoring for Borden were Tony Wagoner III with a 97, Jared Cook with a 98 and Kyle Babiak with a 102. Also for Borden, T.J. Fraley shot a 106 and Dylan Scott carded a 130.
Henryville’s Evan Embry was the medalist, shooting a 2-over-par 74. He made a birdie at the 11th hole and had three bogeys. Hornets’ head coach Robin Embry hopes the younger Embry’s round is a good sign for the upcoming Providence Sectional at Covered Bridge.
“I would think it gives him some added confidence,” Robin Embry said. “I think he’s feeling pretty good about his game right now. It was a steady round for Evan. He seems to be rounding into form the last couple of weeks.”
Rounding out the scoring for Henryville were Cody Gray and Logan Smith each with a 113 and Teddy Graf with a 118.
“It’s good to play the sectional course a week before sectional,” Coach Embry said.
Borden (393) - Smith (96), Wagoner (97), Cook (98), Babiak (102), Fraley (106), Scott (130) Henryville (418) - Embry (74), Gray (113), Smith (113), Graf (118)
Local teams compete in SAC meet/Class A Invitational 5/21/2011 by Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
Borden finished third in the Southern Athletic Conference meet and fourth in the Class A Invitational, as both tournaments took place simultaneously at Champions Pointe Golf Club in Memphis. The combined tournament was reduced from 18 holes to nine because of rain.
The Braves shot a team score of 195 to finish tied with Crothersville. But Borden lost a fifth-player tiebreaker to the Tigers, who ended up second in the SAC and third in the Class A Invite.
Matt Smith led the Braves with a 46, earning a spot on the all-SAC team. Also for Borden, Kyle Babiak shot a 48, Tony Wagoner III carded a 49, T.J. Fraley had a 52 and Jared Cook scored a 55.
Rock Creek Community Academy wound up fifth in the Class A Invite with a 205. Brett Kastetler paced the Lions with a 45. Nathaniel Wilkinson added a 50, while teammate Joe Pearson shot a 54. Rock Creek’s Isaiah Pearson and Jeremiah Wilkinson each shot a 56.
Tournament host Henryville fired a 206 to place sixth in the Class A Invite and fourth in the SAC.
Junior Evan Embry earned medalist honors by shooting a 39 after nine holes and then winning a three-man playoff at the 10th hole. Embry earned medalist honors for the third straight year and made the all-SAC team. Rounding out the scoring for the Hornets were Cody Gray with a 49, Teddy Graf with a 57 and Logan Smith with a 61.
“It was good to see Evan win medalist again,” Henryville head coach Robin Embry said. “Our team score was one of the better team scores we’ve shot at Champions this season.”
New Washington finished eighth in the Class A Invitational and sixth in the SAC with a 235. Matt Renschler led the Mustangs with a 56, followed by teammate Ben Wallis with a 59. New Washington’s Aaron Dean and Keegan Burton each had a 60, and teammate Corbin Hammond posted a 65.
Christian Academy fielded an incomplete team, as it had only three players. The Warriors’ Jason Arrell had a 45, followed by Chris Kidd with a 54 and Josh Harris with a 68.
Trinity Lutheran won the Class A Invite with a 173, and Lanesville won the SAC meet and finished second in the Class A Invite with a 177.
Henryville Class A Invitational: Trinity Lutheran (173), Lanesville (177), Crothersville (195), Borden (195), Rock Creek (205), Henryville (206), South Central (221), New Washington (235), CAI (NTS) SAC Championship: Lanesville (177), Crothersville (195), Borden (195), Henryville (206) - (Embry 39, Gray 49, Graf 57, Smith 61), South Central (221), New Washington (235)
Silver Creek defeats Henryville 5/16/2011
Evan Embry fired a 36 for medalist honors, however, Silver Creek earned the team victory, 161-187.
Red Devils beat Henryville at Champions 5/16/2011 by Matt Koesters and Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
Cody Cunningham earned medalist honors with a 1-over-par 37 to lead Jeff over Henryville at Champions Pointe, 172-223.
Rounding out the scoring for the Red Devils were Kody Watts with a 44, Zack Lovan with a 45 and Jordan Lacy with a 46. Teammate Dalton Naiser fired a 50.
Evan Embry paced the Hornets with a 38. Teammates Cody Gray and Logan Smith each had a 59, while Henryville’s Teddy Graf shot a 67.
Hornet head coach Robin Embry was happy to see Evan Embry bounce back after shooting a disappointing 92 in the Southern Indiana Open last Saturday at Hidden Creek Golf Club.
“Evan found a little something on the range,” Coach Embry said. “He had a little trouble putting today, but he shot a good score. He felt better about his round today than he did Saturday.
Providence not satisfied 5/14/2011 by Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
SELLERSBURG — Providence head boys’ golf coach Ken Allender was pleased to see his players win the Southern Indiana Open Saturday at Hidden Creek Golf Club.
But he was not completely satisfied with his team’s performance.
The Pioneers wound up with a team score of 322 to finish first, but only had one player shoot in the 70s. Defending tournament champion New Albany finished second with a 328, followed by West Washington with a 340.
Silver Creek wound up fourth with a 352, Jeffersonville was sixth with a 360 and tournament host Charlestown placed seventh with a 370. Clarksville was ninth (380), followed by Borden in 11th (407) and Henryville in 12th (451).
Allender says he wants his players to be more mentally focused at this point in the season.
“To be honest, we’re underachieving right now. Mental preparation is a large part of the game,” said Allender, who is in his first year as the Pioneers’ coach. “I’m glad to get the win. But we have a great amount of potential and I want to see them achieve.
“We’ve got to get rid of distractions. When we hit a bad shot, we pout about it and not focus on the next hole.”
Senior Patrick Geary fired Providence’s lowest score with a 78 after a roller-coaster round.
During the first six holes, Geary had three bogeys, one par, one birdie and an eagle, which occurred on the sixth hole. After paring the next four holes, he completed the back nine with three bogeys, two birdies, one par, one double bogey and one triple bogey.
“He’s been struggling lately,” Allender said. “He had a better attitude today. But his potential is greater than that.”
The Pioneers’ Ryan Barnes carded an 80, followed by Bryce Very with an 81 and Cory Cahalan and Max Hupp each with an 83.
Allender says his golfers must get mentally sharper if they are to snap Floyd Central’s eight-year sectional championship streak on June 6 at Covered Bridge Golf Club in Sellersburg. The Pioneers’ last sectional title was in 1998.
“I think we have the physical capabilities to run with Floyd. But we have to battle the mental distractions,” Allender said.
For the second consecutive season, New Albany had the Southern Indiana Open medalist.
The Bulldogs’ Corey Embry won a tiebreaker over Scottsburg standout Andy Gladden to earn medalist honors. After each golfer shot a 76, the tournament
used a unique tiebreaker to determine the medalist. The tiebreaker was the lowest score on the No. 1 handicap hole, which was the par-5 sixth, among the two golfers. Embry made par at No. 6, while Gladden settled for bogey.
Embry did a good job of getting up and down for par all day, breaking even on 12 holes. His lone birdie was on the par-4 15th hole, while he made five bogeys.
“It was excellent,” New Albany head coach Rick Belcher said about Embry’s round. “That’s what he is capable of doing every time he plays. But he left a lot out there.”
The Bulldogs’ Tyler Banet, last year’s SIO medalist, ended up with a 79. Teammate Damon Nelson had an 85, followed by New Albany’s Dustin Miller with an 88 and Garrett Arnold with an 89.
“I feel that my top three are really good players,” Belcher said. “Tyler had a really good round. Damon is struggling with his swing right now. He’s got some mid-swing issues.”
Belcher and the Bulldogs will participate in one of the biggest tournaments of the season next weekend when they compete in the Hoosier Hills Conference meet at Sunrise Golf Club in Madison. New Albany will encounter a tough field that includes the No. 17 Highlanders and seventh-ranked Bedford North Lawrence.
“At conference, we’re going to have to go low,” Belcher said. “It’s going to take four scores of 75 or lower.”
The Bulldogs also are trying to qualify for the Providence Regional for the second year in a row. For that to happen, they will have to finish in the top three at the Providence Sectional on June 6.
“If Damon gets his swing back and Tyler gets it back, we can do it,” Belcher said.
Silver Creek continued to show its improvement after starting the season with a 10th-place finish at the Fuzzy Zoeller Invitational at Covered Bridge.
Senior Josh Crase led the Dragons’ fourth-place showing with an 84, followed by classmate Ryan Kinzer with an 86. Silver Creek senior Travis Cox shot an 89. Also for the Dragons, Collin Tingle fired a 93 and Blake Duncan carded a 110.
Cody Cunningham topped the Jeff scorecard with an 82. Rounding out the scoring for the Red Devils were Jordan Lacy with an 89, Zack Lovan with a 90 and Dalton Naiser with a 99. Teammate Kody Watts shot a 103.
Charlestown’s Jake Atkins tied Geary for third place in the individual standings with a 78 at his home course. Also for the Pirates, Andrew Gregory had a 91, Eddie Huber shot a 98, Doug Wolfe had a 103 and Alex Shepherd scored a 109.
Nick Cappola led Clarksville with an 82. Kyle Babiak posted Borden’s lowest score with a 91. Junior Evan Embry paced Henryville with a 92.
Providence 322, New Albany 328, West Washington 340, Silver Creek 352, Scottsburg 358, Jeffersonville 360, Charlestown 370, Lanesville 379, Clarksville 380, North Harrison 395, Borden 407, Henryville 451 (Embry 92, Gray 115, Graf 118, Smith 126)
Hornets downs CAI 5/12/2011 by Matt Koesters and Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
Evan Embry shot a 38 to earn medalist honors and lead Henryville to a dual-meet victory over Christian Academy of Indiana Thursday at the Links Nine course at Hidden Creek Golf Club. The Hornets shot a 189, while the Warriors fielded an incomplete team.
Rounding out the scoring for Henryville were Cody Gray with a 46, Logan Smith with a 48 and Teddy Graf with a 57.
“Even though the course was less challenging than Champions Pointe (the Hornets’ home course), it was good to have a couple of our guys under 50,” Henryville head coach Robin Embry said.
Jason Arrell led CAI with a 47, followed by teammates Chris Kidd and Josh Harris with a 54 and 66, respectively.
Henryville (189) - Embry (38), Gray (46), Smith (48), Graf (57) Christian Academy (NTS) - Arrell (47), Kidd (54), Harris (66)
Henryville tops three-way meet 5/11/2011 by Matt Koesters (The Evening News)
Henryville’s 204 was good enough to best South Central and Pekin Eastern at Champions Pointe on Wednesday.
“We’re definitely getting better,” Henryville coach Robin Embry said. “If we can turn these 50-somethings into 40-somethings, we’ll be right there and competitive in conference.”
Evan Embry led all scorers with 37 strokes.
“Evan’s had a good spring, and he shot another good round today,” Embry said.
Also for the Hornets, Cody Gray hit a 51, Tyler Green and Logan Smith each stroked a 58 and Teddy Graf had a 60.
“The kids were excited to shoot better,” Embry said.
Henryville (204) - Embry (37), Gray (51), Green (58), Smith (58), Graf (60) South Central (214) - LaClair (52), Dehn (52), Parrish (54), Edlin (56), Weinert (56) Eastern (Pekin) (216) - Oberhausen (48), Neal (51), Omerso (57), Newbolds (60), Morgan (69), Manzanalze (70)
Henryville struggles at Hauser Invitational 5/7/2011 by Matt Koesters and Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
Henryville had a rough day at the Hauser Invitational Saturday at Clifty Creek Golf Course in Hope, striking a 421 that was good for seventh place.
Despite the poor showing, Henryville’s Evan Embry was one of the bright spots on the day, hitting a 77 on the par-72 course, the second-best score of the day behind Triton Central’s Aaron Carew.
“Evan played a solid round,” Henryville coach Robin Embry said. “He had several birdie putts that looked good, but they just didn’t fall. He’s really close to posting some really low scores.”
Henryville’s Tyler Green hit a 111, Cody Gray had a 113 and Teddy Graf hit a 120. Logan Smith had a 123 for the Hornets.
“Tyler and Cody struggled, but I’m hopeful they’ll turn it around soon,” Embry said. “Teddy and Logan improved on the backside. Hopefully, we’ll see our scores shrink over these final few weeks.”
Triton Central (333), Trinity Lutheran (360), Morristown (364), Edinburgh (390), Hauser (395), Southwestern (Shelby) (417), Henryville (421) - Embry (77), Green (111), Gray (113), Graf (120), Smith (123)
Hornets, Lions tie for second in tri-meet 5/5/2011 by Matt Koesters and Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
On Thursday, Henryville and Rock Creek Community Academy tied for second with a team score of 208 in a triangular meet at Chariot Run Golf Club in Elizabeth. Host South Central won the meet with a 192.
The Hornets’ Evan Embry was the medalist with a 39. Rounding out the Henryville scoring were Tyler Green with a 52, Cody Gray with a 54 and Teddy Graf with a 63.
“If we’ll just really commit to doing a few basic things correctly, our scores are going to drop,” Hornets coach Robin Embry said. “(Evan Embry) continues to play well and we think his scores will continue to improve.”
Brett Kastetler led the Lions with a 47. Teammate Isaiah Pearson shot a 50. Also for Rock Creek, Nathaniel Wilkinson shot a 52 and Jeremiah Wilkinson carded a 59.
South Central (192) - Dehn (46), LaClair (47), Edlin (47), Parrish (52) Henryville (208) - Embry (39), Green (52), Gray (54), Graf (63) Rock Creek (208) - Kastetler (47), Pearson (50), N. Wilkinson (52), J. Wilkinson (59)
Braves win West Clark tri-meet 4/28/2011 by Matt Koesters and Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
In the annual West Clark Schools triangular meet, Borden defeated against second-place Silver Creek and third-place Henryville at Champions Pointe Golf Club in Memphis.
The meet lasted only five holes because of rain. All three teams used the Stableford scoring system.
The Braves recorded a team score of minus one, followed by the Dragons with a minus 18 and the Hornets with a minus 19.
Bordens Matt Smith earned medalist honors with a 10. Rounding out the scoring for the Braves were Tony Wagoner III with a zero, Kyle Babiak with minus one and Jared Cook with minus 10.
Ryan Kinzer led Silver Creek with a minus one, followed by teammates Travis Cox with a minus three, Collin Tingle with a minus six and Josh Crace with a minus eight.
Henryville's Evan Embry scored a zero. Teammate Cody Gray scored a minus three. Also for the Hornets, Tyler Green and Teddy Graf each shot a minus eight.
"Matt Smith played a nice round", Henryville coach Robin Embry said. "Obviously, conditions are less than perfect, but it was the same for everybody."
Rock Creek beats Hornets on tiebreaker 4/26/2011 by Matt Koesters and Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
Rock Creek Community Academy defeated Henryville in a dual meet on a fifth-player tiebreaker at Champions Pointe Golf Club in Memphis.
Each team fired a team score of 227. But the Lions’ No. 5 player Isaiah Pearson shot a 66, 12 shots lower than the Hornets’ fifth golfer, Logan Smith.
Brett Kastetler and Nathaniel Wilkinson each led Rock Creek with a 54. Rounding out the scoring for the Lions were Joe Pearson with a 59 and Jeremiah Wilkinson with a 60.
Henryville’s Evan Embry earned medalist honors with a 42. Rounding out the scoring for the Hornets were Tyler Green with a 57, Cody Gray with a 60 and Teddy Graf with a 68.
“You can see we’re improving. It’s just a matter what you’re looking for,” Hornets’ head coach Robin Embry said.
Rock Creek (227) - Kastetler (54), N. Wildinson (54), J. Pearson (59), J. Wilkinson (60), I. Pearson (66) Henryville (227) - Embry (42), Green (57), Gray (60), Graf (68), Smith (78)
Hornets fall to Trinity Lutheran 4/18/2011 by Matt Koesters and Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
Henryville shot a team score of 215 to lose to Trinity Lutheran at Shadowood Golf Course in Seymour. The Cougars fired a 192.
The Hornets’ Evan Embry won the medalist honors with a 41. Also for Henryville, Tyler Green shot a 51, Cody Gray carded a 55, Teddy Graf had a 68 and Logan Smith scored a 75.
“We just need to keep working and improving. If we put the time in, I think we’ll get there,” Hornets’ head coach Robin Embry said.
Trinity Lutheran (192) - Long (46), Hallow (48), Benter (49), Schepman (49), Hendrix (50), Patmore (58), Lucas (68) Henryville (215) - Embry (41), Green (51), Gray (55), Graf (68), Smith (75)
Charlestown bests Borden and Henryville 4/13/2011 by Matt Koesters (The Evening News)
Charlestown came out on the top of the leaderboard at Champions Pointe on Wednesday, winning a triangular match against Borden and Henryville with a team score of 196.
Borden scored 201, and Henryville had 215 swings in the loss to the Pirates.
The medalist of the match was Henryville’s Evan Embry, who shot a 39. However, his teammates were each at least 12 strokes behind him.
“Evan played another nice round,” Henryville coach Robin Embry said, “but other than that we need to continue to work and improve. I believe (the team) can do that.”
Charlestown was led by Jake Atkins’ 46, and Borden had three players — Matt Smith, Tony Wagoner III and Kyle Babiak — that led their team with 48 apiece.
Charlestown (196) - Atkins (46), Gregory (49), Wolfe (50), Scott (51), Jackson (60) Borden (201) - Smith (48), Wagoner (48), Babiak (48), Cook (57), Fraley (60), Scott (62) Henryville (215) - Embry (39), Gray (51), Green (53), Graf (72), O'Connell (76)
Crothersville wins triangular match against Henryville and CAI 4/7/2011 by Kevin Harris (The Evening News)
Crothersville edged Henryville at Champions Pointe on Thursday, 203-209.
Henryville got a par performance from Evan Embry, who hit a field-best 36. However, the next best score for the Hornets was a 51, courtesy of Cody Gray.
“I need to help them with their commitment to their game,” Henryville coach Robin Embry said. “With practice, I think we’ll get better.”
Christian Academy of Indiana could not field four golfers. CAI was led by Jayson Arrell’s 42.
Boys' Golf Preview 3/23/2011 by Matt Koesters (The Evening News)
CLARKSVILLE — CLARKSVILLE — Usually, coaching transitions take place during down years. Not so for the Providence boys’ golf team.
The Pioneers have reached the IHSAA State Finals three years in a row, and they’re hoping to make it a fourth under new coach Ken Allender.
Allender brings a wealth of golf experience to an already successful Providence team. Allender has been a member of the Professional Golfers Association for more than 20 years and has participated on a number of professional tours. He holds course records at golf courses throughout the Kentuckiana region, and he’s been a club pro and teaching pro.
Additionally, Allender has helped with the Madison golf program in the past, and several of his pupils have played for collegiate golf teams.
So when Allender looks at Providence, he sees an opportunity to take the successful program even further.
“I think the thing from the Providence standpoint that really attracted me is it has the potential to have a terrific feeder system,” Allender said. “There’s a lot of history in golf with Providence. They’ve had some really successful years.”
Although he did not attend Providence, he was already a member of the Providence community. Allender’s wife is a Providence alum, and his son attends middle school there.
Allender takes on a team that has tasted great success, but lost two key golfers when Andrew Lobeck and Robert Spiller retired after the 2010 campaign. Still, the team has a great deal of talent, and Allender believes a fourth state-tournament run isn’t out of the question.
“I don’t see that being out of reach,” Allender said.
TEAM PREVIEWS
BORDEN • COACH: Tony Wagoner • RETURNING: Kyle Babiak, Matthew Smith, Jared Cook. • NEWCOMERS: Freshmen Tony Wagoner III, T.J. Fraley and Dylan Scott. • DEPARTURES: Hayden Casey, who is running track this spring. • OUTLOOK: Thanks to an improving feeder program, the freshmen have a chance to contribute immediately. Coach Wagoner believes his team will be competitive this season. • TOUGH TOURNAMENTS: Floyd Central Invitational, Southern Indiana Open, Corydon Invitational. • COACH WAGONER SAYS: “I think our outlook is pretty good. We should challenge for (the Southern Athletic) conference this year, and be right up there with the top teams in our conference.”
CHARLESTOWN • COACH: Jason Connell • RETURNING: Jake Atkins, Doug Wolfe, Alex Meredith, Andrew Gregory, Eddie Huber, Tyler Jackson, Austin Casey. • NEWCOMERS: Jordan Scott, Robbie Harris, Brandon Smothers, Alex Shepherd. • DEPARTURES: None. • OUTLOOK: Outside of Atkins, most of the players are still developing, according to Connell.
“It could be a struggle, or it could be good,” Connell said. “It just depends.”
Connell says the measure of success is simply improvement over last season. • TOUGH OPPONENTS: Floyd Central, Providence, Clarksville. • CONNELL SAYS: “I expect a lot out of Jake. He plays a lot out of season. Golf’s a big part of his life. As far as the other guys, I think they’re still learning a little bit, understanding what it takes to be good. Golf in our area is season, but you have to work at it in the offseason to be good. I still think we’ve got some young kids.”
FLOYD CENTRAL • COACH: Mike Cason • RETURNING: Jared Sturgeon, Jay Holderman, Sam Gesenhues, Glenn Bertram, four sophomores — Devin Jenkins, Daniel Shepherd, Alex Beyer, Austin Peckham. • NEWCOMERS: Freshmen Jack Sparrow, Connor Welch, Tanner Cook. • DEPARTURES: David Frank, Brad Baumann, Cameron Farrell. • OUTLOOK: After finishing fourth at the state finals last season, Cason feels that this is yet another state-championship caliber team at Floyd Central. But it’s a younger squad and may take a bit of time to come together. The talent on the squad is undeniable — its top eight golfers are within four shots of one another. • TOUGH OPPONENTS/TOURNAMENTS: Floyd Central Invitational, Legends, Zionsville at Golf Club of Indiana. • CASON SAYS: “The only thing holding us back is inexperience. We’ve got quite a young team, really.”
HENRYVILLE • COACH: Robin Embry • RETURNING: Evan Embry, Cody Gray, Tyler Green. • NEWCOMERS: Logan Smith, Teddy Graf. • DEPARTURES: Jonathan Clark, Taylor Weeks (both players were in last year’s top three for the team). • OUTLOOK: With a lot of youth, Henryville might have a bit of trouble taking their Southern Athletic Conference-championship streak to six years running. But Coach Embry feels that Evan Embry could carry the team early on while the more inexperienced golfers get up to speed. • TOUGH OPPONENTS/TOURNAMENTS: Lanesville, Borden, New Washington, Class A Invitational, Corydon Invitational, Southern Indiana Open. • COACH EMBRY SAYS: “Evan will probably be near the top in most of the matches and tournaments we play. He could be one of the better players in the area. We’ll need scores in the 40’s from Cody and Tyler, and I think they’ll be able to do that. In addition, each match we’ll need a respectable score from Logan or Teddy. We may struggle the first part of the season. However, if we put in quality practice time, we’ll show a lot of improvement by the end of the season.”
NEW ALBANY • COACH: Rick Belcher • RETURNING: Damon Nelson, Corey Embry, Tyler Banet, Garrett Arnold, Tyrell Cunningham, Dustin Miller, Logan Meadows. • NEWCOMERS: Three freshmen are currently battling for the last two spots on the team. • DEPARTURES: Logan Bensing, Jace Moller. • OUTLOOK: The team is stocked with sophomores and juniors, but Belcher has high expectations this season. • TOUGH TOURNAMENTS: Fuzzy Zoeller Invitational, Battleground tournament, Hoosier Hills Conference Tournament. • BELCHER SAYS: “Going into this season, I felt really, really good because last year my sophomores ended really well in the tournament. They didn’t shoot outstanding scores, but they played well for sophomores.”
PROVIDENCE • COACH: Ken Allender • RETURNING: Bryce Very, Cory Cahalan, Elliott Happel, Paxton Schowe. • NEWCOMERS: Ryan Barnes. • DEPARTURES: Andrew Lobeck, Robert Spiller. • OUTLOOK: Relatively young from an experience standpoint, the Pioneers still feel they could make another deep run in the postseason this spring. • ALLENDER SAYS: “We’ve got the potential to get back to the state tournament through sectional and regional qualifying. I don’t see that being out of reach. We’re going to be relatively young from an experience standpoint.”
