Lucy Young is expected to continue her ascent in Center Grove’s girls golf lineup by taking over the No. 1 spot this season.
A junior, Young knows she’ll need to be more of a vocal leader than ever before.
“I hope to set as good of an example as Shelby (Schier) did last year,” Young said of last season’s top player, one of three graduated senior starters (a fourth transferred to another school).
“She always had a positive attitude and was very encouraging to the other players on our team.”
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As a freshman, Young played in the No. 5 spot. A year ago she was No. 3 for the Trojans, who won the fifth sectional in school history before a seventh-place effort at regional kept them from the IHSAA Girls Golf State Finals.
She carded a 39-40—79 at last year’s Center Grove Sectional at Hickory Stick.
Among her impressive regular-season outings were Young’s nine-hole score of 42 in the team’s three-way triumph against Perry Meridian and Roncalli and the 78 she produced at the annual Johnson County Tournament.
Trojans coach Jim Williams is pleased with the progress Young has made playing junior tournaments this summer.
“It will be a new role for her, and it will be an adjustment for her. But Lucy is the type of kid where nothing seems to bother her,” Williams said. “She’s extremely even-keeled and has the perfect demeanor for golf.
“It may be such where she’ll have to be a little bit more vocal than what she has been, but it’s all part of the maturation process.”
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<strong>Center Grove Trojans</strong>
Coach: Jim Williams
Last year: First, Center Grove Sectional; seventh, Roncalli Regional.
Who’s back: Julie Breshears and Gabby Burgett, seniors; Lucy Young, junior; Hallie Booher, Hope Davis, Meredith Fain and Kat Moore, sophomores.
Who’s gone: Shelby Schier, Kirby Swails, Ashley Voyles, Hannah Wilson.
New kids on the block: Savannah Burk, Megan Fosnot, Jezalyn Hyzer, Lauren Pagel, Kelley Yocum.
Outlook: Despite the loss of four starters, the Trojans don’t lack talent to put in the lineup behind junior returnee Lucy Young. Sophomores Hallie Booher and Hope Davis will be counted on to fill bigger roles, as will another soph, Kat Moore. “It’s going to be a little bit of a building process, but we’ve got a group that loves to play golf and is willing to work at it,” Williams said. “We preach to them that it’s not where you are now, but where you are in mid-September.”
<strong>Edinburgh Lancers</strong>
Coach: Doug Weddle
Last year: Seventh of eight teams at Bloomington North Sectional
Who’s back: Vanessa McManaway, Makenzie Hill, Savannah Kellams and Kierra Richards, seniors; Maddy Giles and Bethany Burton, juniors.
Who’s gone: None.
New kids on the block: Destini Myers, sophomore; Morgan Calhoun, freshman.
Outlook: Players who helped start the Lancers program in the fall of 2014 are seniors now and looking to take that next step. Vanessa McManaway and Makenzie Hill return after securing all-conference recognition in Edinburgh’s second-place finish at the Mid-Hoosier Conference Meet. “I hope we can do pretty well in the sectional and the conference meet,” Weddle said. “The players are ready to go, and we’re looking forward to this season.”
<strong>Franklin Grizzly Cubs</strong>
Coach: Chris Kacarab
Last year: Fifth of 10 teams at Center Grove Sectional
Who’s back: Avery Auton and Amber Reider, seniors; Kylee Burnside, Taylor Drake and Lexie Mackie, juniors; Emily Miller, Rachel Pinnick and Alexa Wilkison, sophomores.
Who’s gone: Kristina Young.
New kids on the block: Ellie Beavins, Jaclyn Boardman, Olivia Parramore and Carly Woodward, freshmen.
Outlook: The Grizzlies graduated their No. 3 player in Kristina Young but return enough talent to equal, if not better, last season’s accomplishments. Avery Auton, who played No. 1, is back, as is Taylor Drake, a regional qualifier last season after shooting 87 at sectional. “Two years in a row we’ve had an individual advance to regional,” Kacarab said. “I think advancing as a team is a realistic goal this season.”
<strong>Greenwood Woodmen</strong>
Coach: Brittany Runge
Last year: Fourth of 11 teams at Mt. Vernon Sectional
Who’s back: Bridget Lindstrom and Laila Stein, juniors; Christina Challman, Kinly Mahan, Taylor Watson, Maeci West and Maecee Terhune, sophomores.
Who’s gone: Julianna Lamey.
New kid on the block: Rheanah Hoover, freshman.
Outlook: The Woodmen don’t lack motivation after missing out on a regional berth by a single stroke last season. Four of their five players are back in junior Laila Stein and sophomores Maecee Terhune, Taylor Watson and Maeci West. “I’m very excited for this season,” Runge said. “This group of girls learned a lot and are extremely motivated to do better than they did last year.”
<strong>Greenwood Christian Academy Cougars</strong>
Coach: Shannon Witte
Last year: Tenth of 11 teams at Mt. Vernon Sectional
Who’s back: Allison Christie, junior; Sophia Valant and Jessica Kjerstad, sophomores.
Who’s gone: Skylar Rathz and Ashley Heldman.
New kid on the block: Ashtyn Witte, freshman.
Outlook: GCA looks forward its second year of having a girls golf program with the return of its top three players from its 2016 sectional lineup. “The experience we gained last season was pretty valuable, and we get to take that into this season,” Witte said.
<strong>Indian Creek Braves</strong>
Coach: Rose Moore
Last year: Sixth of eight teams at Bloomington North Sectional
Who’s back: Sam Etter and Olivia Parsley, seniors; Lauren Parsley, junior; Jacqui Button, sophomore.
Who’s gone: Jessi Button.
New kids on the block: Evelyn Cline, senior; Caitlyn Snyder, junior; Lauren Pendleton, sophomore.
Outlook: The team that finished fourth in the Johnson County Tournament a year ago welcomes back four starters. Three newcomers give coach Moore added depth and hopefully some enticing options for rounding out her lineup. “Hopefully, we will find our footing without (graduated) Jessi (Button),” Moore said. “We want to be able to move up in our conference tournament.”
<strong>Whiteland Warriors</strong>
Coach: Crystal Morse
Last year: Third at Center Grove Sectional; regional qualifier.
Who’s back: Rachel Giroud, senior; Bri Harwell and Mason Pendleton, juniors; Lydia Collier, Allie Watson, Kierra Mitchell and Abby Mott, sophomores.
Who’s gone: Audrey Eckart.
New kids on the block: Lucy Gearhart and Delaney Goodrich, freshmen.
Outlook: Four-fifths of the Warriors’ postseason lineup is back with Harwell, last year’s No. 2 player, expected to move into the top spot. Whiteland has extra motivation to get back to the Roncalli Regional, as it’s being played this season at The Legends Golf Course in Franklin. “Making it out of sectional is our goal, and then having that confidence going into regional,” Morse said.
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