As the sport with the earliest start to its season, girls golf finds itself looking at the end of its season in mid-September. The Sectional tournament starts soon after the Pocket Athletic Conference match.
The Lady Titans golf PAC was held at Country Oaks this year. The girls scored a total of 347 points, holding the title of champion out of 13 teams. Junior Haley Hughes was a medalist and an All-Conference player in the PAC, shooting a 76. Her teammate, senior Katelyn Walker, also earned All-Conference honors, shooting an 86.
The Sectional was held at Buffalo Trace Golf Course in Jasper on Sept. 23. The Lady Titans shot a combined total score of 378, which was enough for the team to come in second place out of ten teams, falling behind Jasper by 29 points.
Everyone on the team was nervous leading up to the Sectional, as they were hoping to advance beyond it. The match was going to be a close competition on who was going to advance, so they all had to have their best performances.
“During Sectional, I was filled with excitement and a little bit of nervousness,” sophomore Olivia Alston said. “I was excited that our season had not ended yet and that I had another match to play with our wonderful seniors. Even though I was eager, I was a little nervous. But, I knew our team could make it past Sectional.”
Hughes was the top scorer for the team, scoring 81 points and was a Sectional medalist. She was nervous but knew she had to keep going through the game, even if she struggled at the beginning.
“During Sectional, my thoughts were to just keep going, even if I had a rough hole,” Hughes said.
At Sectional, Walker followed close behind Hughes in points with 89, senior Aubree Davis with 100, senior Mallory Maurer with 108 and Alston with 112 points.
“I was feeling great during Sectional,” Alston said. “I was constantly improving and becoming closer to everyone on the team. Golf is a mental game and having a team as supportive and uplifting as ours increased my performance and love for the sport.”
After their second place Sectional finish, the girls continued their season at the Regional at Country Oaks Golf Club in Montgomery, Indiana. This was the fifth Regional in which the Lady Titans played.
“At Regional, I was slightly nervous just because I was not hitting well before the match,” Hughes said. “After the front nine, I was determined to get a better score. I did, but not good enough to make it further in the competition.”
The Lady Titans ended their season at the Regional, coming in seventh place with a total score of 376. Hughes led the team with an 87. Walker and Maurer each shot a 95. Alston rounded out the team with a 99. Davis was disqualified in the Regional.
