McKaig shoots 80, helps Pioneer win Hoosier North at rainy Round Barn

Hanson also makes all-conference; Juby, Winamac’s Hines make honorable mention

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

The Pioneer girls golf team won the Hoosier North title with a 405 at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Saturday. They beat runner-up North Miami by 14 strokes. From left – Emma Juby, Kendra Hanson, Mia McKaig, Selena Johnson, Kassandra Martinez. McKaig shot an 80 to earn conference medalist honors. Hanson shot a 98 to make the all-conference team, and Juby shot a 110 to earn honorable mention all-conference honors.

Led by medalist Mia McKaig, the Pioneer girls golf team poured in enough putts in the pouring rain to win the Hoosier North tournament at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Saturday.

McKaig shot an 80 to win conference medalist for the second straight year and make the all-conference team for the third straight. She beat runner-up Sophia Chaffins of North Judson by 16 strokes.

McKaig’s teammate Kendra Hanson shot a 98 and finished third overall. McKaig, Chaffins and Hanson were the only three players to break 100 in the rainy conditions.

Pioneer won with a 405. North Miami, last year’s champions, took second with a 419. Among other area schools, Winamac was fifth with a 460, Caston was sixth with a 523, and Culver had an incomplete team.

In addition to McKaig and Hanson, Emma Juby shot a 110 to earn honorable mention all-conference honors. Selena Johnson’s 117 and Kassandra Martinez’s 134 rounded out the Pioneer scorecard.

A state qualifier as an individual in 2024, McKaig was likely the medalist coming into the tournament. It’s the team title that meant the most.

“That’s what we really cared about,” McKaig said. “Because I knew there wasn’t going to be much competition individually because we’ve played all these teams, and I knew it wasn’t really going to be close unless something crazy happened. But our goal was to win as a team because it makes all the other girls feel good too like they’re contributing. Because sometimes, they see my score, and they’re like, ‘Oh, I’m so bad,’ but they’re not. We really needed everybody today.”

Hanson spoke of how McKaig inspired her.

“Mia is actually a really good inspiration for me,” Hanson said. “She pushes me to be better than what I am. She always tells me to do better, and she helps me.”

Hanson said making all-conference felt “really good.” She said she practiced three times a week over the summer to get ready

“It’s my senior year, and I just wanted it to be better this year than last year,” Hanson said. “It was pouring down rain, and I really couldn’t see half of the time, so it was just making it hard with all the rain and me slipping and sliding everywhere.”

McKaig was hoping to break 80, but a bogey on the final hole prevented it. Still, she was satisfied given the weather.

“I think it’s one of the hardest courses I play,” McKaig said. “The holes are weird, and there’s just some hard holes. And all the trouble on the left, it seems like I don’t play many places where there is trouble on the left. … And for me personally, it’s really hard because I have three straight holes with water on the left, and I put it in the water at least once every time I play here.”

Winamac’s low scorer was Hunter Hines with a 108, and she made the honorable mention all-Hoosier North team. Cady Jones added a 113, Brianna Patton had a 115, Kandace Kroft had a 124, and Marissa Iverson had a 135.

Kylie Reidenbach led Caston with a 119. Anna Rude added a 131, Ava Russell had a 135, Alyssa Smith had a 138, and Leah Ehlinger had a 144.

“Despite the rainy conditions, the Caston ladies persevered and finished in sixth place,” Caston coach Rick Phelps said in a statement. “All the golfers and the parents, grandparents and friends who came to cheer them on should be commended for their commitment to Comet Ladies golf.”

Madison Beach was Culver’s lone player. She shot a 124.

HOOSIER NORTH TOURNAMENT

at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Saturday (par 72)

PIONEER 405, North Miami 419, North Judson 426, Triton 435, WINAMAC 460, CASTON 523, CULVER (INCOMPLETE TEAM), Oregon-Davis (incomplete team)

PIONEER (405): Mia McKaig 80, Kendra Hanson 98, Emma Juby 110, Selena Johnson 117, (Kassandra Martinez 134)

NORTH MIAMI (419): Sturch 100, Early 103, Blackford 105, Musall 111, (Deardorff 113)

NORTH JUDSON (426): S. Chaffins 96, Wright 105, A. Chaffins 110, Box 115, (Beauchamp 136)

TRITON (435): McKinney 100, Heckaman 107, Wright 113, Kitsch 115, (Balsley 119)

WINAMAC (460): Hunter Hines 108, Cady Jones 113, Brianna Patton 115, Kandace Kroft

Winamac’s Hunter Hines earned honorable mention all-Hoosier North honors after shooting a 108 at the conference tournament at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Saturday.

124, (Marissa Iverson 135)

CASTON (523): Kylie Reidenbach 119, Anna Rude 131, Ava Russell 135, Alyssa Smith 138, (Leah Ehlinger 144)

CULVER: Madison Beach 124

OREGON-DAVIS: no scores listed

All-Hoosier North (top eight): 1. Mia McKaig (PIO) – 80, 2. Sophia Chaffins (NJSP) – 96, 3. Kendra Hanson (PIO) – 98, t-4. Bryanne Sturch (NM) – 100, t-4. Chloe McKinney (TRI) – 100, 6. Hannah Early (NM) – 103, t-7. Alex Blackford (NM) – 105, t-7. Avalee Wright (NJSP) – 105

Honorable mention (9th-16th places): 9. Sydney Heckaman (TRI) – 107, 10. Hunter Hines (WIN) – 108, t-11. Amelia Chaffins (NJSP) – 110, t-11. Emma Juby (PIO) – 110, 13. Laney Musall (NM) – 111, t-14. Kinley Deardorff (NM) – 113, t-14. Cady Jones (WIN) – 113, t-14. Maddison Wright (TRI) – 113