.png)
BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
Kaydence Mellott shot a 46 to claim medalist honors and lead the Tippecanoe Valley girls golf team to a win in a three-way match over visiting Northwestern and Peru on the front nine at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Tuesday.
Valley shot a 192, Northwestern shot a 221, and Peru had a 272.
Madelyn Weaver shot a 48, and Molly Moriarty and Lily Ault each shot a 49 to support Mellott’s score. Maddie Thompson added a 55.
This marked the first time that a player other than Weaver had been Valley’s low scorer. Both Weaver and Moriarty had finished in the top five among individuals at the Benton Central Invitational Friday, a tournament Valley had won as a team.
Based on that performance and a second-place showing at the 18-hole Plymouth Invitational and a nine-hole win over Columbia City and Wawasee, Valley earned honorable mention status in this week’s coaches poll.
“Obviously, I like the way we’ve started,” Valley coach Thadd Mellott said. “That being said, today was a little bit of a struggle. It wasn’t terrible, but it definitely wasn’t up to our standards. I would like to be in the low 180s or maybe a 170-something. But we’ll take it. … Next week is our struggle week. It’s the first week of school, and the girls get tired. It’s tough … but we’ll tackle that next week.”
As for Kaydence Mellott, coach Mellott said she “worked some kinks out of the driver” after receiving some private lessons over the weekend.
Valley won the Three Rivers Conference and qualified for the regional in 2020. In 2021, they were second in the TRC behind Maconaquah and finished fourth in the sectional.
Returning to their 2020 level has motivated the team thus far, according to Weaver.
“I really hope that we can win conference,” Weaver said. “That’s the goal. But we just have to keep practicing.”
Kaydence Mellott, Weaver, Moriarty and Ault are all seniors.
“I can put any of those girls at number two, I can put any of them at number three, I can put any of them at number four, and they’re all solid golfers,” coach Mellott said. “It just gives me good confidence going into every match.”
Said Weaver: “It definitely helps that we all have four years under our belt compared to freshman year. We were all nervous and timid for all the tournaments. Now we know what’s going on and how to play.”
at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Tuesday (front nine, par 36)
VALLEY (192): Kaydence Mellott 46, Madelyn Weaver 48, Molly Moriarty 49, Lily Ault 49, (Maddie Thompson 55)
NORTHWESTERN (221): Wray 50, Smith 51, Padfield 54, Shoaff 66, (Applegate 68), (Roagner 69)
PERU (272): Guyer 64, Baker 65, Nero 71, Wouster 72, (Nero 72)
