Pioneer beats Valley, Caston behind McKaig’s 42, Hanson’s 49

Miller leads Lady Vikes with 44

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Kendra Hanson

The showdown between Pioneer’s Mia McKaig and Tippecanoe Valley’s Savana Miller might have been the one to watch during the teams’ three-way dual match that also included Caston over the front nine at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Monday.

But in the end, what kept kids and coaches a little fidgety in the clubhouse afterwards had to do with the results at No. 5.

The teams were tied through the first four spots in the lineup, but No. 5 Kassandra Martinez scored a 67 to lift Pioneer to the win.

Pioneer finished with a 221, Valley had a 224, and Caston had a 280.

McKaig, playing for the first time after breaking the school record with a 77 over 18 holes at the Logansport Invitational at Dykeman Park Golf Course Saturday, was the medalist with a 42, but No. 2 player Kendra Hanson added a 49, a lifetime best over 9 holes. Emma Juby added a 63, and Morgan Schlotman had a 70 for the Lady Panthers.

Pioneer and Valley were tied through the first four lineup spots, but once Martinez reported with a 67, they were able to drop Schlotman’s score, and that led to the three-shot margin of victory.

“This was a rough round,” Pioneer coach Megan Peppers said. “Mia and Kendra played really well, and then it went kind of downhill from there. The front nine on Round Barn is one of the hardest things we play all season. It was really tough. They had a rough night tonight.”

McKaig’s 42 came despite depositing three shots in the water.

While McKaig is a returning state qualifier, Hanson and Juby have lowered their scores, according to Peppers. Hanson’s 49 was a personal best for nine holes.

“Kendra (has) dropped five to seven strokes, and that has really put us over the edge of putting us from tying and barely losing to winning,” Peppers said. “That’s really been the change. Emma Juby’s consistently 10 strokes lower. Not tonight, but normally, she’s about 10 strokes lower, and the two of them, being where they are now, have really helped us. We eked out a lot of wins last year, and that’s not been true so far. So far we’ve done really well.”

Valley No. 5 player McKinley Burton was Martinez’s playing partner, and she also shot a 67, but she needed to shoot a 63 or lower in order to lower Valley’s team score.

Miller led the way with a 44, Maris Overbey and Brystol Sands each shot a 58, and Gentry Bouse had a 64.

“She probably didn’t enjoy it too much tonight because she was having an off night,” Valley coach Leslie Brouyette said when asked if Miller enjoyed the challenge of playing against McKaig, a state qualifier last year. “But no, she’s usually up to the challenge. (And) she’s looking forward to the challenge of playing against the good girl from Peru (Piercey Dyer). And she plays with them a lot in the summer. Usually, she does her best against that. Last year, she tied the girl from NorthWood, the one who made state (Sophie Richmond).”

Brouyette talked with her players about the front nine at Round Barn after the match. Nos. 1, 7, 8 and 9 are considered the difficult holes on the front nine. Nos. 2-6 are considered better for scoring.

“One shot doesn’t kill you,” Brouyette said. “One hole doesn’t kill you. And you know, if you can just not double par those holes or at least three out of the four, you’ll be fine because you can make it up. We’re not going to go really super low, but if we would have stayed focused on that… I think we would have been better off tonight. But I think they start on those holes and they get a couple double pars, and then it’s hot. … So they’ve got to stay focused. They played really well last week. Tonight was just an off-night.”

Senior Kylie Reidenbach led Caston with a 68. Ava Russell added a 69, Audrey Ault had a 71, and Alyssa Smith, Leah Ehlinger and Anna Rude each had a 72. Reidenbach, who was honorable mention all-Hoosier North last year, is the team’s most experienced player.

“I have two freshmen that are totally new to golf, and they have taken to it very well,” Caston coach Rick Phelps said. “And then I have three sophomores that were new to golf last year, and then I have one senior that was new to golf last year as well. So we’re very young, and even though we only have one senior, she’s young as well. … I’ve got a really good group of girls. I really do. They get along well. They play well together, and they play well with the other team.”

at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Monday (front nine, par 36)

Pioneer 221, Tippecanoe Valley 224, Caston 280

PIONEER (221): Mia McKaig 42 (medalist), Kendra Hanson 49, Emma Juby 63, Kassandra Martinez 67, (Morgan Schlotman 70)

VALLEY (224): Savana Miller 44, Maris Overbey 58, Brystol Sands 58, Gentry Bouse 64, (McKinley Burton 67)

CASTON (280): Kylie Reidenbach 68, Ava Russell 69, Audrey Ault 71, Alyssa Smith 72, (Leah Ehlinger 72), (Anna Rude 72)