Putting dooms Valley in 18th place finish at regional

Weaver shoots 89, but Lady Vikes’ season ends at Noble Hawk

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

KENDALLVILLE –- The greatest season in the history of the Tippecanoe Valley girls golf team ended with the team shooting a 408 and placing 18th out of 18 teams at the East Noble regional at Noble Hawk Golf Links in Kendallville Saturday.

Madelyn Weaver led Valley with an 89, Kaydence Mellott had a 105, Lily Ault had a 106, Molly Moriarty had a 108, and Cheney Canada had a 117.

Homestead won the regional for the fifth straight year by shooting a 275. NorthWood was second with a 334, and Concord was third with a 345, and they also advanced to the IHSAA state finals at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel.

The 36-hole state finals begin this Friday and conclude Saturday.

Compared to other courses, Noble Hawk features multiple bodies of water, bunkers, and various other hazards. Valley players struggled keeping the ball in play, according to coach Thadd Mellott.

“A lot more penalty strokes than I would have liked, and the putting was not great today either,” Mellott said. “We struggled at Stonehenge for sectionals, and we really struggled today. I know one girl had 11 three-putts. When you have 11 three-putts, it’s tough to shoot the rounds you’re expected to shoot.”

Asked if the swirling breezes were a factor, Mellott said the course dried out and the wind became a bigger factor as the round progressed.

“That doesn’t help us around the greens,” coach Mellott added. “It shouldn’t affect our putts. And that’s where we struggled.”

Coach Mellott said the team shot under 400 during their practice round four days before the regional. He said he expects Weaver to shoot between 80 and 90 and Kaydence Mellott, Moriarty and Ault to shoot between 85 and 95. Weaver, Kaydence Mellott, Moriarty and Ault are all sophomores. Canada is a junior.

The regional caps a season in which Valley won their first TRC title since 2001. They finished third at the Warsaw sectional to advance to their first regional in school history.

“I would love to thank the community,” coach Mellott said. “The community has been great. There were signs on the way here along the road. The school itself, the administration, the athletic directors … I was getting calls from past athletic directors. It’s been great. It really has been.”

The other area girls participants were Rochester sisters Kristianna and Karah Lingenfelter. Kristianna Lingenfelter shot an 80 and advanced to state as an individual. Karah Lingenfelter shot a 90, a personal best for 18 holes, but did not advance.

Oak Hill’s Hope Mygrant (75), Lakeland’s Madison Keil (76), Carroll (Fort Wayne)’s Marissa GeRue (78) and South Bend St. Joe’s Kathryn Kloska (79) joined Kristianna Lingenfelter among the five lowest scores among individuals on non-advancing teams, and they also advanced to state.

Homestead had the three lowest individual scores in the field of 108 golfers. Madison Dabagia and Simone Senk each shot 66 to share medalist honors, and No. 3 player Megan Yoder shot a 70.

Northfield, the other Three Rivers Conference team at the regional, was 17th with a 405. Annie Cole, representing Wabash as an individual, shot a 92.

EAST NOBLE GIRLS GOLF REGIONAL

at Noble Hawk Golf Links, Kendallville, par 70

Homestead 275, NorthWood 334, Concord 345, Penn 347, Mishawaka Marian 360, Carroll (Fort Wayne) 361, South Bend St. Joe 362, Columbia City 364, Oak Hill 375, Fort Wayne Dwenger 382, Heritage 384, Fremont 385, Madison-Grant 391, Warsaw 396, Bellmont 401, Fort Wayne Snider 404, Northfield 405, Tippecanoe Valley 408

HOMESTEAD (275): Dabagia 66, Senk 66, Yoder 70, Frazier 73, (Ayres 81)

NORTHWOOD (334): Stillson 75, Goss 79, Richner 82, Kitson 98, (Schrock 112)

CONCORD (345): Brunner 73, Watson 80, Tucker 95, Theinert 97, (Boessler 104)

PENN (347): Szklarek 82, Wade 85, Lippert 88, Mounts 92, (Jurkaites 106)

MISHAWAKA MARIAN (360): Unwin 83, Weisser 83, Hahn 94, Kujawski 100, (Weston 109)

CARROLL (361): GeRue 78, Krotov 93, Chin 95, Linder 95, (Straley 95)

SOUTH BEND ST. JOE (362): Kloska 79, Schmeltz 83, Saratore 94, Riboni 106, (Crumlish 107)

COLUMBIA CITY (364): Hoag 84, McCammon 90, Pequignot 95, Mabie 95, (Hall 99)

OAK HILL (375): Mygrant 75, Gillespie 94, DeWitt 100, Malott 106, (Pearce 132)

FORT WAYNE DWENGER (382): Stowe 91, Burns 93, Landstoffer 97, Munson 101, (Smith 102)

HERITAGE (384): Rodenbeck 87, Schane 97, Myers 98, Amber Buuck 102, (Ashley Buuck 114)

FREMONT (385): Baker 90, Tanner 93, Porath 100, Glendening 102, (Ritter 113)

MADISON-GRANT (391): Abbie Hostetler 94, Allie Hostetler 96, Chapel 100, Vetor 101

WARSAW (396): Lancaster 95, Byron 99, Robinson-Gay 99, Frazzetta 103, (Fitzgerald 103)

BELLMONT (401): Macke 95, Marbaugh 97, Hockemeyer 99, Schirack 110, (Krol 116)

FORT WAYNE SNIDER (404): Hall 96, Mayhew 102, Matthias 103, Birkenbeul 103, (Pyle 107)

NORTHFIELD (405): Dale 98, Cartwright 98, Sattherthwaite 103, Hawkins 106, (Wilson 111)

VALLEY (408): Madelyn Weaver (48-41) 89, Kaydence Mellott (50-55) 105, Lily Ault (55-51) 106, Molly Moriarty (51-57) 108, (Cheney Canada (58-59) 117)

Individuals on non-advancing teams: Karah Lingenfelter (Rochester) - 90, Grace Vandenburg (Mishawaka) - 94, Kristina Urberg (Fort Wayne Canterbury) - 101, Kristianna Lingenfelter (Rochester) - 80, Georgia Hanauer (Southern Wells) - 94, Taylor Cripe (Wawasee) - 94, Grace Dill (Huntington North) - 83, Lillie Cone (DeKalb) - 86, Madison Keil (Lakeland) - 76, Miranda Brewer (South Bend Adams) - 95, Colleen Caylor (Norwell) - 84, Mary Jones (Adams Central) - 90, Annie Cole (Wabash) - 92, Anna Guzik (South Bend Adams) - 86, Skylar Whitman (Fort Wayne Northrop) - 80, Kayla Fleming (DeKalb) - 84, Molly Geiger (Churubusco) - 95, Karisa Dyer (Northridge) - 108

Top 5 individuals on non-advancing teams: 1. Hope Mygrant (Oak Hill) - 75, 2. Madison Keil (Lakeland) - 76, 3. Marissa GeRue (Carroll (Fort Wayne)) - 78, 4. Kathryn Kloska (South Bend St. Joe) - 79, 5. Kristianna Lingenfelter (Rochester) - 80

NOTE: Lingenfelter defeated Fort Wayne Northrop’s Skylar Whitman on the first hole of a sudden death playoff for the final state spot.

The Tippecanoe Valley girls team shot a 408 and finished in 18th place out of 18 teams at the East Noble regional at Noble Hawk Golf Links in Kendallville Saturday. It marked the team’s first regional appearance in school history. From left – Lydia Miller, Kaydence Mellott, Molly Moriarty, Cheney Canada, Madelyn Weaver, Lily Ault.