BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
Girls golf
The Rochester girls golf team won the TRC title with a 351 at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek on Sept. 9. From left – assistant coach Dan Bailey, Ella McCarter, Olivia Bailey, Laynie Migonis, Payton Moore (holding trophy), Ava Thomas, Lexi Haughs, eighth-grader and team manager Molly Moore, coach Chad Thomas.
The Rochester girls golf team shot a 351
to win the Three Rivers Conference title at
Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek on Sept. 9.
Olivia Bailey led Rochester with a 76, Ava Thomas had a 79, Payton Moore had an 88, and Lexi Haughs and Ella McCarter each shot a 108.
Bailey, Thomas and Moore finished in third, fourth and sixth places, respectively, and made the all-TRC team. Each of the top 10 players made the all-TRC team.
McCarter’s score was a lifetime best for 18 holes.
“I knew we won before coming into it,” Moore said. “We beat Maconaquah two weeks ago by 17, wasn’t it? We had it. … I was confident.”
Maconaquah junior Daisy Williams won conference medalist honors for the third straight year with a 75. She defeated Peru freshman Piercey Dyer in the third hole of a sudden death playoff.
Rochester beat runner-up Maconaquah by six strokes, denying the Lady Braves their third straight conference title. Northfield, who finished third, was 60 strokes behind Maconaquah.
“It feels very, very good,” Rochester coach Chad Thomas said. “These girls deserve it. They put a lot of time and effort in. They hit all the shots. They knew it was going to be close, and they stayed focused all day and came out on top.”
The conference title was Rochester’s first since 2014.
“It was definitely worth it,” Ava Thomas said. “We’re very happy. … It was really nerve-wracking on the first tee because I have first-tee jitters, but after that, I wasn’t too nervous.”
Bailey might have had the guttiest round. She had birdies on Nos. 4 and 9 and followed a double bogey on the par-5 11th with a birdie on the par-5 12th. She also had a birdie on the par-4 15th hole.
“It’s exciting,” Bailey said. “I didn’t play as well as I wanted to, but I’m glad to put together some good scores. … It was a little disappointing because I didn;t play great, but I was able to bounce back from some hard holes.”
Haughs, a freshman who has been golfing for four years, said she started getting serious about golf as an eighth-grader. She said TRC felt like a regular match. She said she didn’t do her worst or her best. She was hoping for a score in the 90s but said she had been sick and unable to practice.
She said fellow freshman Laynie Migonis started to play golf because of her. Migonis spent much of the year on the JV.
“I thought it was going to be way different than all the other matches, but they weren’t even different compared to all of them,” Haughs said. “It just felt the exact same. I forgot it was TRC.”
McCarter just started golfing over the summer but said the team’s victory might be the most significant accomplishment she has had as an athlete. She said all the golfers wanted her to come out for the team but said that Moore was the one who sent her a text message that finally convinced her. She said coaches Chad Thomas and Dan Bailey have helped her with the both the physical and mental sides of the game.
“I always just try to go out and shoot the best score I can,” McCarter said. “The coaches have really been helping me on hitting the ball more left because I have a problem with hitting it right. Today was a lot better, and I saw a lot of improvement in that area, which helps on this course because there’s a lot of trouble right.”
The players made sure to have team manager Molly Moore, an eighth-grader and Payton’s younger sister, in their team photo after winning the title.
“Molly’s my best friend,” Payton said. “I would be more confident in saying she’s better than I am at golf. She practices with us. … I’m not going to say she’s better than me, but she could beat me if we went toe to toe. But I could beat her.”
Chad Thomas said Molly Moore rides the bus with the high school players to away tournaments.
“She’s out here every day with us,” coach Thomas said. “She goes on the bus with us. She goes out to dinner with us. She’s definitely a part of this team. She just can’t play yet because she’s an eighth-grader. … She’s a great player herself, so I’m excited to get her next year. We graduate Payton, but we’ll get Molly and hopefully just keep on rolling.”
Bailey also noticed Molly’s golfing acumen.
“Actually she’s pretty good, and she practices with us and comes out and supports us, so it’s really nice,” Bailey said.
at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Sept. 9
Rochester 351, Maconaquah 357, Northfield 417, Southwood 420, Peru 426, Wabash 426, Whitko 441, Lewis Cass 450, North Miami 452, Manchester (incomplete team)
ROCHESTER (351): Olivia Bailey (38-38) 76, Ava Thomas (40-39) 79, Payton Moore (46-42) 88, Lexi Haughs (57-51) 108, (Ella McCarter (60-48) 108)
MACONAQUAH (357): Williams 75, M. Stoll 82, A. Stoll 96, Washburn 104, (Barnes 111)
NORTHFIELD (417): H. Wilson 92, Dale 102, Sorg 108, E. Wilson 115, (Otey 117)
SOUTHWOOD (420): Chenoweth 96, Goodpasture 99, Topliff 109, Gaylourd 116, (Niccum 119)
PERU (426): Dyer 75, Wouster 111, Caldwell 117, Nero 125, (Beattie 126)
WABASH (426): McWhirt 88, Adams 95, Stephens 121, Till 122, (Indrutz 126)
WHITKO (441): Ross 104, Burnworth 106, Kreig 109, Harrison 122
LEWIS CASS (450): Hlebasko 96, Toops 109, Landis 121, Willis 124, (Richey 141)
NORTH MIAMI (452): Miller 106, Sumpter-Music 111, Early 117, Musall 118, (Bennedict 138)
MANCHESTER: Schannep 125, Reid 125, Evans 132
All-TRC (top 10 plus ties): 1. Daisy Williams (Maconaquah) – 75, 2. Piercey Dyer (Peru) – 75, 3. Olivia Bailey (Rochester) – 76, 4. Ava Thomas (Rochester) – 79, 5. Miranda Stoll (Maconaquah) – 82, t-6. Payton Moore (Rochester) – 88, t-6. Kenley McWhirt (Wabash) – 88, 8. Hannah Wilson (Northfield) – 92, 9. Emma Adams (Wabash) – 95, t-10. Kendall Hlebasko (Lewis Cass) – 96, t-10. Aubrey Stoll (Maconaquah) – 96, t-10. Madison Chenoweth (Southwood) – 96
Plymouth 178, Rochester 181, Bremen 216 (Sept. 6): Rochester’s Olivia Bailey shot a 38 to earn medalist honors, but Plymouth had four players break 50 to earn the win in a three-way match that also included Bremen at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek on Sept. 6.
Ava Thomas added a 40, Payton Moore had a 46, Lexi Haughs had a 57, Ella McCarter had a 59, and Laynie Migonis had a 66 for Rochester.
at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Sept. 6 (back nine, par 36)
PLYMOUTH (178): LaFree 43, T. Hauptmann 43, Hutchings 43, Borden 49, (Borden 50), (M. Hauptmann 52)
ROCHESTER (181): Olivia Bailey 38, Ava Thomas 40, Payton Moore 46, Lexi Haughs 57, (Ella McCarter 59), (Laynie Migonis 66)
BREMEN (216): Ton 48, Woodward 54, Stine 57, Buck 57, (Price 58), (Meerts 59)
Rochester 157, Lewis Cass 215 (Aug. 30): Olivia Bailey fired a 2-under-par 34 to earn medalist honors over the front nine at Logansport Golf Club for the Rochester girls golf team in a road win over Lewis Cass on Aug. 30.
Bailey eagled the par-5 fourth hole and followed with a birdie on No. 5. She also birdied No. 8. Her round also included four pars and two bogeys.
Ava Thomas also had two birdies en route to a 37, and Payton Moore birdied the first hole as part of her 39. Lexi Haughs added a 47, and Ella McCarter had a 59.
at Logansport Golf Club Aug. 30 (front nine, par 36)
ROCHESTER (157): Olivia Bailey 34, Ava Thomas 37, Payton Moore 39, Lexi Haughs 47, Ella McCarter 59)
LEWIS CASS (215): Hlebasko 47, Toops 50, Landis 52, Richey 66, (Cunningham 70)
ROCHESTER JV: Migonis 55
Rochester shoots 364, takes 2nd at Rochester Invite (Aug. 26): The Rochester girls golf team shot a 364 and finished second out of 12 teams at the Rochester Invitational at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Aug. 26.
Culver Academy won the title with a 333.
Rochester’s Olivia Bailey shot a 76 to finish in a tie for fifth among individuals. Other Lady Z scores included Ava Thomas’ 78, Payton Moore’s 96, Lexi Haughs’ 114 and Ella McCarter’s 122.
Peru freshman Piercey Dyer was the medalist with a 69. That score tied the tournament record.
at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Aug. 26 (par 72)
Culver Academy 333, Rochester 364, Maconaquah 366, South Bend St. Joe 370, Logansport 390, Western 411, Peru 413, Northwestern 437, John Glenn 438, Mishawaka Marian 451, North Miami 475, Kokomo 499
ROCHESTER (364): Olivia Bailey 76, Ava Thomas 78, Payton Moore 96, Lexi Haughs 114, (Ella McCarter 122)
Rochester 175, North Miami 209, Southwood 232, Manchester (incomplete team) (Aug. 21): Rochester’s Olivia Bailey and Ava Thomas each shot a 41 to share medalist honors, and Payton Moore added a 43 for Rochester as they won a four-way match over TRC rivals North Miami, Southwood and Manchester at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek on Aug. 21.
Bailey had four pars and five bogeys. Thomas had six pars, a bogey and two double bogeys.
at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek (front nine, par 36)
ROCHESTER (175): Olivia Bailey 41, Ava Thomas 41, Payton Moore 43, Lexi Haughs 50, (Ella McCarter 63)
NORTH MIAMI (209): Miller 46, Sumpter-Music 49, Musall 56, Early 58
SOUTHWOOD (232): Goodpasture 52, Chenoweth 54, Topliff 60, Niccum 66, (Gaylord 68)
MANCHESTER: Schanepp 64, Reid 68, Evans 68
Rochester finishes 2nd at Warsaw Invite (Aug. 19): The Rochester girls golf team shot a 357 and finished second out of 15 teams at the Warsaw Invitational at Rozella Ford Golf Club Aug. 19.
Olivia Bailey led Rochester with a 79 and tied for fourth among all individuals. Ava Thomas added an 85, Payton Moore had a 91, Lexi Haughs had a 102, and Ella McCarter had a 120.
Homestead won the title with a 306.
at Rozella Ford Golf Club, Warsaw, Aug. 19 (par 71)
Homestead (blue) 306, Rochester 357, Lake Central 358, Warsaw (black) 358, Plymouth 375, NorthWood 381, Chesterton 385, Crown Point 385, LaPorte 387, Andrean 392, Concord 400, Homestead (gold) 417, Warsaw (orange) 437, Bellmont 438, Southwood 469
ROCHESTER (357): Olivia Bailey 79, Ava Thomas 85, Payton Moore 91, Lexi Haughs 102, (Ella McCarter 120)
Rochester 176, Western 209 (Aug. 15): Olivia Bailey claimed medalist honors with a 41 for Rochester in a home win over Western at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek on Aug. 15.
Payton Moore added a 42, including a birdie on the par-3 third hole. Lexi Haughs shot a 48, and Ella McCarter had a 65.
Laynie Migonis had a 65 for the Rochester JV.
Elizabeth Mercer led Western with a 42.
at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek (front nine, par 36)
ROCHESTER (176): Olivia Bailey 41, Payton Moore 42, Ava Thomas 45, Lexi Haughs 48, (Ella McCarter 65)
WESTERN (209): Mercer 42, Dixon 52, Williams 56, Nutt 59, (Burns 61)
ROCHESTER JV: Laynie Migonis 65
Rochester shoots 366, finishes 5th at Western Invite (Aug. 12): The Rochester girls golf team shot a 366 and finished fifth out of 15 teams at the Western Invitational at Chippendale Golf Course in Kokomo on Aug. 12.
Olivia Bailey led the Lady Zs with an 81, Ava Thomas had an 86, Payton Moore had a 91, and Lexi Haughs had a 108.
Westfield won the tournament with a 287. Penn was second with a 310.
at Chippendale Golf Course, Kokomo, Aug. 12
ROCHESTER (366): Olivia Bailey 81, Ava Thomas 86, Payton Moore 91, Lexi Haughs 108
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