SEYMOUR — Smiling from ear-to-ear, Ellie Buntin shuffled through the crowd to the scorecards posted on the side of the clubhouse.
The Columbus East golfer had beaten career-best score by 12 strokes, scoring a team-low 12-over-par 85, to finish ninth of 40 golfers in the Hoosier Hills Conference, so it was time to take a group photo.
Buntin’s placing earned her All-HHC honorable mention status on Monday at Shadowood Golf Course. The Olympians placed fourth of eight teams by combining a 387.
Bedford North Lawrence was champion at 319, Floyd Central finished runner-up at 338 and Seymour took third by scoring a 350. Jennings County finished fifth (391), followed by Madison (396), Jeffersonville (444) and New Albany (450). BNL’s Carly Stigall was medalist with a 74.
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The HHC tournament was moved from St. Annes Golf Course in North Vernon because of flooding from the weekend.
East coach Troy Buntin said he was proud of his daughter’s round.
“I think she was just in a good frame of mind,” he said. “The girls she played with were fun. I think she just put it all together and had a great day.”
Lauren Steinwedel carded a 97, Kati Brunn added a 102, Harley Gant shot 105 and Peyton Meier had a 103 for the Olympians.
“It was good. We were thinking that if we were going to have a good day, we would finish fourth,” coach Buntin said. “That’s what we did. “They were in a good frame of mind. We’ve played here before. I think they are comfortable with the course.”
Coach Buntin, whose team hosts Columbus North today at Otter Creek, said it needs to take the momentum into the Greensburg Sectional on Saturday.
“It is going to be a shootout for the third spot,” he said. “North and Greensburg are probably the top two teams, there, and then there is Batesville and us, and whoever else shooting well for the third spot.”
Peyton Whitehead just missed making HHC honorable mention by one stroke by shooting an 87 to lead the Panthers. Sydney Campbell (96) was next for Jennings, while Destiny Joray (108), Annie Ertel (111) and Ellie Hearne (100) completed the Panther scorecard.
“The girls did fairly well,” Jennings coach B.J. Bingham said. “I thought if they broke 400, I would be disappointed. They probably didn’t score as well as they played. They played really well. We had some penalties that hurt us, but they hung in there and recovered. It is hard when that happens to you.”
Bingham sees improvement going into the postseason.
“In general, I think the girls hit the ball very well,” Bingham said. “Just little things got us. Some putting, some chipping, some penalty shots off the tee. It was a combination of things, but I’m very happy with the fifth-place finish. I think we have some room to climb with (the Madison) sectional on Saturday.”
