A season-long goal for the Columbus North girls golfers has been to finish in the top five in the state finals.
The Bull Dogs were ranked No. 7 in the final coaches poll, but have beaten one team ranked above them and came close to a couple others. North will be among 15 teams that will play Friday and Saturday at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel.
“We’ve said our goal all along is to be in the top five, and I think that’s realistic,” North coach Scott Seavers said. “If we do that, it would be a really nice accomplishment for this team.”
The Bull Dogs shot season-best scores of 299 in winning the Conference Indiana Tournament at Timbergate and the Bloomington North Sectional at Cascades and a 316 in finishing second in Saturday’s Washington Regional at Country Oaks.
“The team has been playing solid golf from conference up to now,” senior Natahly Munnicha said. “Everyone has been putting in a lot of work, and it’s been showing with our scores. We’ve been improving compared to last year, too, so I think we have a chance.”
Munnicha, a senior, will be trying for her third consecutive All-State honor. If she plays like she did this summer, when she won the Indiana PGA Girls Junior Championship, she might have an outside shot at contending for one of the top individiual spots.
“That would be ideal, but I feel like if I can just get the game where I know it can be, just having some putts drop, hitting irons a little bit more crisp, I think I could take a run at it,” Munnicha said. “But I’m just going to try my best.”
Munnicha will be joined by senior teammate Yestika Nischol and juniors Gwen Anderson, Ella Wilks and Macy Euler. They will tee off on No. 10 between 9:33 and 10:09 a.m. Friday.
Meanwhile, Harley Gant will be the first girl from Columbus East to play in the state finals. Gant qualified as an individual after leading the Olympians to an eighth-place team finish in the regional.
Gant is scheduled to tee off on No. 10 at 10:45 a.m. Friday.
All 100 golfers (75 on teams and 25 individuals) will return for Saturday’s final round. Saturday tee times will be determined following Friday’s first round.
Games to be streamed
Tonight’s Columbus East at Columbus North volleyball game will be livestreamed by Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. via the BCSC You Tube channel and Facebook page.
The school also will livestream Friday’s Bedford North Lawrence at East football game. Friday’s North at Bloomington South football game will be available at https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCPiQ6N2vO77QmsBwd189zOQ
The volleyball tournament draw will be at 8 p.m. Sunday, and the football tournament pairings show will be at 6 p.m. Oct. 8. Both will be livestreamed at ihsaatv.org
Bull Dogs near records
Two Columbus North girls soccer players are closing in on single-season school records going into tonight’s regular-season finale against Lawrenceburg.
Junior Jenna Lang has 35 goals, which is four shy of Kayleigh Stiegerwalt’s mark of 39. Senior Lauryn Whitley has 19 assists, which is two short of the number she put up last year when she tied Erica Stewart’s record of 21. Whitley also has 48 career assists, which is four behind Stewart’s career record of 52.
The Class 3A No. 8 Bull Dogs open sectional play Oct. 8 against Columbus East at Whiteland.
Panther picks college
Jennings County senior Addyson Kent has committed to continue her basketball career at Missouri S&T.
Kent averaged 14.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals as a junior in earning All-Hoosier Hills Conference honors and helping lead the Panthers to a 10-15 record.
Ted Schultz is sports editor for The Republic. He can be reached at tschultz@therepublic.com or 812-379-5628.
