By From staff reports
newsroom@dailystandard.com This year, the Midwest Athletic Conference will have a league tournament to decide the league champion with eight of the 10 MAC schools fielding teams. The first girls golf tournament for the MAC is slated to run Sept. 24.
Celina also returns a girls team this season with a young, experienced group coming back. The Western Buckeye League, though, does not hold a league tournament, meaning Celina will take part in some invitationals and a number of dual and tri-matches.
Here's a look at the Grand Lake area teams:
CELINA -- The Bulldogs have a number of experienced golfers coming back from a season that saw the the team get several big wins.
Lauren Fuelling is a solid returnee for coaches Keith VanDeventer and Sue Grubaugh, shooting a 48 last week in a tri-match at the Elks. Kelsey Smith shot a 48 as well in that meet and also returns with experience. Emily Stolly, Lisa Budde and Heidi Aukerman also return from playing the varsity last season. A newcomer that has done well in the early going has been Kelsey Moorman.
COLDWATER -- Coach Joe Maruna has small numbers to work with as just four players are signed up for play this season.
Of that group, three seniors will play on the team. Beth Giere and Katie Stadler were veterans of the varsity last season and sophomore Jessica Welsch returns after playing solidly as a freshman.
Sophomore Stacy Ebbing is the only newcomer to the group.
FORT RECOVERY -- Coach Bob Perkeybile has plenty of experience coming back with three seniors leading the way. With three freshman also joining the team this season, there seems to be a strong foundation for the Indians to build upon.
Senior Jill Wehrkamp, who has been the consistent low scorer for the Indians this season, will take number-one duties while getting her fourth letter in the sport. Amanda Hein and Lori Hart join fellow senior Wehrkamp as the lead golfers.
Megan Perkeybile, daughter of the coach, will need to overcome some injuries to join the varsity lineup.
Roxanne Romack, Stephanie Will and Betsy Gagle are the three freshman looking to find (Continued from page 1B)
time on the links with the varsity.
With the freshman just starting the sport, the seniors will need to take the reins and come up with solid matches to help the team play well.
MARION LOCAL -- John Bruns, a veteran golf coach at St. Henry and Fort Recovery, takes over the Marion Local team this season. Bruns has inherited a group that has experience from last season.
The Flyers are coming off a close MAC opener, losing by one stroke to Coldwater.
Bruns will look to junior Abby Hartings and senior Jill Beyke to handle the lead chores for the team. Stephanie Schmackers and sophomore Stephanie Heitkamp also have a shot in varsity matches this season. Courtney Schemmel is the other senior in the lineup.
With a small group, one bad round from any golfer could make for a tough day on the links.
MINSTER -- Deb Arhns has turned the Wildcats into one of the strongest golf teams in the area, which showed in Arhns being named the coach of the year by the district golf coaches last season.
The team will need to replace state qualifier Michelle Borchers in the lineup this season, but a solid base returning from last season will make the transition easier.
Alyson Arhns is one of four letterwinners returning to the team this season. Arhns, daughter of the coach, and Gina Slonkosky both earned honorable mention All-District honors last season and will look to be the first two golfers out to start matches in 2005.
Brooke Kuenning and Andrea Paxson also return to lead the varsity. Among the newcomers this season is junior Kate Trushaw, who has worked her way into varsity matches this season. Sophomore Lindsey Piening already has earned medalist honors this season in a dual match.
The Wildcats was second in the sectional last season and sixth in the district a year ago. With perennial powers like Lima Central Catholic and Wayne Trace remaining strong, the Wildcats will need to stay strong to make the big goal of going to state as a team.
NEW BREMEN -- The Cardinals will have a small group to work with this season as just five players have gone out.
Making up the team for the Cardinals this season are Becky Hartwig, Jessica May, Krista Myers, Kim Noseck and Emily Phlipot.
PARKWAY -- The Panthers took a big step last season in qualifying for the district tournament last season, finally placing ninth in spite of being in mourning of the death of golfer Brittany Shaffer after she watched the team play in the sectional.
The Panthers will have some changes this season. The first is new coach Mike Schumm. The veteran area coach is taking up a new sport to guide, having coached baseball, -- and winning two state titles in the process -- basketball and football in his career.
The bigger loss will be that of Erin Winings, who won all but one medalist title in the Panthers dual and tri matches in the two years of the program. Winings is breaking in a new program at Allegheny College this fall, as the school will have a women's program.
Although Winings is gone, the Panthers will have a solid core to work with as 10 players went out this season, five of whom are returning letterwinners.
Schumm will look to veterans like Anita Carvajal and Amanda Kiracofe to lead the way. Katie King and Ashley Gamble were also golfers on the district team last season. Senior Trisha Strawn, who was injured in the accident that took the life of Shaffer, will also move up and look for a spot in the varsity.
Newcomers to the team include seniors Emily Evans, Elisha Schumm and Jessica Suman. Junior Jan Boroff will also look for playing time on the varsity. Two freshman, Alyssa Evans and Kara Heiser will also play this season.
VERSAILLES -- Veteran coach Vicki Owline has a young group to work with this season after graduating four seniors from last season. Of this year's group, only three have been regular competition golfers -- with two being sophomores.
Kate Poeppleman is the lone senior on the team while Ashley Drese and Chelsea Frey are battling for the number two and three golfer spots in the lineup.
Freshmen Courtney Barlage and Taylor Hutchinson have both played some varsity this season already and will look to keep their spots in the lineup. Junior Ashley Powell is new to the team this season and will look find some time on the links. |
