GREENFIELD — Things didn’t go quite as planned during the Mt. Vernon girls golf team’s season opener on Tuesday night.
Rescheduled for later in the month before being penciled back in at its original date late last week, the Marauders came out flat, said head coach Aaron Shewman.
And the numbers supported his assessment as Mt. Vernon lost to Pendleton Heights 173-218 at Arrowhead Golf Course.
“That was the worst loss I’ve ever had as a coach,” said Shewman, who coached at Winchester for two season prior to taking over at Mt. Vernon. “They were nervous. They just got back to school and their sleep schedules were off. It was just a bad match.”
Against their second straight Hoosier Heritage Conference foe on Wednesday night, Mt. Vernon bounced back quickly and defeated Shelbyville 196-198.
“This was a great way to let them know that was just our first match, and yes, there were jitters. Tomorrow is a new day, every day,” Shewman said. “My goal today was for them to go under 200. They did it, and we won.
“This win was a big win for them to gain confidence.”
True once again claimed medalist honors, shooting an even par 35 on Tuesday, which she followed up with a 3-over par 38 against Shelbyville.
A perfectionist by nature, True was disappointed in her final result despite the recognition.
“I didn’t do that great,” the sophomore remarked after the match. “Hopefully, we’ll get better each time we go out and play.”
A sectional medalist as a freshman, True spent most of her time this offseason working on her craft at various Indiana Junior Golf tournaments and others. She tied for 11th at the IHSAA State Finals last October, which has raised her expectations.
Her inability to shoot under par in the team’s second match of the year wasn’t something she wants to repeat often.
However, a pair of double bogies on the fourth and eighth hole — and a bogey on the second — cancelled out her back-to-back birdies on the sixth and seventh holes. She shot par on four holes.
“I was really frustrated today and tired, so I couldn’t get too positive, and it led to the doubles,” True said. “I was trying to do something really stupid and on four I got distracted.”
Freshman Katie Davis, who paired with True the past two matches, posted the team’s second lowest score at 47. A golfer throughout junior high, Davis was entrusted by to be the team’s No. 2 competitor in order to help accelerate her development.
She stayed true to expectations by continuously putting herself in good position out of the tee box.
“Playing with Charley has made me feel like I need to work even harder to get to where she is,” Davis said. “I started playing golf in sixth grade, so I have things I want to get better at.”
Sophomore win sisters Lily and Ava Hampton carded scores of 55 and 56, respectively, in a match where every stroke mattered. Sophomore Savannah McKemie’s 63 proved the difference to secure the Marauders’ two-stroke victory.
Shelbyville’s top golfer was Lauren Pike with a 46 followed by Daniela Joseph’s and Natalie Glidden’s 49s.
The Marauders have five days off until their next match at their former home course at Old Oakland on Aug. 9. The three-way event is with Beech Grove and Lawrence Central.
“This win means a lot, but I still had to focus on some negative. Those two strokes mean a lot. They can see that they need to make those putts, so they don’t lose by two strokes,” Shewman said. “We only had two practices and two matches back-to-back. Getting five practices in will be big for us and give us more positives.”
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Mt. Vernon 196, Shelbyville 198
at Arrowhead Golf Course
Medalist: Charley True, Mt. Vernon (38)
Mt. Vernon: Charley True 38, Katie Davis 47, Lily Hampton 55, Ava Hampton 56, Savannah McKemie 63, Morgan Hear 71.
Shelbyville: Lauren Pike 46, Daniela Joseph 49, Natalie Glidden 49, Abby Miller 54, Hannah Mohr 56, Lillian Treon 65.
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