ANDERSON — Charley True knows she can do better. It was written all over her face after Saturday’s sectional at the Old Oakland Golf Club.
With a weary smile, True admitted she wasn’t at the top of her game. Coming down with a nasty sickness the week before the Hoosier Heritage Conference meet on Sept. 10, True, a sophomore, is slowly returning to form.
Despite it being his first season with the the team, Mt. Vernon head coach Aaron Shewman knows True is definitely more than capable. As a freshman, True stormed onto the Hancock County golf scene. She won sectional and finished second overall at conference.
True eventually went on to finish 11th overall at the state finals last year.
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“She was sick for the last week and was kind of struggling in her golf game,” Shewman said. “She’s now feeling a lot better and is ready to perform at her best at the regional.
“Her team will also be there to support her.”
Joining True from the county in regional play Saturday at the Edgewood Golf Course will be sectional champion New Palestine and Greenfield-Central, which both advanced as a team.
The Cougars finished third with a final score of 412 at Old Oakland to earn a regional berth. Megan Garner led the team with a round of 91.
Greenfield-Central head coach Russ Wiley said Edgewood is a different challenge. It is not as difficult in general, he added, but it can be deceptive if golfers don’t respect the layout.
“Improvement for us will come from minimizing mental mistakes,” Wiley said. “We did a good job of that on Saturday and will need to carry that through. Also, just playing within ourselves and trying to be thorough in our preparation.”
Junior Lindsey McCord has been consistent all season, according to Wiley, and finished with a 98 on Saturday in addition to Garner’s day.
New Palestine shot a 349 to win the sectional title, though, and should have a solid chance to advance to the state finals. Columbus North leads all teams entering the Lapel Regional after totaling a 306 at its respective sectional.
Fishers (309), Cathedral (316), Bishop Chatard (326) and Franklin County (348) all posted lower team rounds than the Dragons to begin the postseason tournament, but New Palestine head coach Gregg Greene said the courses each team faced played an important factor in each score.
Freshman Annaliese Fox, who fired an impressive round of 74 on Saturday to earn the individual sectional crown, actually said she was more nervous for postseason play after already winning county and conference trophies earlier this year.
It didn’t show at one of the toughest courses in the state as the rookie played like anything but a newcomer to high school golf. She finished with two birdies on the afternoon and three-putted just one time.
Her ability to drive off the tee, mixed with her dead-eye accuracy around the greens, should make Fox one of the favorites this weekend. Only two girls at sectionals feeding into the Lapel Regional shot below a 73 in their opening round. If the course plays to her strengths, Fox could be in for another medalist performance.
Junior Mackenzi Black, who finished in third place at the sectional (85), is no stranger to success on the course and should give New Palestine and Fox another shoulder to lean on. She won the county meet last season.
Regional play will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday. The Edgewood Golf Course is located just east of Anderson off of State Road 32 on Layton Road.
The top three teams and top five low individuals, excluding those individuals who advance with a team, will move on to the state finals on the weekend of Oct. 1.
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Lapel Girls Golf Regional
Who: Mt. Vernon sophomore Charley True and New Palestine and Greenfield-Central golf teams
What: Teams playing for a chance to make the IHSAA State Finals
When: Saturday, 9 a.m.
Where: Layton Road off of State Road 32 just east of Anderson
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