CARMEL — Course conditions were far from ideal either day, but nonetheless, Mt. Vernon’s Alaina Nugent and Meredith Johnson made their push during their first-career IHSAA girls golf state finals this past weekend.
Nugent, a senior, opened the state tournament at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel on Friday with a first-round score of 12-over-par 84, firing a 41 on the back and a 43 on the front nine.
On Saturday, she concluded her second round at 14-over-par 86 for a two-day, final tally of 26-over-par 170, which tied her for 44th out of 100 golfers.
Nugent shot a 7-over-par 43 on the back nine to begin a wet and soggy Saturday, as the state competitors contended with waves of rain and saturated fairways and greens.
Play was suspended during the afternoon on Saturday, but Nugent fought through and concluded her final round with a 7-over-par 43 on the front nine to tie South Knox’s Trinity Dubbs (170) on the leaderboard.
Johnson, a senior, placed 85th at state with a two-round score of 57-over-par 201. She gained an extra stroke compared to Friday’s 28-over-par 100.
On Saturday, Johnson improved on the back nine compared to the day before, starting with an 11-over-par 47. The day prior, she shot a 17-over-par 53.
On Friday, Johnson posted an 11-over-par 47 on the front nine to wrap up her final nine holes, but five double bogeys through the same portion of the course increased her final numbers the next day.
Johnson totaled an 18-over-par 54 to end her final state round on the front nine, but her 201 overall was good enough to best seven other golfers, who finished all 36 holes, in the final standings.
Nugent had six pars on Saturday and a birdie on the seventh hole. The Hancock County, Hoosier Heritage Conference and sectional medalist ended the tournament strong through her final three holes.
Following her birdie on seven, Nugent strung together a pair of pars on eight and nine.
The duo represented Mt. Vernon at the girls state finals as individuals for the first time since former Marauder golfer Charlie True advanced to the event in consecutive years in 2015 and 2016.
The Marauders completed the team trifecta, seizing the county, conference and sectional team titles this season.
Nugent shot a 2-over-par 75 to earn sectional medalist honors. During the county tournament this season, Nugent finished first with a 1-over-par 37 to help the Marauders end Greenfield-Central’s three-year team title run.
Nugent carded a 79 en route to earning HHC individual championship honors at Albany Golf Club, which anchored the Marauders’ score of 351 and their first league title since 2003.
The last time Mt. Vernon won a girls golf sectional title, the program repeated, claiming the championship in both 2012 and 2013.
