Jamie Baker posted on August 19, 2010 12:00
Better days are ahead for area girls golf teams.
There are just five full teams competing in the area this season — Ada, Elmwood, Hopewell-Loudon, Van Buren and Lakota.
No information was available on the girls team from Lakota.
All of the area’s girls golf programs are relatively new and struggled for much of the 2009 campaign.
One player to definitely watch will be Van Buren junior Stephanie Sawyer. She posted a 48.1 average over nine holes last season and qualified for the Division II girls district tournament as an individual.
Patrick Henry’s Erin Scoby and North Baltimore’s Felicia Konrad play for their respective schools’ boys teams but will likely play in the OHSAA girls tournament series.
Ada
head coach: Mike Badertscher (3rd year).
2010 RECORD/CONFERENCE FINISH: 1-5.
HOME COURSE: Colonial Hills Golf Course.
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Amanda Fincher, sr.; Ellen Smittle, sr.; Kaity Oestreich, sr.; Abby Savino, sr.; Jessica Chen, sr.; Zoe Laird, soph.; McKenzie Shaw, soph.
TOP PROSPECTS: Megan Hiester, jr.; Suzy Young, soph.
NOTABLE: Bulldogs return four senior letterwinners who will be asked to guide the team.
Elmwood
head coaches: Michele Story/Tracey Cole (4th year, 16-15).
2010 RECORD: 11-4.
HOME COURSE: Birch Run Golf Course.
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Alison Bentley, jr., 61.2; Karly Haughawout, jr., 51.8; Colleen Mathias, jr., 56.5.
TOP PROSPECTS: Savannah Baker, fr.; Taylor Carr, fr.; Sierra Semko, fr.
NOTABLE: Royals had their first winning season last year and look strong coming into this fall. With no seniors, the future is bright for Elmwood.
Hopewell-Loudon
head coach: Bob Maurer (6th year, 8-5).
2010 RECORD: 3-3.
HOME COURSE: Loudon Meadows Golf Course.
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Rachel Huth, sr., 52.
TOP PROSPECTS: Erin Kimmet, sr.; Courtney Coppus, sr.; Erica Adkins, sr.; Marissa Reinhart, fr.
NOTABLE: With four seniors, the Chieftains should not leadership on the course.
Van Buren
head coach: Rhona Nye (3rd year).
HOME COURSE: Red Hawk Run.
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Stephanie Sawyer, jr., 48.1; Katie Hertel, jr., 50.5; Alexix Kelley, soph., 53; Devon Causey, sr., 54.3.
TOP PROSPECTS: Emily Lammers, soph.; Kailie Scarlett, jr.; Ashley Overmyer, fr.; Kelsey Aukerman, sr.; Zara Fournier, fr.; Emily Foust, fr.; Bree Starr, fr.
NOTABLE: Sawyer, who earned Northwest Ohio Girls Golf League honorable mention and the other three returning letterwinners will form the backbone of the team in 2010.