Greenfield-Central No. 1 golfer Ella Neill is shown here taking a swing at the Hoosier Heritage Conference tournament last season.
Rob Baker | For the Daily Reporter
GREENFIELD — The top of the Greenfield-Central girls golf team will look different in more ways than one this season.
Not only has former head coach Russ Wiley been replaced by new head coach Jeremy Spencer, the Cougars will have a new No. 1 golfer following the graduation of Hancock County player of the year Sydnie Wherry.
While those two spots will be new, the Cougars still enter the season with three returning top five golfers and an experienced team full of upperclassmen.
“Since it’s a group of upperclassmen, my expectations are pretty high,” Spencer said. “I think that we have the ability to be highly competitive in any match that we go into based on what I’ve seen.”
Back from last year’s top five are seniors Ella Neill and Reagan Breese and junior Tanessa O’Neal.
The trio was part of a Greenfield-Central lineup that placed third at the county tournament, fifth at the Hoosier Heritage Conference tournament, and fifth at the New Palestine Sectional.
Neill will try to fill the role left by Wherry and will move into the No. 1 spot for the Cougars this season. Last season, Neill was the team’s No. 2 and carded a 97 at the conference tournament and a 106 at the sectional.
In Wherry, the Cougars lose not only the county player of the year, but also the county, conference, and sectional individual champion, and somebody they could rely on to card a score in the upper 70s or low 80s.
Along with Wherry, the Cougars also lose Laney Elliott, who was a mainstay in the team’s lineup last season, usually serving as the team’s No. 3.
With both of them gone, it’s the experience of his returning top three, and the fact that the majority of his roster is upperclassmen, that is keeping Spencer optimistic as the season approaches.
“We’re a predominantly upperclassmen roster, which I think will help us this season,” Spencer said. “Based upon how well we do to start the season, and how long it takes to get in a groove, I look forward to the county and conference tournaments, and I think we can give some people a run.”
Neill will move into the team’s No. 1 spot, Breese will jump up to the No. 2, and O’Neal will be the team’s No. 3. All three got the experience of playing in the county, conference, and sectional tournaments last season.
Joining them in the top five at the start of the season will be juniors Kynsey Hasty and Della Hedge, who were both with the team last season.
Senior Cadence Burnett and sophomores Kate Baker and Alissa Kitcoff round out the small but experienced Greenfield-Central lineup.
“So far, they are highly motivated and extremely coachable. They’re hungry to go out there and be competitive each match,” Spencer said. “I’ve seen a lot of great things out of them in their ability to grasp what I’m teaching them and to go out and push themselves every time they’re out on the course.”
The Cougars open the season today at Columbus East and play in the Greensburg Invitational Saturday. The team’s first six competitions are on the road. The first home competition, at Hawk’s Tail of Greenfield Golf Course, is a three-way meet with New Palestine and Franklin Central on Aug. 21.
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2023 Greenfield-Central Girls Golf Schedule
Date;Opponent;Time
Aug. 3;at Columbus East;5 p.m.
Aug. 5;at Greensburg Invitational;9 a.m.
Aug. 7;at Rushville;5 p.m.
Aug. 12;at Lapel Invitational;9 a.m.
Aug. 14;at Beech Grove;5:30 p.m.
Aug. 16;at New Castle/Randolph Southern;4:30 p.m.
Aug. 21;vs. New Palestine/Franklin Central;5 p.m.
Aug. 23;vs. Lawrence North;4:30 p.m.
Aug. 24;at Noblesville;5 p.m.
Aug. 26;at New Palestine Invitational;1 p.m.
Aug. 29;at Hancock County (Hawk’s Tail);4:30 p.m.
Sept. 5;at Connersville/Hagerstown;5 p.m.
Sept. 6;at Pendleton Heights;5 p.m.
Sept. 9;at HHC (Albany G.C.);9 a.m.
Sept. 11;vs. Mt. Vernon/Warren;4;30 p.m.
Sept. 12;vs. Shelbyville;4:30 p.m.
