FORTVILLE — Mt. Vernon’s girls golf team will be first to the tee.
The high school fall sports season officially begins for Hancock County teams today when the Marauders participate in the 18-hole Hamilton Southeastern Invitational at Stonycreek Golf Club in Noblesville.
The Marauders play an 18-hole event Wednesday at Tipton and a dual meet Thursday at Shelbyville. Eastern Hancock and Greenfield-Central have dual meets Thursday. New Palestine begins its season Saturday in the 18-hole Greensburg Invitational, a tournament that will also include Greenfield-Central.
Other fall sports begin games and matches on Aug. 12, with the opening of football season slated for Aug. 18.
For the Marauder golfers, they want to build off a strong 2022 finish. They had graduated the majority of the lineup that had won Hancock County, Hoosier Heritage Conference, and New Palestine Sectional titles in 2021.
As they had hoped, a young team showed improvement throughout the season and played their best golf during the postseason.
Last year’s team had its two best rounds in its last two meets. The Marauders broke 400 for the first time in an 18-hole meet when they shot 399 to finish second to New Palestine at the New Palestine Sectional held at Hawk’s Tail of Greenfield Golf Course. The following week, Mt. Vernon shot 398 and placed 11th at the Lapel Regional.
Leading the late-season surge was No. 1 golfer Izzy VanHeel.
Now a junior, VanHeel shot a personal-best 88 to place fifth at last season’s sectional tournament. She bettered that performance with an 86 at the regional. Earlier, at the county tournament, VanHeel placed third overall with a nine-hole score of 44, five behind winner Sydnie Wherry of Greenfield-Central and three behind runner-up Zoe Nelson of New Palestine. Both Wherry and Nelson have graduated.
“She’s very focused and she’s going to make a big step up this year, I would expect,” Mt. Vernon coach Mike Miner said. “She should be better, definitely more confident this year.”
Another junior Natalie Miner spent last season as the team’s No. 2 player. She, too, had her best rounds in the final two tournaments, carding 97s in both the sectional and regional events. The 97 at Hawk’s Tail was good enough for ninth overall.
Coach Miner believes Natalie’s game will rise once the season gets going and the competitive juices flow.
“Once she gets into the season she gets that competitive edge and starts to turn it on,” coach Miner said of his daughter and No. 2 player.
Sophomore Kylie Hyde earned a spot in the varsity lineup as a freshman. She had the team’s third-lowest score in the sectional and regional tournaments, finishing with a 103 and 106, respectively.
“She’s gotten better and definitely gotten a little stronger. That was one thing she was working on to increase her swing speed,” coach Miner said of Hyde. “By the end of the season, she should be a pretty strong player.”
Both senior Kalin Wallpe and junior Gigi Avers played much of last season as part of the varsity unit.
Wallpe and improved classmate Emily Westfall are the only two seniors on a 16-player roster.
A year ago, the Marauders opened with a few dual meets, coach Miner said he feels that getting a few more 18-hole events on the schedule can only help the girls as they prepare for the larger meets on the end of their schedule.
“I think that’s going to be good for the program for the long term,” he said. “We needed to get more of the 18-hole matches so they can be ready for the conference, sectional and tournament play.”
The team is playing its home matches and practice rounds at Arrowhead Golf Course in Greenfield. There are only four home meets on the schedule, beginning with an Aug. 15 three-way with Shelbyville and Rushville and ending with the final regular season match Sept. 12 against New Palestine.
“It’s pretty exciting to have 16 players,” coach Miner said. “We have (just two seniors) and a pretty heavy sophomore group. Nine of the 16 are freshmen and sophomores. That’s a pretty young group and exciting for our team to get this year to start understanding what it takes to play in matches. We’re trying to get those kids to play as much as possible.”
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2023 Mt. Vernon girls golf schedule
Date;Opponent;Time
Aug. 1;at HSE Invitational;8 a.m.
Aug. 2;at Tipton Invitational;1:30 p.m.
Aug. 3;at Shelbyville;5:30 p.m.
Aug. 8;at Lawrence Central/Beech Grove;5 p.m.
Aug. 10;at Eastern Hancock;4:30 p.m.
Aug. 12;at Lapel Invitational;9 a.m.
Aug. 15;vs. Shelbyville/Rushville;5 p.m.
Aug. 16;at Shenandoah/Delta;5 p.m.
Aug. 22;vs. Covenant Christian;4:30 p.m.
Aug. 24;at Pendleton Heights;4:30 p.m.
Aug. 26;at New Palestine Invitational;1 p.m.
Aug. 29;at Hancock County (Hawk’s Tail);4:30 p.m.
Aug. 31;vs. Triton Central;4:30 p.m.
Sept. 5;at Guerin Catholic/Ham. Heights;4:30 p.m.
Sept. 6;at Delta/Muncie Central;5 p.m.
Sept. 7;at Yorktown/Lapel;4:30 p.m.
Sept. 9;at HHC (Albany G.C.);9 a.m.
Sept. 11;at Greenfield-Central/Warren;4;30 p.m.
Sept. 12;vs. New Palestine;4:30 p.m.
