FORTVILLE — For Mt. Vernon freshman Elijah Lemmon, the 2024 golf season was special in more ways than one.
Not only was he successful in his first season of high school golf, he did it all with his grandfather, Tom Kirby, as his coach.
“I started playing basically when I could walk, so I could start spending more time with my papa. It was amazing getting to play for him. All my life he’s been my golf coach. He’s been the one always helping me,” Lemmon said. “The past couple of years with me playing middle school golf and him coaching the high school team, there were stretches where I really didn’t get to see him or talk to him that much. Getting to play under him and see him every day and communicate with him was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed that part of the season.”
With his grandfather by his side, Lemmon stepped right in as the Marauders No. 1 golfer and proved himself as deserving of that spot. For that reason, and others, he is the Hancock County Boys Golf Athlete of the Year.
“I think this year went pretty well. I came in without a whole lot of expectations just because I didn’t really know what to expect,” Lemmon said. “I’m very happy with how I played, and I’m just looking to build upon this year and get better as I prepare for the next three years of high school golf.”
Lemmon began playing the sport as soon as he could walk, but really began taking things seriously and playing competitively at the age of 10. Kirby was alongside him every step of the way.
“He has always been a golf savant. He and I were on the course as soon as he could walk. He’s been playing since then and he has always loved the game,” Kirby said. “I’ve always said that he will do something in golf when he grows up because he’s got an almost photographic memory when it comes to reading things about the game. He’ll either be somebody who can recite the sports history or he’ll be playing the sport himself.”
Playing in tournaments since he was 10 and being successful in the sport growing up, Lemmon entered his first high school season with high expectations and the pressure of being the team’s No. 1 as a freshman.
He lived up to it and led the Marauders all season long, winning both the Hoosier Heritage Conference individual title, as well as the Hancock County title.
At the conference tournament he fired a one-over-par 73 and to win county he won in a two-hole playoff with a one-under-par 35.
“As we got further and further into the season, my game progressed along with that,” Lemmon said. “I played great at the conference tournament and then into the postseason, even though the scores weren’t where we wanted them to be, I think my game was in a good spot.”
Lemmon added a second-place finish at the Greenfield-Central Sectional and shot a 77 at the Muncie Central Regional, missing a state qualifying spot by one stroke. Earlier in the season he placed third at the Bob Spacey Noblesville Invitational with a 75, was third at the Triton Central Invite, and fired a one-over-par 73 at the Muncie Central Invitational for 11th place. In dual matches all season long, he was consistently the team’s top golfer.
“I’m definitely going to look at everything I did this season,” Lemmon said. “I’m going to look at the positives and try to build off of those things, but I’m also going to look at the things that didn’t go well, like not making the state finals, and those are the things that I’m going to continue to build on for next year.”
He credits this season’s success to the familiarity of having his grandfather alongside.
“It helped a lot that my papa is the coach and has been the team’s coach the last couple of years. I wasn’t just coming in with no idea of what was going on. The past couple of years I had practiced with the team a bit and I knew some of the players. Just having that knowledge of how the team worked helped a lot,” Lemmon said.
“He helped me, not so much with the technical aspect, but I just always felt like I could communicate with him. I could talk to him about anything that I felt was going on with me or the team. I just had that easy communication that I might not have had with a coach I didn’t know. It was just amazing to have him there to help me.”
While the success was there for Lemmon, Kirby – having coached him for so long — knows that he’s just scratching the surface of how good of a high school golfer he can be.
With three more years to go, the county’s top golfer is just getting started.
“He’s got more to give in golf and more to show everybody,” Kirby said.
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2024 Daily Reporter All-Hancock County Boys Golf Team
Player of the Year: Elijah Lemmon, Mt. Vernon
Coach of the Year: Cody Hibbert, Eastern Hancock
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First Team
Player, School
Nils Erkmanis, Mt. Vernon
Elijah Lemmon, Mt. Vernon
Joey McPike, New Palestine
Avery Young, Greenfield-Central
Tyler Young, Greenfield-Central
Second Team
Player, School
Parker Atkins, Eastern Hancock
Nick Barada, New Palestine
Luke Cofer, New Palestine
Brady Pearson, Mt. Vernon
Zach Stephens, Eastern Hancock
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2024 Hancock County Spring Sports Honors
Sport;Athlete of the Year;Coach of the Year
Boys volleyball;Eli Martin, New Palestine
Girls track events;Bella Sotelo, Eastern Hancock;Mark Foster, Greenfield-Central
Girls field events;Ellie Meyer, Eastern Hancock
Boys track events;Andres Langston, Mt. Vernon; Nick Clarkson, Mt. Vernon
Boys field events;Elliot Ryba, Greenfield-Central
Girls tennis;Kylie Brandes and Ava Lusby, Mt. Vernon;Gabe Muterspaugh, Mt. Vernon
Boys golf;Elijah Lemmon, Mt. Vernon;Cody Hibbert, Eastern Hancock
Baseball;Coming July 24
Softball;Coming July 31
