For The Tribune

COLUMBUS

Despite her team finishing sixth, Seymour girls golf coach RaeAnn Wintin had nothing but good things to say following the Owls’ performance in Saturday’s Hoosier Hills Conference tournament at Otter Creek.

Seymour finished with a 473 tally, but was one of only two teams that recorded a better back-nine score (230) than its front nine (243).

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15th-ranked Floyd Central took the team title with a 357, which featured a 78 from Lauren Decker to grab the individual medalist award.

All four of the Highlanders scorers turned in sub-100 results. Bedford North Lawrence took runners-up honors, just edging past host Columbus East 390 to 391.

Madison followed East in fourth with a 407. New Albany (458) placed fifth, while Jennings County (485) garnered and seventh, respectively, and Jeffersonville (566) took last.

“This is a very hard course and it’s very unforgiving,” Wintin said. “But I’m very pleased with our girls’ and how they improved as the (tournament) went on.”

The Owls were led by junior Hannah Thompson with a 101.

The junior No. 1 is the oldest of the pack and showed consistency throughout, following her front 51 with a 50 on the back. Juniors and Andrea Axsom and Bailey Goben recorded a 111 and 115, respectively, while freshman Jenna Ebler rounded out the official scoring with a 146. Kara Rice, also a freshman, notched a 148.

Axsom and Goben both finished strong, with Axsom following her 60 with a 51, while Goben notched a 63 followed by a 55. Only Ebler, 69-77, had a tougher time on the back.

“We played most of these (HHC) teams earlier throughout the season and thought we could gauge ourselves by trying to compete with a few like New Albany and Jennings County,” added Wintin. “The girls were able to do that and showed they have the potential to improve.”

East was led by Rebecca Smith, who earned individual runner-up medalist honors with an 83. Lily Shelp followed with a 99, while Nicole Bodi ( 104) and Megan Hashimoto (105) rounded out the official team scoring. Autumn Fateley also competed for the Olympians, finishing with a 107.

Jennings County was paced by Kassi Whitehead with a 104 and Peyton Whitehead with a 107, while Sydney Campbell (133) and Marina Sigmund (141) rounded out the scoring. Rachel Greene finished with a 143.

“Our girls are young and still learning,” Wintin added. “But I have been very happy with how this season has gone.”