News

In spite of cold and blustery conditions at Carmel's Prairie View Golf Club, Bloomington South's Cherise Otter and the Evansville North girls golf team led from start to finish to claim this year's IHSAA state championships.

The No. 2 Huskies (322-324-646), with only one senior among their five golfers, were led by junior Emma Kieffer (154) who finished tied for seventh. Sophomore Katelyn Le tied for 15th with 158, freshman Hadley Watts ended tied for 24th with 165, senior Kelsie Droste tied for 33rd with 170 and sophomore Brittany Skinner was 47th at 175.

It was the school's first state championship in girls golf, it's third in any sport and first since 2000 when the boys golf team carried home the trophy.

The Huskies of coach Ken Wempe capped a solid three weekends that saw them shoot a regional record 295 at Country Oaks in Montgomery last Saturday as well as a 294 at Fendrich in Evansville the week before, tied for the fifth-lowest score in sectional history. North's previous best finish at state was fifth place two years ago.

No. 4 Martinsville finished six strokes back (332-320-652) as the runner-up, followed by No. 3 Hamilton Southeastern (328-331-659). Top-ranked defending state champion Carmel (333-331-664) placed fourth.

Otter (69-75-144) became the second Bloomington South player to win the individual crown joining Amy McDonald in 1987.

The Bloomington South junior held a four-stroke lead after Friday's opening round 69 when she birdied three holes through mostly rainy, cool weather. She maintained that lead through Saturday's very windy and cold conditions offsetting four bogeys and a double-bogey with three more birdies to finish even par.

Martinsville junior Claire Cameron (75-76-151) and Westfield freshman Cailyn Henderson (77-74-151) tied for second place.

This was the first state finals event held at the 5,523 yard course along the banks of the White River. The boys state finals will be played here in June.

Leader Boards

Oak Hill's Lauren Tibbets named Mental Attitude Award winner
At the conclusion of the state finals, the IHSAA Executive Committee named Lauren Tibbets of Oak Hill High School as the winner of the Mental Attitude Award.

Tibbets is a two-time state finalist, four-time Grant County medalist and three-time conference champion. She also has participated in swimming and diving and softball at Oak Hill which fielded a full team in girls golf for the first time this year.

Academically, she sits at the top of her senior class, serves as student body president and has been a member of the Student Council all four years. She is a member of the school orchestra, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Spanish Club.

She is the daughter of Mike and Luanne Tibbets of Converse, Ind. and plans to study mathematics at Butler University.

Each year the IHSAA Executive Committee selects a senior player who was nominated by her principal and coach and was determined to have best demonstrated mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability. The Committee presented $1,000 to Oak Hill High School's general scholarship fund in the name of Lauren Tibbets.