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Valparaiso senior Harley Dubsky won a nail-biter of a finish among individuals while second-ranked Carmel led from start to finish to claim the team title during the 41st Annual IHSAA Girls Golf State Finals at The Legends Golf Club in Franklin.

Participants dodged rain showers throughout the two days but it was Dubsky who dodged a late charge from her closest competitors to win. As a result, she became the first girl from her school to win the state title and first Vikings golfer since Gary Krueger in 1979.

Dubsky had led the field by three strokes late but bogeyed the 17th hole and double bogeyed 18 to drop into a tie with Mary Ellen Romero of Hamilton Southeastern. Romero, also a senior, lipped out a 10-foot putt for par on 18 to give Dubsky a one-stroke win, 144 to 145.

Dubsky posted a 68 on Friday and held a three-stroke advantage over Romero for the lead after Day 1. It turned out to be the only sub-70 round over the two days.

Carmel senior Mackenzie Curtis placed third at two strokes back with 146. Penn's Kari Bellville, Anderson's Morgan Nadaline and Carmel junior Maggie Rees each tied for fourth at 147.

After finishing as the state runner-up three of the last four years, coach Ken Kelly's Carmel team finally took home the big trophy, its second overall in girls golf and first in 33 years (1980). The rain apparently didn't affect the Greyhounds much as the squad set 18 hole and 36 hole state records with a Saturday round of 300 to finish at 604, 27 strokes ahead of top-ranked Penn. Zionsville was third at 639, Hamilton Southeastern was fourth at 652, and Yorktown, the defending champion, ended fifth at 660.

Besides Curtis and Rees, junior Alyssa Cook finished tied for 15th overall at 152, senior Sophie Kelner scored a 159 and freshman Angie Kavanaugh ended at 175 to account for the rest of the Greyhound effort.

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Valparaiso's Harley Dubsky named Mental Attitude Award winner
At the conclusion of the state finals, the IHSAA Executive Committee named Harley Dubsky of Valparaiso High School as the winner of the Mental Attitude Award.

The Valpo senior won six invitationals this season, seven of her team's nine hole matches and took the sectional and regional competitions. She was the third place finisher in last year's state finals tournament.

Academically, Dubsky ranks in the top 10 percent of her senior class taking advantage of some of the most rigorous courses available at her school. She is a four-year member of the school's HOPE Club which consists of students who help mentor and tutor special needs students at the school.

She is the daughter of Douglas and Sunni Dubsky of Valparaiso and has accepted a scholarship to play golf at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas where she'll study Hotel and Restaurant Management.

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 Valparaiso High School's general scholarship fund in the name of Dubsky.