Cougars finish season strong at sectionals

North Putnam junior Jessie Cox hits a chip shot during a match earlier this season. (Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)

BROWNSBURG -- The shorthanded North Putnam Cougars girls' golf team finished its season at the Brownsburg sectional at West Chase Golf Club.

Neither of the junior golfers, Jessie Cox and Olivia Zarate, placed at the tournament but coach Linda Patrick was impressed through the season.

"Even though the scores were higher than normal, each girl had some great shots throughout the meet," Patrick said. "It is uncommon to have such a small team but these two girls started golf their freshman year with the full intention of playing four years."

Cox finished Saturday with a 111 at the 18-hole tournament. Zarate shot a 123. With two golfers NPHS did not qualify a team score.

Avon High School won the event with a 369, followed by Brownsburg's 376 and Mooresville's 379. Those three teams will all advance to the Roncalli regional tournament on Saturday.

Brownsburg's Maddie Cody was medalist with an 85.

The top three individual golfers who didn't play for an advancing team will also advance to regionals. Those three, all from Plainfield, are Tori Treash, Nikki Gilbert and Liz Cozart.

While the final tournament wasn't their best result, the 2013 year was successful for the Cougars.

During the season Zarate placed third in county with a 47 and in conference she placed seventh with a 99. Cox struggled in both events, put improved her average from last year. Throughout the year the girls wanted to get better and continued to work hard in preparation of sectionals.

"As one girl stated, we were flying under the radar the last two years but now we have to prove ourselves," Patrick said. "Golf is a sport like any other sport. You set goals like any other sport, your practice like any other sport, you have games like any other sport, and you accomplish your goals like any other sport, but only more as an individual rather than a team this year."

The girls knew they were not going to get out of the sectional without some luck, but a rough day in wet and breezy conditions really hurt everybody's score.

The golf team looks forward to a new challenge next year, hopefully recruiting some more students to be part of the group. The two juniors look to become very successful leaders for the new members next year.

Even with the possibility of not adding more members, they will look to improve on a very successful season.

"Both girls are looking forward to their senior year in golf with new excitement for hopefully getting more teammates, but also for still continuing to work and improve their golf game to accomplish one goal they did not achieve this year, and that is to be able to place in sectionals and move on to regionals," Patrick said. "As a coach, I am looking forward to next year as a second time to have coached a group of girls their entire four years in golf."

Girls' golf sectional
At West Chase
1. Avon 369; 2. 
Brownsburg 376; 3. 
Mooresville 379; 4. 
Plainfield 381; 5. 
Tri-West 420
; 6. Danville 433
; 7. Cascade 436
; 8. Monrovia 438; North Putnam DNQ