Depth is the big issue facing most of the girls’ golf squads in the West Central Conference. The circuit returns five of last season’s seven All-Conference players, but graduation played havoc with rosters throughout the league.

 

Last year only five of the seven schools in the West Central fielded teams in the conference meet. Speedway does not compete in girls’ golf and North Putnam did not put a squad on the links last year. The Cougars are hoping to compete this time around.

 

South Putnam and Monrovia appear to be the teams to beat when the conference meet takes place September 13th at Deer Creek near Clayton. The Eagles return their top two individuals from a year ago. Heather Hughes will occupy the number one spot while Grace Aker will hold down the second spot. Optimism is high at South Putnam because both of those players are only juniors. Monrovia returns last season’s medalist at the conference meet in Julia Porter. Porter went on to qualify for the state finals later in the year. That is no small feat because all of the West Central teams feed into the Martinsville regional where golfers normally go to die unless they are wearing the host colors.

 

Cloverdale was hit hard by graduation but returns their top player in Kayla Langdon. Overall, however, the Clovers bring back only two of their top five players. Greencastle is very young but should be improved. Chelsea Samuels is expected to be the top scorer for the Tiger Cubs. Cascade finished fourth in last year’s competition and does not boast any of the top individual players returning to action. However, the Cadets should boast the most balance of any team at the meet.

 

Many of the schools will compete in the Terre Haute South Invitational on the twelfth of August. At the end of the season, the Putnam County schools will travel west to Northview for sectional competition, while Cascade and Monrovia will feed into the Brownsburg sectional.