Bellmont golf earns regional berth
All three high school boys golf teams from Adams County were in action at the IHSAA Norwell Sectional on Friday with the Bellmont Braves progressing to regionals.
Bellmont were runners-up to Eastbrook, but the top three teams booked their place in the next round this weekend, giving the Braves at least one more team competition.
It was a sunny Friday morning at Bluffton’s Timber Ridge Golf Course. Competitors teed off near the clubhouse before descending upon a course that was partially shaded by trees, but mostly splashed in sunlight.
Two of the five best finishers on the day came from Bellmont.
Winston Brown was consistent throughout. Only once did he require more than five strokes, routinely making his way through the course. Brown finished his round at 75, tied for the third best individual score on the day.
A tiebreaker allowed Brown to edge out his teammate Owen Minnick. Both Minnick and Brown had some of the day’s best performances on the latter half of the course.
Jayden Haines shot an 86 while Gage Bressler and Bryce Rickford scored 90 and 97, respectively.
The season came to an end for South Adams in heartbreaking fashion.
As a team, the Starfires were only seven points outside of the top three. Ricky Nava was defeated in a playoff by Oak Hill’s Trent Nelson to nab an individual regional ticket.
Nava finished his round with a score of 82 to lead the Starfires. Close behind were the scores of 85 and 86 posted by Graham Shuler and Tristen Dailey. Silas Loshe scored an 89 while Conner Fear had a 92.
Adams Central garnered seventh in the team standings.
Jayden Sharpe led the Jets, concluding his game with a score of 87. He was five shots better on the back nine than on the first half of the course.
Keaton Bush scored a 91 for the Jets while both Avery Biberstine and Micah McClure scored a 96. Edward Everett finished at 106.
Eastbrook won the team event with a score of 315.
The last team spot at regionals was won by Norwell. The Knights edged out Bluffton by three strokes for third.
Eastbrook’s Aaron Fulda had the best day of the entire field, posting a front nine score of 29 en route to a 68 for the day.
Bluffton’s Kegan Schwartz finished two shots behind Fulda in second, earning him an individual place at regionals.