Firing a record-setting team score of 623, Martinsville blazed to a 43-shot victory in the 25th annual IHSAA Girls Golf State Finals Oct. 11, 1997 at Prestwick Country Club in Avon. It was Martinsville's third straight championship and the fifth in the past six years. Martinsville also finished as the state runner-up in 1990 and 1994.
The Artesians, who won by a record margin, were followed by Franklin (666), Lafayette Jefferson (666) and Carmel (679).
The final round was conducted under perfect conditions with sunny skies, a light breeze and temperatures in the mid 70s over the par-71 course that played at 5,500 yards.
Leading the way for Martinsville was sophomore Leigh Anne Hardin, who was the tournament runner-up in 1996. Sparked by an eagle-2 on her sixth hole of the day, Hardin carded a one-under-par 35 on the front nine and a one-under par 34 on the back nine to finish at 69. Her 36-hole total of 143 was just off the tournament record of 142 set in 1996 by Katy Wilkinson of South Bend Clay.
Hardin's second-round score of 69 tied the tournament record for the lowest 18-hole score. Wilkinson did it during first-round play in 1995 and 1996, and Jennifer Gray of Martinsville scored a 69 in the second round of the 1993 tournament on her way to medalist honors. Hardin is the ninth medalist in tournament history to lead her school to the team title.
First-round leader Mary Lidester of Lafayette Jefferson took second-place honors with a second-round 74 and a 36-hole total of 145. Lidester's total tied for the third lowest in tournament history with Wilkinson in 1995 and Gray in 1993. Third place went to sophomore Ambry Bishop of Franklin at 148. Hardin, Lidester and Bishop played the final round in the same threesome.
The other Martinsville scores that counted towards its total were junior Heather Rose (161), junior Erin Roe (162) and senior Kristen Bodine (167). Each team had five players, with the low four scores each day counting as the team total. Martinsville's 623 lowered the 36-hole record from the 640 shot by the Artesians in 1996.
Overall, it was the 11th IHSAA championship for Martinsville in all sports. Eight of those titles have come in the 1990s, all in girls sports -- six in golf, one in basketball, one in volleyball. All of Martinsville's golf championship teams have been coached by Sharon Most.
Bowers was the top finisher for fifth-place Bloomington North, which had finished as the runner-up in sectional and regional play to Martinsville.
Farm Bureau Insurance, IHSAA corporate sponsor, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Bloomington North High School in the name of Bowers.
25TH GIRLS GOLF STATE FINALS
October 4 and 11, 1997
Prestwick Country Club, Avon
Par 71-71-142
TEAM SCORES
First-round cut came at 369
Martinsville 312-311-623 Franklin 336-330-666 Lafayette Jefferson 334-332-666 Carmel 347-332-679 Bloomington North 349-338-687 Indianapolis Cathedral 369-354-723 Fort Wayne Snider 369-361-730 Harrison (West Lafayette) 357-378-735 Evansville Mater Dei 368-378-746 Lake Central 370* Center Grove 371* Anderson 376* Marion 380* Huntington North 385* Logansport 387* Valparaiso 394* New Castle 400* Penn 401*
*Missed cut
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD
Leigh Anne Hardin, 74-69-143 Martinsville Mary Lidester, Lafayette 71-74-145 Jefferson Ambry Bishop, Franklin 77-71-148 Ashley Prange, Harrison (West 74-76-150 Lafayette) Erin Roe, Martinsville 77-75-152 Ashley Welch, Carmel 82-74-156 Bess Bowers, Bloomington 80-77-157 North Morgan O'Banion, Carmel 84-75-159 Allison Beam, Lafayette 80-80-160 Jefferson Krista Dillman, Richmond 80-80-160
INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS
Players advanced to the second round without their teams
Listed alphabetically
Crystal Anglea, Center Grove 85-79-164 Emily Case, Evansville Day 78-90-168 Krista Dillman, Richmond 80-80-160 Andrea Duc, Daleville 83-79-162 Danah Ford, Lawrence Central 84-80-164 Dana Inabnitt, Center Grove 85-83-168 Stacy Lods, Twin Lakes 84-85-169 Mandy Puckett, Monroe Central 85-85-170 Rebecca Rogers, Homestead 78-90-168 Ryan Slayback, South Dearborn 83-83-166 Jessica Till, Fort Wayne 82-81-163 Dwenger
TEAM SCORING
BLOOMINGTON NORTH (349-338-687) -- Lissa Putnam 88-88-176, Bess Bowers 80-77-157, Hadley Buehner 92-87-179, Megan Mauro 89-86-175, Elin Raun 97-101-198.
CARMEL (347-332-679) -- Morgan O'Banion 84-75-159, Ashley Welch 82-74-156, Adrienne Mayhew 89-94-183, Ann Speidel 96-89-185, Courtenay Grass 92-95-187.
EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (368-378-746) -- Meg Liffick 83-80-163, Andrea Werner 89-94-189, Jenny Effinger 90-97-187, Jenni Morrow 106-107-213, Sarah Mesker 134-114-248.
FORT WAYNE SNIDER (369-361-730) -- Alice Cockrum 88-92-180, Molly Weissert 84-81-165, Katie Rotering 93-86-179, Sarah Poitras 107-102-209, Jill Koehlinger 104-119-223.
FRANKLIN (336-330-666) -- Ambry Bishop 77-71-148, Katie Cooper 89-84-173, Carrie Dougherty 88-84-172, Amy Wenning 85-91-176, Angie Kephart 86-92-178.
HARRISON (West Lafayette) (357-378-735) -- Ashley Lowery 82-80-162, Ashley Prange 74-76-150, Allison Benton 97-97-194, Emily Benton 104-125-229, Christy Sanderson 119-136-255.
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (369-354-723) -- Kelly Bego 82-85-167, Emily Kuhfeld 84-85-169, Chrissy Linnemeier 104-97-201, Shannon Gurzynski 99-87-186, Cindy Becher 118-108-226.
LAFAYETTE JEFFERSON (334-332-666) -- Mary Lidester 71-74-145, Allison Beam 80-80-160, Emily Ferguson 92-93-185, Amy Griffith 106-101-207, Annie Lidester 91-85-176.
MARTINSVILLE (312-311-623) -- Leigh Anne Hardin 74-69-143, Kristen Bodine 84-83-167, Erin Roe 77-75-152, Bethany Brunner/Jamie Hovious 94-88-182, Heather Rose 77-84-161. Note: Brunner played the first round, Hovious played the second round.
TEAMS THAT DID NOT QUALIFY FOR SECOND-ROUND PLAY
ANDERSON (376) -- Amanda Sromek 99, Courtney Bell 87, Heidi Cochran 89, Kelly Heider 104, Myranda Harrison 101.
CENTER GROVE (371) -- Crystal Anglea 85, Dana Inabnitt 85, Natalie Dallas 90, Betsy Crandall 111, Whitney Davidson 113.
HUNTINGTON NORTH (385) -- Carrie Fields 93, Jennie Helvie 100, Kristyn Oliver 97, Lori Warner 107, Lisa Butz 95.
LAKE CENTRAL ( 370)-- Amanda Zipko 86, Nicole Nelson 96, Nicole Zipko 91, Hilary Toyias 97, Cara Freeland 109.
LOGANSPORT (387) -- Alison Morris 102, Courtney Bannon 89, Molly David 110, Danni Smith 98, Amy Muehlhausen 98.
MARION (380) -- Ashley Powell 95, Abby Powell 89, Caroline Musser 102, Deborah Garriott 94, Staci Wells 104.
NEW CASTLE (400) -- Erin Dickey 100, Alicia Dickey 90, Shanna Bertram 104, Jennifer Campbell 110, Niki Wright 106.
PENN (401) -- Jackie Potter 91, Michelle Sill 122, Jamie Mikolajczak 99, Nicole Pinter 102, Molly Egyhazi 109.
VALPARAISO (394) -- Katy Welter 87, Jennifer White 99, Lisa Newton DQ, Haylee Schwerdt 107, Christine Sukovich 101.
INDIVIDUALS THAT DID NOT QUALIFY FOR SECOND-ROUND PLAY
Listed alphabetically
Cut came at 85
Merideth Gilley, Culver 100 Academy Candice Goldsmith, Batesville 88 Jennifer LaRocco, Michigan 89 City Marquette Courtney Strick, New Prairie 90 Courtney Tate, Brownsburg 89 Stacy Torwelle, Jennings 87 County Emily Waltz, Madison 104 Kari Wortinger, Wawasee 86