The Adair County Lady Indians golf team is making a push for a spot in the Kentucky Golf Coaches Association All-State Championship tournament, currently sitting 15th in the standings with the season winding down.
The top 15 teams in points qualify for the All-State Championship tournament.
Adair County has played six tournaments and one regular-season match this season, with another tournament scheduled Saturday. Coach Ashley Goodin said she has intentionally entered the team in numerous tournaments to give the Lady Indians opportunities to improve and earn points.
“I have put us into a lot of tournaments this year,” she said. “This team is so good. We’ve never had a team like this ever,” she said.
The Lady Indians are averaging a team score of 351 in tournaments, but Goodin believes the team is capable of shooting in the 330s.
“In tournaments, we are averaging 351, but we are more capable to be in the 330s. It is higher than what I want it to be,” she said. “We need to be 330, we need to bring that down 20 strokes.”
The team has already shown it can reach those numbers.
Adair County shot a 322 at Lincoln Homestead to finish second behind Assumption. The Lady Indians shot 338 in Glasgow to finish third and 350 in Shelbyville for a fourth-place finish.
Individually, Ila Loy leads the team with an average score of 81, followed by Ashley Loy at 86, Claire Loy at 90 and Laney Inchcliff at 94.
Ella Brown, who recently returned to the team after taking several years off, is averaging 110, while Adysen Wooley is averaging 115.
Goodin said the competition for the fifth through eighth positions is close, giving the team depth as the season continues.
Loy also turned in a strong individual performance in Campbellsville, finishing third overall and qualifying for the 2A State Tournament in September.
The accomplishment adds to a growing list of state tournament appearances for the Lady Indians.
“Last year, we sent four girls to the state tournament. In Adair County, we have never had more than one individual at a time go for the girls,” said Goodin.
With the team currently sitting on the cutoff for the All-State Championship tournament, each remaining tournament provides another opportunity to climb the standings.
Goodin believes the team has the ability to make that push.
“I truly believe that we have some of the best golfers in the state,” she said.
By Amy Pike
amy@adairvoice.com
