PREP GIRLS GOLF: NorthWood 13th as team, Northridge's Dyer 71st at state meet

Austin Hough, Goshen News, Ind.
·5 min read

Oct. 3—CARMEL — It was a final round of the 2021 season to remember for the NorthWood girls golf team, in large part due to the time spent not playing.

After all Panthers players had made it through at least four holes, a heavy rain overcame Prairie View Golf Course, delaying the state finals by more than two hours. Once the rain subsided, though, players resumed with the final day of the high school girls golf season in Indiana.

Once all the scores were in, NorthWood was left with a 13th place finish and a team score of 758 across two days of action in Carmel.

"It's super frustrating for the kids, but we've done a great job of preparing for those kinds of situations," said NorthWood coach Adam Yoder on the rain delay. "Everybody just kind of relaxes and talks and plays on their phone, all of that stuff. It was hard going back out because you weren't sure if you were going to get (your round) in."

As expected, Panthers senior Cybil Stillson had a strong finish to her career. She shot a 76 in her final round, aiding her to an 11th place finish in the final individual standings (tied with Becky Williams from University High School). Stillson received an all-state selection for her play and was also the recipient of the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award.

Fellow senior Bre Goss shot an 89 in her final round to give her a two-day total of 174 (+30). As she walked off the course for the final time, she fell into the arms of Yoder and gave him a big, emotional hug.

"I was just like, 'This is the last putt I'll have during a high school season,'" said Goss on what was going through her mind during the final hole of her career. "It was just so emotional, those last two holes because I knew it was coming to an end. ... (Yoder) means so much to me. He's helped me so much throughout my four years."

Together, Stillson and Goss made NorthWood history by being the first two players to compete in four state tournaments.

"As players, they've set the bar; they've set the bar now," said Yoder of Stillson and Goss. "First it was the Amy Thompson's and the Heidi Morganthaler's and the Linnzie Richner's and the Summer Stillson's. And then the 2019 group, which is a whole other, different group of their own. And now this group, those two — they've set the bar."

Other two-day totals for NorthWood were junior Riley Kitson with a 199, junior Kira Schrock with a 232 and senior Bella Sechrist with a 240.

The NorthWood coach elaborated more on how the rain affected the way some of his players performed Saturday.

"The course plays more difficult; it's wet," Yoder said. "After Bre and Cybil — Riley is long (with the driver), but not crazy long. And then Bella and Kira don't hit it as long, so all of a sudden, the ball isn't rolling 10, 15 yards out. That changes everything, and I think that had a lot to do with our struggles near the end."

It was the fourth-straight season the NorthWood program had made it to the state finals. They finished 10th in 2018, sixth in 2019, 12th in 2020 and now 13th this year.

"In a one-class system where we have, what, 800, 900 students? I mean, that's impressive what these kids have done over their careers is amazing," Yoder said. "But being down here is amazing. The IGA, the IHSAA, the coaches' association, Prairie View — they make this a true championship event. They want to make it special for the girls, and that's incredibly rewarding for them. It's a huge credit to all of those groups and how they run things."

Saturday ended Yoder's 50th season coaching an IHSAA sport, regardless of sport/level. He's spent 14 of those as the varsity girls golf coach at NorthWood. He also spent six seasons as the head girls basketball coach at the school.

"This was my 50th IHSAA season, and the one thing I've always appreciated is the support I've gotten from our players and our parents," Yoder said. "Doesn't mean it's always been sunshine and rainbows, but for me, those players and those parents have made those 50 seasons incredibly rewarding for me, regardless of what anybody else thinks."

Also from The Goshen News coverage area playing this weekend was Northridge's Karisa Dyer. After shooting a 93 Friday, the sophomore followed it up with a 95 on a rain-drenched course Saturday. The 188 left her in a tie for 71st place in the final individual standings.

Evansville North won the team title with a combined 606 (+30). Lapel's Macy Beeson repeated as the individual state champ with an even-par 144. She won by one shot over Evansville North's Chloe Johnson, who had a par putt rim out on the final hole to give Beeson the victory.

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2021 IHSAA GIRLS GOLF STATE TOURNAMENT

Final team standings (day one total-day two total-final)

1. Evansville North, 302-304-606 (+30)

2. Homestead, 317-207-624 (+48)

3. Westfield, 324-313-637 (+61)

4. Castle, 320-319-637 (+63)

5. Carmel, 329-323-652 (+76)

6. Hamilton Southeastern, 326-330-656 (+80)

7. Culver Academies, 322-335-657 (+81)

8. Center Grove, 336-327-663 (+87)

9. Noblesville, 339-345-684 (+108)

10. Floyd Central, 353-350-703 (+127)

11. Penn, 382-367-749 (+173)

12. Western, 381-374-755 (+179)

13. NorthWood, 373-385-758 (+182): Cybil Stillson, 77-76-153; Bre Goss, 85-89-174; Riley Kitson, 95-104-199; Kira Schrock, 116-116-232; Bella Sechrist, 118-122-240.

14. Batesville, 392-376-768 (+192)

15. Crown Point, 384-393-777 (+201)

Austin Hough can be reached at austin.hough@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2360. Follow him on Twitter at @AustinHoughTGN.