by OSKALOOSA — Day one was definitely a good day.
Day two was even better for the Indian Hills girls golf team.
In the program’s first tournament, the Warriors pulled away after building a five-shot lead Monday in the opening round of the William Penn Statesmen Invitational. Indian Hills followed a first-round 312 at Edmundson Golf Course with a second-round 306 Tuesday, pulling away from William Penn to win the program’s first-ever team tournament title by 17 strokes.
“We fought. The girls showed a lot of mental toughness in just trying to do their best,” said Micheal Shedd, head coach of the Indian Hills girls golf team. “I was really excited to come out here and compete for the first time. I think the girls were as ready as I was because they beat me to the bus.”
“Putting all of these pieces together and seeing the end result is very rewarding. It’s the culmination of the hard work and dedication of many people who have brought us to this point.”
The freshman program, which was first announced as the latest addition to Indian Hills’ athletic roster in 2022, proved early Monday that it could compete immediately with established four-year programs. A balanced scoring that included four golfers breaking 80 in the first round put IHCC in the lead in a title race that saw four teams separated by nine shots heading into Tuesday’s final round.
“I have no doubt this team can be successful right away,” Shedd said. “They’re very excited. They want to be competitive. The exciting part is it’s an all-young girls team playing juniors and seniors. All I’ve told the girls is to focus on the golf course and focus on doing the best they can. I think they’ve done a great job.”
The individual title race was equally tight, with the Warriors playing a big role in that battle. Netherlands’ Joska Nelis was able to put herself in position for the individual title on her Warriors debut after shooting a first-round 75 on Monday, before heading into Tuesday’s final round just one shot behind the lead.
“The first nine holes didn’t go so well for me because I missed all my up-and-down shots and birdie putts,” Nelis said. “My long game was pretty good. I only missed two fairways. I hit the ball pretty well.”
Six Warriors golfers posted better scores Tuesday, helping Indian Hills take a decisive victory. The Warriors pulled away from William Penn, Truman State and Lincoln with the tournament’s best team round, with Nelis’ 74 clinching the individual title by one stroke over Truman State freshman Kylie Secrest.
“It’s very exciting. We were all very nervous in that first round,” Nelis said. “It was great to be part of this team. All the girls are great. I hope we can get a lot of good results throughout the season.”
“Everything is new, so we’re still trying to figure out what works best, but we’re playing well. I think we have a chance to show everyone around the country what we have to offer here at Indian Hills.”
California native Taylor Pacheco joined Nelis in the top 10, making the biggest improvement from Monday’s first round to Tuesday’s second round for the Warriors. Pacheco followed a 79 on Monday with a second-round 75, moving into sixth place in the individual standings with a 154 total, finishing just five shots behind Nelis for the individual title.
Poppy Norcott added a top-10 finish for Indian Hills, finishing eighth overall with rounds of 79 and 78 for a 157 total. Veronica Rodriguez finished 10th with a two-round total of 158, posting rounds of 79 each day at Edmundson Golf Course.
“I didn’t know what to expect from this program, but I think Coach Shedd is doing a great job of putting this team together,” Nelis said. “I’m glad I can be a part of it. Everyone helps each other out. We’ve spent a lot of time together. We’re all part of the innovation of this program. It brings you together to share something like this.”
