Photo by TRAVIS DAVID | Shakamak's Camryn Bryne follows through on her tee shot on the par 3 No. 9 at Phil Harris Golf Course during Wednesday's SWIAC Meet. Bryne earned first-team all-conference honors in helping the Lady Lakers to a second-place finish.

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BY TRAVIS DAVID

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LINTON — Golfers are known to carry small snacks or something light to eat in their bag during a round. 

The Shakamak girls golf team has a different approach to help fuel their round.

Mexican food.

And it helped propel them to another memorable finish on the links Wednesday.

After a trip to LaFiesta for lunch, the Lady Lakers came away with a second-place finish at the Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference Meet at Phil Harris.

The match was the team’s first 18-hole meet of the year.

“The girls earned this on their own, but they are just a crazy group of Mexican foodies,” Shakamak coach Alexis Meyer said with a laugh. “It’s their power food.”

North Daviess ran away with the team title with a score of 372 which was 38 strokes ahead of the Lakers. Eastern Greene finished 11 shots behind Shakamak, while Linton-Stockton (424) and Clay City (472) rounded out the Top 5.

North Central placed seventh with a team score of 530.

The meet was switched to an 18-hole format for the first time this season.

“This was a much needed change,” one participating coach said of the format. “Anyone can get lucky over nine holes, but over the course of 18 holes it really helps separate the players.”

Aside from the runner-up finish in their first season in over 50 years, the Lakers also had all five of their players qualify for the all-conference teams.

Aubree Langford led the Lakers with a round of 100 to earn First-Team All Conference honors. Camryn Bryne and Chase Hammond finished just two strokes behind their teammate, also earning a place on the 10-player First-Team list. 

Mattiyln Hill and Adelyse Varner rounded out the scoring for Shakamak with a pair of 106 as both earned a spot as honorable mention selections.

“These girls put together five solid scores in their first ever 18-hole match,” Meyer said of her team. “Just like I have been all season, I could not be more proud of these girls.”

Linton-Stockton’s Millie Lynn was the meet medalist, carding a round of 86 which was two shots clear of North Daviess top golfer Meah Dalrymple.

The Cougars placed four players on the first-team and another golfer on the honorable mention list.

Although the Cougars entered the meet as the prohibitive favorites, Meyer mentioned she thought her team would have a good chance at a high placing.

“Given how we played against all of these teams earlier in the season, I knew we should be in the running for a Top-4 finish,” the Lakers’ coach stated. “But to finish second place feels great on all fronts. Then to have the entire team make either all conference or honorable mention … they all are just so awesome.”

Hammond had the most impressive run of the day for the Lakers. The senior recorded four straight pars starting with hole No. 15. 

Varner registered a trio of pars for her round while Langford and Bryne recorded one apiece.

Wednesday’s match also marked the first 18-hole event for the Ladybirds. The team full of first-year players were led by Brynley Grabbe who carded a 125. Samantha Nickless finished four strokes back while Mikayla Hunter and Lauren Waterman rounded out the scoring with a 137 and 139, respectively. Katelyn McClure also carded a 139 for her round.

Both teams will now turn their attention to sectional play on Friday.

The Lakers head down to the North Knox Sectional at High Pointe Golf Course while the Ladybirds will partake in the Northview Sectional at Forest Park in Brazil. 

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