The first high school sporting event in Seymour in nearly five months is scheduled this week.
Several girls golf teams around the state are opening their seasons today, including the Seymour Owls.
After beginning its season in the Bloomington South Invitational at Bloomington Country Club, Seymour will host a tournament Wednesday. Brownstown Central will open in the Seymour Invitational at Shadowood Golf Course.
The last time any Jackson County high school teams participated in an event were the boys basketball sectional tournaments March 7. Brownstown Central and Crothersville won sectionals that night and were practicing for regionals the following week when COVID-19 came along and the Indiana High School Athletic Association announced the regionals were canceled.
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The state tournament and all spring sports were called off soon after that.
There are 16 teams in the Bloomington tournament, which starts at 9 a.m. The Owls are paired with girls from Franklin, Jasper and Gibson Southern.
Seymour coach Jim Hoffman has two players returning who helped the Owls advance to the regional last year in sophomores Lainey Jackson and Phoebe Skidmore.
“Lainey and Phoebe gained experience playing in all matches last year,” Hoffman said. “Much improved are Liza Stuckwisch and Rylee Ebler, and both have worked hard this summer."
Jackson and SKidmore invested considerable time in their games in recent weeks.
“Lainey and Phoebe played in multiple tourneys this summer," Hoffman said. "Lainey just finished third in her flight and Phoebe fifth (last Wednesday). They have been out and worked hard getting better.”
Hoffman and assistant coach Brian Tidd are working with two seniors and four sophomores. There are no juniors or freshmen on the team.
The seniors are Maddie Nay and Tori Gray. Nay and the four sophomores lettered last year.
“Maddie is our returning senior who is much improved,” Hoffman said. “Tori is a new senior that is playing this year. We will be young, and four sophomores will gain a ton of experience that will be beneficial. We have modest goals. I think a big goal is to shoot under 190 in nine-hole matches and 350 in 18."
Hoffman said he likes the look of this team.
“This is a great, small group of girls, but they have been playing a lot together and bonding," he said. "I really like their attitudes.”
Brownstown coach Brandon Allman is working with four girls who played in the sectional last year, led by Ashlyn Fox, who was a regional qualifier.
Other sectional veterans are juniors Payton Ault, Hannah Hackman and Lexie Satterthwaite.
Allman said he looks for Fox and Ault to battle for the No. 1 position.
“They’ve got the most experience." he said. "This will be Ashlyn’s fourth year and Payton’s third year playing varsity. Payton has spent more time on her game this year than in the past. She played in tournaments at Shadowood and Otis Park (Bedford) this summer, and she had never done that before.”
Another letterman is senior Sara Baker, and rounding out the squad is junior Kelsey Ault and sophomore Emma Hughbanks. Brownstown has no freshmen.
“Both Kelsey and Emma played some last year," Allman said.
Allman said he is anxious to see how the Braves score Wednesday in the season opener.
“I look for the girls to get back in the flow of playing golf and getting tournament experience," he said. "With the start of school moving up, we don’t get to play in as many tournaments as we did before."
He just wants his players to recapture the tournament feel.
“With this being our first 18-hole tournament, I’m just looking for them to get back in the flow of the game," Allman said. "With COVID-19 with the different rules, it will be nice to have some kind of normalcy.”
After the Seymour Invitational, the Braves will travel to Bedford North Lawrence on Friday.
Joining the Owls and Braves in the Seymour Invitational will be Bedford North Lawrence, Madison, Columbus East, Scottsburg and Westfield. It will be an 18-hole event starting at 9 a.m.
Rosters
Seymour
Head coach: Jim Hoffman
Seniors: Maddie Nay, Tori Gray
Sophomores: Lainey Jackson, Phoebe Skidmore, Liza Stuckwisch, Rylee Ebler
Brownstown Central
Head coach: Brandon Allman
Seniors: Sara Baker, Ashlyn Fox
Juniors: Payton Ault, Kelsey Ault, Hannah Hackman, Lexie Satterthwaite
Sophomore: Emma Hughbanks
Schedules
Seymour
Aug. 3 at Bloomington South Invitational, 9 a.m.
Aug. 5 Seymour Invitational, 9 a.m.
Aug. 10 at New Albany, 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 15 at Providence Invitational, 2:30 p.m.
Aug. 17 at Columbus East, 4:15 p.m.
Aug. 18 Jennings County, 4:15 p.m.
Aug. 22 at Mooresville Invitational, 1 p.m.
Aug. 25 at Columbus North, 4:45 p.m.
Aug. 31 Columbus East, 4:15 p.m.
Sep. 1 at Bedford North Lawrence, 4:30 p.m.
Sep. 10 at Jennings County with Madison, 4:30 p.m.
Sep. 12 Hoosier Hills Conference Tournament at Valley View, 9 a.m.
Sep. 14 at Jennings County, 4:30 p.m.
Sep. 19 at sectional (Otis Park), TBA
Brownstown Central
Aug. 5 at Seymour Invitational, 9 a.m.
Aug. 7 at Bedford North Lawrence Invitational, 8 a.m.
Aug. 10 Mitchell, 4:45 p.m.
Aug. 11 at Edgewood with Brown County, 5 p.m.
Aug. 17 at Eastern (Pekin), 5 p.m.
Aug. 21 at Scottsburg with Silver Creek, 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 24 at Providence, 5 p.m.
Aug. 28 Salem 5 p.m.
Aug. 31 New Albany, 5 p.m.
Sep. 1 at Salem with West Washington, 4:30 p.m.
Sep. 3 at Mitchell, 4:30 p.m.
Sep. 10 at Bedford North Lawrence, 4:30 p.m.
Sep. 12 at Mid-Southern Conference Tournament, TBA
Sep. 14 Scottsburg, 4:30 p.m.
Sep. 17 at Bedford North Lawrence with Springs Valley, 4:30 p.m.
Sep. 19 at sectional (Otis Park), TBA