Alec Cesare led the way for the Hamilton County boys, and four county girls were winners in their respective divisions at the Indiana Golf Association’s Age Group Championship, which took place Wednesday and Thursday at the Pete Dye course at French Lick.
Cesare won the Boys 15 division by a four-stroke margin, with a two-round total of 142. Cesare carded a three-under par 67 in his first round, including an eagle on the second hole. He also made five birdies over the course of the tournament.
Two Carmel boys had runner-up finishes: Luke Prall tied for second in the Boys 18 division and Owen Sander was runner-up in the Boys 16; both had four birdies. Mattingly Upchurch tied for second in the Boys 12, making eight birdies for the tournament.
In the girls divisions, the Pfefferkorn sisters of Carmel were winners in their age groups. Angelica Pfefferkorn was first in the Girls 18 category, while Christina Pfefferkorn won the Girls 16. Both made two birdies in their tournament runs.
Two young Carmel golfers also were victorious in their age group. Michaela Headlee was the Girls 14 winner, while Claire Swathwood was first in Girls 13. Swathwood had six birdies for the tournament, while Headlee made five.
BOYS 18
T2. Luke Prall, Carmel, 71-76=147, 11. Braden Estes, Fishers, 85-85=170.
Total birdies made: Prall 4, Estes 3.
BOYS 17
T19. Timmy Leonard, Westfield, 88-79=167; Max Amenta, Westfield, 83-84=167, T25. Matt Wolf, Fishers, 85-90=175, T27. Ryan Wilkes, Westfield, 88-88=176.
Total birdies made: Leonard 4, Wolf 2.
BOYS 16
2. Owen Sander, Carmel, 76-74=150, T3. Colin Nixon, Westfield, 74-77=151, 22. Nolan Hall, Westfield, 80-87=167.
Total birdies made: Nixon 5, Sander 4, Hall 1.
BOYS 15
1. Alec Cesare, Westfield, 67-75=142, 4. Cole Starnes, Fishers, 74-77=151, T7. Joseph Armfield, Carmel, 75-83=158, 11. Jake Mieling, Fishers, 81-81=162, 15. Isaac Lutz, Carmel, 89-82=171, 19. Ryan Jones, Carmel, 91-86=177.
Eagles made: Cesare 1 (first round, hole No. 2)
Total birdies made: Cesare 5, Lutz 4, Starnes 2, Armfield 2, Jones 2, Mieling 1.
BOYS 14
8. Gabe Nixon, Westfield, 82-79=161, 13. Alexander Peck, Noblesville, 89-89=178, 15. Ted Kramer, Carmel, 100-92=192.
Total birdies made: Nixon 2, Peck 2.
BOYS 13
5. Will Harvey, Westfield, 75-85=160, 6. Kent Fujita, Carmel, 80-83=163, 7. Jackson McCullough, Carmel, 85-82=167, 9. Vijeet Akala, Fishers, 88-86=174, 12. Ryan Bangert, Carmel, 92-91=183.
Total birdies made: Harvey 4, McCullough 1, Bangert 1.
BOYS 12
T2. Mattingly Upchurch, Fishers, 72-75=147, 9. Ryan Cesare, Westfield, 87-80=167, 10. Maverick Beeson, Noblesville, 81-88=169, 12. Benjamin Meece, Carmel, 92-80=172.
Total birdies: Upchurch 8, Meece 5, Cesare 2, Beeson 1.
GIRLS 18
1. Angelica Pfefferkorn, Carmel, 77-81=158, T3. Payton Schechter, Fishers, 90-89=179.
Total birdies: Schechter 3, Pfefferkorn 2.
GIRLS 17
T6. Cate Jensen, Westfield, 84-88=172, T8. Sarah Brenneman, Noblesville, 85-89=174, 10. Ellie Karst, Noblesville, 87-88=175, 12. Taylor Caldwell, Noblesville, 89-91=180.
Total birdies made: Jensen 3, Caldwell 2.
GIRLS 16
1. Christina Pfefferkorn, Carmel, 76-81=157, 5. Alison Hildebrand, Westfield, 83-89=172, 8. Marissa Spreitzer, Fishers, 88-98=186, T14. Lillian McVay, Fishers, 97-107=204; Sophia Stutz, Noblesville, 104-100=204, 16. Nadia Brehm, Fishers, 106-112-218, 18. Bergan Zebrauskas, Noblesville, 113-116=219.
Total birdies made: Pfefferkorn 2, Hildebrand 1.
GIRLS 15
2. Macy Beeson, Noblesville, 78-74=152, 3. Brette Hanavan, Westfield, 78-79=157, 5. Amber Luttrell, Fishers, 83-79=162, 7. Sydni Zebrauskas, Cicero, 89-80=169.
Total birdies made: Luttrell 5, Zebrauskas 5, Beeson 3, Hanavan 3.
GIRLS 14
1. Michaela Headlee, Carmel, 73-74=147.
Total birdies made: Headlee 5.
GIRLS 13
1. Claire Swathwood, Carmel, 75-76=151.
Total birdies made: Swathwood 6.
GIRLS 12
4. Josie Kelley, Fishers, 92-89=181.
GIRLS 11
2. Janelle Garcia, Fishers, 85-90=175, 6. Harper Bryant, Westfield, 100-112=212.
Total birdies made: Garcia 2.
Earlier in the week, several county players competed at the Central Junior Masters tournament at Purdue University’s Ackerman-Allen Course.
In the Masters Girls Event, two county players tied for fourth place. Samantha Brown of Westfield and Macy Beeson of Noblesville each carded two-day scores of 154. Beeson made five birdies over her two rounds, while Brown had two birdies. Carmel’s Michaela Headlee tied for sixth with a 155, making three birdies.
Fishers’ Cole Starnes was the top county finisher in the Masters Boys division, placing seventh with a score of 150. Starnes made two birdies during the tournament.
Masters Boys
7. Cole Starnes, Fishers, 76-74=150, T11. Braden Estes 82-73=155, T18. Cole Nixon, Westfield, 77-81=156, T24. Timmy Leonard, Westfield, 82-77=159, T37. Patrick Michael, Carmel, 81-83=164, T43. Joe Sawyer, Westfield, 87-80=167; Vijeet Akala, Fishers, 82-85=167, T49. Gabe Perrin, Carmel, 84-84=168; Ryan Wilkes, Westfield, 83-85=168, T54. Jack Sciaudone, Westfield, 83-87=170; Will Schade, Fishers, 81-89=170, 58. Max Amenta, Westfield, 91-84=175.
Total birdies made: Nixon 6, Estes 5, Leonard 3, Starnes 2, Michael 2, Sawyer 2, Akala 2, Perrin 2, Wilkes 2, Schade 1, Amenta 1.
Masters Girls
T4. Samantha Brown, Westfield, 81-73=154; Macy Beeson, Noblesville, 77-77=154, T6. Michaela Headlee, Carmel, 81-74=155, T13. Brette Hanavan, Westfield, 82-83=165, 16. Claire Swathwood, Carmel, 85-82=167, T17. Caroline Whallon, Noblesville, 83-85=168, T19. Ashley Marcinko, Fishers, 88-82=170, , 28. Averie Reiter, Carmel, 96-92=188.
Total birdies made: Beeson 5, Headlee 3, Whallon 3, Brown 2, Swathwood 2, Marcinko 2.