The Bulldogs golf team defended their home turf in commanding fashion this past Saturday, hosting the 77th Annual Batesville Invitational at Hillcrest Golf and Country Club. In a tightly contested 12-team field, Batesville edged out New Palestine by just four strokes to claim the team title, finishing with a score of 325 to the Dragons' 329.
Corydon Central secured third place with 333, followed closely by Franklin County at 342. East Central and Mt. Vernon tied for fifth with 347 each, while Scottsburg (353), Shelbyville (369), Charlestown (370), Madison (371), and Greensburg (388) rounded out the leaderboard. Oldenburg Academy fielded an incomplete team.
Leading the charge for the Bulldogs was a trio of steady performers: Landon Raver, Jon Moody, and Ian Hixson each carded a 77 in the 18-hole event. Cooper Phebus contributed a 94, while Caleb Laker finished with 103. Playing as individuals, Cade Rienschield shot 98, and Jax Negovetich posted a 103.
For Greensburg, Harrison Yu led the way with a 93, just one shot ahead of teammate Reece Chapman at 94. Luke Schwering carded a 99, while Logan Simpson (102) and Logan Fisse (105) completed the lineup.
Individually, Corydon Central's Eli Rowland stole the spotlight as the low medalist with an impressive 74, while New Palestine's Luke Cofer was close behind with a 75.
Meanwhile, the Rushville Lions continued their upward trajectory at the Connersville Invitational held at Arbor Crossing Golf Course. The team posted a season-low score of 377, a remarkable 15-shot improvement over their previous best, earning them a fifth-place finish in the invitational.
Rushville was once again paced by Ryder Flannery, who fired a personal-best 77 to tie for the low round of the day. Flannery pushed Connersville's Trey Hughes to a three-hole playoff before falling just short of medalist honors. Landon Cain also turned heads with a personal-best 92, a 13-shot improvement. Madden Meek impressed in his first 18-hole event with a 102, while Kanyon Sparks (106) and Tressler Owens (107) rounded out the Lions' scoring.