FARMLAND — For the first time in five years, the Golden Bears got to go swimming.
Monroe Central served as the host of an IHSAA boys golf sectional on Monday, June 8, welcoming Cowan, Delta, Jay County, Muncie Central, Randolph Southern, Union City, Union (Modoc), Wapahani, Wes-Del, Winchester Community and Yorktown to Hickory Hills Golf Club. After over six hours of play, the Golden Bears emerged as the sectional champions on their home course with a score of 317.
As is Monroe Central tradition, the team celebrated its first sectional championship since 2021 by jumping into the pond next to hole 3. For senior Cohen West, it was a moment he had waited for his whole high school career.
“It’s awesome,” West said. “Haven’t been able to get it done the past couple of years, but I knew that this was going to be the year. Every day, we practice out here, so it’s just nice to get out here, and I think we all had confidence in each other to go out and do it.”
While West is the No. 1 player for the Golden Bears, it was junior Maddox Taylor at the No. 2 spot who took home low medalist honors. Taylor shot a 1-over-par 71, while West placed second with a 75, but Taylor was more thrilled that the team got it done for West’s last match at Hickory Hills as a Golden Bear golfer.
“We were out here three-and-a-half hours before our tee-time getting locked in, so it feels amazing to get the team win, especially because we have a senior as our one,” Taylor said. “It just feels good that his last time out here, we could bring home the hardware. It was cool that I got to win it individually too, but that’s not the main thing. The team win was more important to me.”
West’s confidence that the team would get it done this year was shared throughout the roster, including by head coach Chandler Hoel. He commended his players for their willingness to show up early and fend off the nerves to bring home the school’s seventh boys golf sectional title.
“Coming into this, we were pretty confident,” Hoel said. “We were playing some really good golf down the stretch. We shot our season low last week, and the guys felt the practice rounds went swimmingly. All these guys put in so much work this year, and being able to come here with some confidence, get in here early, kind of cut the nerves, settle, and win a sectional — it’s huge.”
Delta (324) and Yorktown (329) took second and third place, respectively, and will advance along with Monroe Central to Regional 4, which will be hosted by Yorktown at The Players Club on Thursday, June 11.
The Eagles finished with their best sectional score since 2017, when they also shot a 324 and won their last sectional title. Freshman Coltan Manor and senior Lucas Bragg both scored 77 to tie for fourth place, but it was senior Mason Hopper at the No. 5 spot who had perhaps their most clutch performance. After being unexpectedly thrust into the sectional lineup, Hopper shot a career-low 18-hole score of 79.
“First of all, I’ve got to give all my glory to my lord and savior, Jesus Christ, the only reason I can be out here that I’m still playing this game in the first place,” Hopper said. “Kind of the same pressure I’ve been dealing with all year. I’ve been in this position a lot, especially these past couple of weeks, I’ve been hitting the ball really good. I put myself in good spots, not getting wrapped up in the score I had, and also just trying to have fun out there to take as much pressure off myself as I can.”
Yorktown, meanwhile, saw its four-year sectional championship streak come to an end. The Tigers nearly missed out on regional qualification for the first time since 2017 after a strong start by Wapahani showed the Raiders with an unofficial 11-stroke lead over Yorktown for third place after the front nine.
All five Tigers rallied to post better back-nine scores and finish five strokes ahead of Wapahani’s 334. Yorktown coach Nathan McClung credited senior Nate Schaal-Deresh for sparking the rally with three consecutive birdies on holes 10, 11 and 12.
“It was dicey out there, we were not in good shape, and the guys kind of made a decision that we’re going to keep fighting,” McClung said. “I’m really proud of the back nine score, 157, they really hung in there. Nate birdied 10-11-12, and the guys in front of him kind of hear that, that spreads down your team. When your best player shows, ‘Hey, I’m not giving up on you guys. We’re going to keep fighting,’ Nate Schaal-Deresh was a big-time difference for us.”
While Wapahani just missed out on getting the full team through for the first time since 2019, the Raiders will have two representatives at Regional 4. Freshman Braydon King shot a 79 and was the top individual on a non-advancing team. Meanwhile, there was a four-way tie for the other two individual qualifier spots between Wapahani junior Dylan Dodd, freshman Landon Cook, Jay County junior Dawson Goldsworthy and Wes-Del sophomore Noah Perdue.
In a playoff on the par-5 first hole, Dodd and Goldsworthy both made par to claim the final two spots.
Here are the full team and individual scores from all East Central Indiana teams at IHSAA boys golf sectionals.
2026 IHSAA boys golf Monroe Central sectional scores
Other East Central Indiana IHSAA boys golf regional qualifiers
Elsewhere in East Central Indiana, Blackford was the first school to compete in its sectional as the Bruins played in Sectional 16, hosted by Norwell at Timber Ridge Golf Club on Friday, June 5. The other two sectionals involving area teams happened concurrently with Sectional 19 at Hickory Hills — Daleville competed in Sectional 18, hosted by Noblesville at Fox Prairie Golf Club, while Blue River Valley, New Castle and Shenandoah competed in Sectional 20, hosted by Greenfield-Central at Hawk’s Tail of Greenfield.
None of those five teams qualified for a regional, but two individuals managed to keep their seasons alive. Shenandoah sophomore Grady Drysdale was the top individual on a non-advancing team with a score of 76 at Greenfield, while New Castle senior Elijah Blankenship finished right behind Drysdale with a 77. Both golfers will compete in Regional 4 at Yorktown.
Contact Cade Hampton via email at cbhampton@usatodayco.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Monroe Central wins first boys golf sectional title in five years
Reporting by Cade Hampton, Muncie Star Press / Muncie Star Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cade Hampton, Muncie Star Press | USA TODAY Network
