Wynford's Caroline Sheldon repeats as Northern 10 Golfer of the Year
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SHELBY - Wynford's Caroline Sheldon still remembers what it felt like as her state golf debut was cut short due to weather last fall.
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It sparked something in her and led to a summer full of time on the links.
"She put in a lot of work," coach Sean Weisenauer said. "She played in a couple tournaments and just lived on the course ... she went to North Carolina to play with her grandparents, just really pushed all the chips to the middle and went all in this year."
That gamble paid off as Sheldon defended her Northern 10 Player of the Year title by sweeping medalist honors at the trio of conference tournaments under the new formatting after league expansion. Her latest coming after shooting a 79 at Woody Ridge Golf Course on Tuesday to win by five strokes over Upper Sandusky's Jillian Stansbery.
"I like playing in these tournaments way better than nine holes," Sheldon said. "And I enjoy playing with the people I played with ... I got to play with (Old Fort's Sarah) Combs and Aubrey (Cline) from Hopewell-Loudon both times, and that was a lot of fun for me."
In the midseason tournament at Loudon Meadows Golf Club her 72 was four better than Cline and seven ahead of Combs as the trio was grouped together following a strong team showing in the early season tournament at Clinton Heights Golf Course — Sheldon carded a 69 there.
"I think it helps so much and I appreciate it being set up to where I get to play with some of the top golfers every week, that really pushes me," she said. "When I play against better golfers, I play better myself."
Unfortunately her team was unable to make it three-straight N10 titles as the Royals (382) finished third overall with a cumulative score of 27 across the three tournaments. Upper Sandusky and Hopewell-Loudon came into the final event tied having split the first two tournaments and battled to the very end again with the Rams (362) edging out the Chieftains (363) by one-stroke for the outright title; it was the program's first ever in girls golf.
"I was fairly pleased with it," Weisenauer said of his team's finish. "I thought that's kind of where we would place when we had three seniors and a freshman that is replacing a solid 40 (average) last year, so she did what she could and we did what we could as a team.
"It's nice seeing other teams (you don't normally see), and getting to compete with other teams."
Alongside Sheldon's 79 was a 98 from senior Maggie Ridge and 99 from senior Willa Johnson along with a 106 from freshman Briella Bennett; sophomore Naiya Ridgeway (138) and freshman Paisley Witten (141) the drops.
Colonel Crawford was fourth with a 391 led by junior Norrie Plank's 91 and senior Peyton Rowlinson's 92. Sophmore Layni Rush carded a 96 and sophomore Adalyn Bond a 112 for the counting scores, sophomore Grace Cooley's 113 and freshman Luci Wozniak's 121 the drops.
Buckeye Central (422) rounded out the area in sixth place with sophomore Phoebe Dallas shooting a 97, senior Charlotte Betts a 99, senior Graceyn Hook a 112, and junior Lily Presler 114; sophomore Addyson Stacklin (118) and senior Phoebe Raffert (122) had the drop scores.
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Wynford's Caroline Sheldon repeats as Northern 10 Golfer of the Year