Western Boone Jr. - Sr. High School

They may have a new coach, but it was the same result for the Western Boone girls golf team on Monday afternoon at the Seeger Invite at Harrison Hills. Playing their first tournament under head coach Jason Smith, the Stars won the Seeger Invite for the third-straight year, shooting a 373. “It was good overall,” Smith said. “The first match of the season there are obviously some nerves, especially with two players new to varsity golf. It was nice to get them on the course, playing 18 holes and getting the win.” Smith, who is also the coach of the boys basketball team, took over for Katie Pilkington, who took a teaching job at another school in the off-season. He said that with the limited practices before the first tournament, it was just good to get on the course and get a measuring stick for the rest of the year. “The biggest thing for us, now that we have a match under our belts, is that we know what to work on,” he said. “We had two practices before this, so we really didn’t know what our problems were. Now we can assess those and start working on them as we get into the season and into our match on Thursday.” It was also good practice to get on the sectional course. The Stars have won three-straight sectional titles, and while they have some key pieces back, they do have some new faces and girls in bigger roles. “It’s really good to have the experience on the sectional course,” Smith said. “Then when we come back here in six weeks, it won’t be our first time seeing it. We can learn a lot from this.” Returning state qualifier Ally Lewis led the Stars, shooting an 83 to place third overall. While she was a little disappointed with her round, Smith said it is a good starting point for her to build off of. “It is similar to what she shot here last year at the beginning of the year,” Smith said. “Hopefully she can keep chipping away and have the same kind of season she did last year. She has put in a lot of work, and I think playing on this course, she can learn from it when we come back here later.” Jada Scott shot an 84 to place fourth overall. The senior had a strong summer playing on some of the local junior golf circuits and seems poised for a great season. “She played well today,” Smith said. “That was nice to see. She has been playing really well this summer, and hopefully we can get her past that 80s threshold and into the 70s a few times this season.” Ainsley Thompson, playing in her first varsity tournament, shot a 102. Lexi Gregg shot a 104 and Rylee Pelley rounded out the WeBo top five. The Stars will be back in action on Thursday. Will Willems is the Sports Editor of the Lebanon Reporter. Follow him on X @Will_Willems.