With a two-day total of 77, Manchester senior Parker Hayslip is tied for second place overall in the 2025 Southern Hills Athletic Conference Boys Golf Tournament. (Photo by Tim Daulton)
West Union girls in first place after nine
After the first round of play in the 2025 SHAC Girls Golf Tournament, West Union’s Nina McCann is tied for first in the individual standings. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
West Union’s Teagan Knox sits in a second place tie in the 2025 Southern Hills Athletic Conference after two rounds of play. (Photo by Tim Daulton)
By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
The high school golf seasons got underway in early August and at this point are beginning to wind down towards the postseason, beginning with the boys and girls Southern Hills Athletic Conference tournaments which had both reached their halfway points as this edition went to press. For the SHAC Tournaments, the boys play four different days for a 36-hole total, while the girls go for two day, an 18-hole competition.
The boys got the SHAC started on Monday, September 8 at the Friendly Meadows Course with their first nine holes of action. There was no real clear-cut favorite going in with Lynchburg as the defending champion and things are shaping up to be a thrilling battle between the Mustangs and Coach Carl Schneider’s West Union Dragons.
After round one at Friendly Meadows, the Mustangs held a slim one-stroke lead over the Dragons and it was North Adams senior Christopher Hall on top of the individual leaderboard, shooting a 36, one shot better than Lynchburg’s Nolan Wilkin. Lurking just two strokes behind after one round was West Union’s Sam Griffis.
Round Two was played on Thursday, September 11 at Buckeye Hills, taking the tourney to its halfway point. The status quo of round one remained as Lynchburg and West Union shot the exact same team scores, leaving the Mustangs still clinging to that one-stroke advantage.
In the individual race, Wilkin bested Hall by one stroke and the two are tied for the top spot after 18 holes. Even in second place with two-day totals of 77 are Manchester’s Parker Hayslip and West Union’s Teagan Knox. Within striking distance is Griffis at 78 after he dropped off to a 40 in round two.
The third round of the Boys SHAC Tournament was played on Tuesday, September 16 at Snow Hill and what looks to be a very exciting final round will be played on Thursday, September 18 at the Hilltop Golf Course.
The opening round of the SHAC Girls Tournament was played on Wednesday, September 10 at Buckeye Hills with defending champion West Union coming in as the heavy favorite. Coach Marci Nehus and her Lady Dragons certainly lived up to the billing, forging an impressive 18-stroke lead over second place North Adams after nine holes. The first four team spots re currently owned by Adams County squads- West Union (181), North Adams (199), Peebles (217) and Manchester (225).
The girls individual race is much more competitive with a deadlock at the top between North Adams’ Emmy Holt and West Union’s Nina McCann, both of whom carded 40’s for the first nine holes. West Union’s Geneva DeMint rests in second place, shooting a 44.
The girls tournament will conclude on Wednesday, September 17 with the final nine holes being played at the Adams County Country Club, which happens to be the home course for West Union.
Look for final results of both tournament exclusively in the September 24 edition of The People’s Defender.
