Western Boone Jr. - Sr. High School

At the end of last season, Western Boone's Ally Lewis knew she was capable of more on the golf course. She had a successful sophomore season, earning all-conference honors and breaking a school record, but knew she was capable of competing with the top golfers in the state. So she put the work in during the off-season, taking private lessons and playing in more, and more high level tournaments. That hard work paid off on Saturday, as Lewis shot a 77 to advance to the IHSAA State Finals next weekend. "Coming into today, I didn't know if I was going to be able to make it out," Lewis said. "My emotions are all over right now, but I am so excited. It's so rewarding to see my hard work pay off. There are times that you aren't sure if it was all worth it, but today feels really special." Lewis, who claimed the first ever Monon Athletic Conference medalist honors and became the first WeBo sectional medalist last week, is the first state qualifier in Western Boone history. She made it by one shot over Plainfield's Annabelle Hacker. "I can't think of a more deserving kid," Western Boone head coach Katie Pilkington said. "She's put in the hard work and you can see how much she's grown from last year. For her to make it to state is tremendous. She is a tremendous athlete and a great person." Lewis was 1-under through three holes, before bogeys on four and five dropped her to 1-over. She was still in a good sport until a frustrating double bogey on the ninth moved her to 3-over. She then bogeyed the 10th and 12th, but played the final six holes at even par to make it through. Lewis said it was a big part of the mental growth she has had this year. "I four-putted on nine, and I went into 10 thinking it was over and I didn't have a shot anymore," Lewis said. "After the 12th, I got a birdie and that gave me a good boost, and I knew there were a lot of holes left." Lewis will get her tee time and pairings later in the weekend. The State Finals are played at Prairie View Golf Club on Friday and Saturday. "I just want to go out there and enjoy the moment," Lewis said. "I just want to go out there and do what I can do. Whatever is meant to happen will happen." Along with Lewis' score, the Stars had a strong finish to their fantastic year. They shot a 366, placing seventh in the regional - their best-ever finish. "The girls showed a lot of maturity on the course, being able to bounce back from bad shots and bad holes," Pilkington said. "They played some good golf today." The 366 was their best regional score ever by five shots. It was a fitting end to a season that saw the Stars set their school scoring record, with the conference and sectional titles and finish undefeated in dual matches for the second-straight year. "This is one of the best groups I have had the pleasure of coaching," Pilkington said. "We came into today knowing it was unlikely we were going to advance as a team, but we wanted to set some goals and chase more records." Jada Scott shot a 92, Jaylee Dickerson shot a 95, Lexi Gregg shot a 101 and Ila Stokes shot a 102 for the Stars. By Will Willems will.willems@reporter.net