Bethel golf wins Three Rivers Conference

BY NATALIE SONNANSTINE

Bethel High School has had a winning season when it comes to golf, with the girls and boys teams having many wins and showing strong progress. On September 21, 2026, the boys and girls traveled to Piqua Country Club to play the Three Rivers Conference (TRC) match and ended the match with great scores. The girls team placed first in the conference, coming home TRC champions. The boys finished runner-up and came home second in the conference as well. These two teams have shown great determination and effort throughout the season to become great golfers. 

On the girls team, Gabriella Poynter placed 2nd overall for the year, Lauryn Snider placed 3rd, and Scarlett Chen placed 6th. Poynter, Snider, and Chen all placed first team in the conference. Carson Freeman and Gracelyn Stines are TRC honorable mentions. The head girls coach, Todd Bird, was named coach of the year by the Three Rivers Conference. Bird has shown great dedication to this team, helping the girls become amazing golfers and strong athletes. 

The boys also placed well, with Logan Norris winning TRC medalist of the year, Braden Shoup earning 1st team all-conference, Lucas Vest earning 2nd team, and Braylen Segner as honorable mention. Shoup said the season started rough, with a loss in the first match, but in the end, they improved their scores across the board and began to trust each other more as teammates.

This trust really showed through in this conference match, as the boys relied on each other for the scores they needed to place. Conditions were also rough because of the heavy rain in the past few days, so tensions were high as the boys walked onto the course, hoping for the best outcome. Shoup said that what helped him become more confident was focusing on one shot at a time and staying focused to get the job done. The boys team is constantly pushing and motivating each other, using their brotherly bond to help make sure everyone is playing their part to help the team. Success motivates many of the boys, and Shoup specifically says it motivates him. He says that finally achieving the goals you have been working for is an indescribable feeling. Shoup said that when you finally shoot the score you want “is just an awesome feeling and you want to just keep chasing it.” Shoup's biggest goal he achieved this season was consistently shooting under 40. He highlights that there were some rough patches at the start of the season, but his teammates and coaches helped him, and he “had a handful of scores that were under 40.”

Overall, Bethel got to watch as the girls and boys golf teams progressed through the season, got stronger, and eventually brought home the wins for Bethel. The teams continue to practice as sectional meets are around the corner. We wish them congratulations and good luck for the upcoming matches!