South Warren's Faith Martin (left) putts Monday, August 14, 2017, in front of Greenwood's Sydney Durrant during the Van Meter Cup golf tournament at Indian Hills Country Club. (Bac Totrong/photo@bgdailynews.com)

Greenwood junior Allison Wheeler has spent the season slowly building toward the finish she finally earned Monday.

Yes, it was just nine holes and the first of a two-day tournament, but that didn’t stop Wheeler from soaking in being at the top of the leader board.

Through nine holes of the VanMeter Cup, Wheeler leads all girls with a 2-under par 34 after Monday’s round at Indian Hills Country Club. The last nine rounds of the boys’ and girls’ tournament featuring all five schools in Warren County will be played at a date and location still to be determined.

Wheeler holds a three-stroke lead over teammate Sydney Durrant and South Warren freshman Faith Martin at 37.

“I feel on top,” Wheeler said. “I’m really excited about it. It took me forever to get under and I’m finally under. I feel like I keep going down.”

Wheeler and Durrant’s low scores give the Greenwood girls’ team the lead at 156. South Warren is second at 173. The second day of the tournament, which determines the district champion, was originally scheduled for Monday at Bowling Green Country Club. Because all schools are canceled that day due to the solar eclipse, the tournament must be moved to a later date.

That means Wheeler doesn’t know when she’ll continue the hot round of golf she caught Monday.

“It’s really nerve-racking thinking about it,” Wheeler said. “I wish today was the end, but I just have to keep going and go out to the range and keep practicing and hopefully I stick it out.”

Wheeler played her most consistent round of the year with birdies on a pair of par-5s on No. 2 and No. 9.

“It was awesome,” Greenwood girls’ coach Ashley Badgett said. “She had all of her stuff together today and that’s what happens when you come out and it just works. She hit the ball great and I’m proud of her. She’s got big stuff ahead of her and I’m looking forward to see where she goes.”

Bowling Green boys find consistency

The Purples might have found their groove.

Three Bowling Green golfers shot in the 30s on Monday to hold the team lead at 155. Collier Curd and Tristan Carter are each tied for second at 37 and Eli Thurman is third in the individual boys’ standings at 38.

South Warren’s CM Mixon is at the top of the boys’ leaderboard with his 1-under par 35.

Greenwood’s Carson Sturgill is also tied with Thurman and Curd in second, but the Gators shot 169 and have their work cut out with a 14-stroke gap behind Bowling Green. South Warren sits two strokes back in third with a 171.

“For the team, it’s a huge confidence booster,” Curd said. “We have the capability to put these scores up. We just have to put our mind to it and do it. I think we have finally done something with that. Just going forward, it helps us a ton.”

Bowling Green coach Adam Whitt believes the same thing. The Purples won the Hancock Schoolboy Classic on Saturday at Windward Heights Country Club in Lewisport. Thurman shot a 74 to win the individual title, the second individual win for a Purple this season (Curd won the South Warren Invitational Tournament).

Monday’s first round of the VanMeter Cup was the most consistent the Purples have been all year, Whitt said. Clark McDougal shot a 43 to round out Bowling Green’s team score.

“They haven’t all put it together and this is as close as we’ve come,” Whitt said. “We hope we can build on that a little more. … We’ve won a tournament this weekend and hopefully we’re starting to see what our capabilities are moving forward.”