Alexis Manwaring will look to lead Warsaw to a surprising NLC Championship title. (Photo by Nick Goralczyk)

SYRACUSE – It all comes down to this.

On Saturday morning the girls golf teams of the Northern Lakes Conference will have one final showdown to determine conference supremacy. The eight teams will meet up at South Shore Golf Club with tee times set for 9 a.m. and 9:50 a.m.

All eyes will be on two teams in particular as NorthWood looks to back up its 7-0 regular season NLC record. Wawasee will also be at the top of the pile as the Warriors look to avenge their lone loss to that NorthWood team.

The Panthers and Warriors are clearly the two favorites. They met just once on nine holes, that was earlier this week. NorthWood took that meeting by four strokes. The Panther also defeated Wawasee at South Shore earlier this year in the Wawasee Invitational. However, the Warriors managed to finish ahead of the Panthers in both the Culver and Rochester Invitationals. With a piece of the NLC crown on the line, both teams will need great support from the top of the lineup on through the bottom.

It doesn’t get much better than the four girls that lead these two teams at the top.

Elizabeth Jackson will be a key piece in Wawasee’s success on Saturday. (Photo by Nick Goralczyk)

Wawasee boasts a sensational junior and stud senior with Mikala Mawhorter and Elizabeth Jackson while NorthWood fields two talented players of its own in junior Linnzie Richner and sophomore Summer Stillson.

The bottom of Wawasee’s lineup will be secured by Kylee Rostochak and Aubrey Schmeltz while Kamryn Foy and Courtney McDaniel have been rotating in the five spot all season. NorthWood gets its depth from senior Rachel Beebe and the other two Richner sisters, Baillie and Madison.

But despite being loaded with talent, Wawasee and NorthWood will have a challenge from Warsaw. The Tigers have been playing some of their best golf lately and are strong at the top of the lineup with Alexis Manwaring and Madi Graham. It will take a solid round from those two girls as well as support from Kristen Watson, Page Desenberg and Ash Jain.

Most of the competition for individual champions will come from the aforementioned field of players with Manwaring, Linnzie Richner, Mawhorter and Jackson leading the pack. However,those girls could be challenged by Concord’s Michaela Searer and Goshen’s Claire Palczynski.

NorthWood, Wawasee, Warsaw and Plymouth will tee off in the first group at 9 a.m. followed by Concord, Goshen Northridge and Elkhart Memorial at 9:50 a.m.

NorthWood’s Linnzie Richner will look to duplicate her success from earlier this season at South Shore. (Photo by Nick Goralczyk)