Girls golf places fifth at Shawnee Mission East Invitational
The team achieved its lowest combined score so far this season
Senior Bella Hadden putts the ball.
September 12, 2017
The girls golf team competed at Shawnee Mission East Invitational on Monday, Sep. 11, receiving fifth overall. Only senior Bella Hadden placed individually, receiving fourth.
Junior Sarah Lawson uses her range finder to determine the distance to the hole.
Hadden was impressed with the team’s perseverance through sickness and exhaustion.
“Given how everybody on the team is sick and we had homecoming last weekend, I felt like we played really well,” Hadden said. “I was really happy with how the team did.”
According to Hadden, though, the difficulty of the course, the high skill level of teams in attendance and especially the change in coaching made the tournament more challenging.
“We’ve had a coach change every year since I’ve been a freshman,” Hadden said. “It’s been kind of hard for us to get used to it because every coach has a different strategy.”
While junior Sarah Lawson agrees acquiring a new coach adds some difficulty to the season, she acknowledges that coach Chris Wallace is great at encouraging her and her teammates.
“Wallace is a great emotional coach,” Lawson said. “Yesterday he was out walking with us, giving us those affirmations you need, like ‘you’re doing great’ or ‘you’re going to be okay.’ This was especially important when I had snot dripping and felt disgusting.”
Hadden believes the inexperience of the varsity roster doesn’t seem to be as big of a struggle as she originally worried it would.
Sophomore Hannah Davie hits the ball the final few inches into the hole.
“I feel like some of the freshmen [and sophomore Hannah Davie] all breaking out of their shells,” Hadden said. “I think by the end of the season we’re definitely going to be all right.”
Lawson agrees with Hadden and is excited for the relationships being formed among the young team.
“At first I was afraid that the freshmen would be afraid and not really want to talk to us,” Lawson said. “But… we’re already connecting and bonding. It’ll be really fun with them this year, as well as next year when they’re sophomores.”
After competing again Tuesday, Sept. 12 at the Country Club of Leawood, the girls will be back in action on Wednesday, Sep. 20 at Sykes Lady Overland Park Golf Course.
