With 18 golfers, a state ranked freshman and three experienced seniors, the womens golf team drives their way to states.

“We already have a much better record than last year. Last year, we went 2-8 and this year we are 5-5 already, with a ton more matches to play. We’ll definitely beat our record from last year and we have a lot of great people returning who got better over last year,” coach Douglass Hartley said.

The season welcomed 18 golfers to the team, including state-ranked freshman Emanuella Micakovic, who is a valuable asset to the team. With the goal of states in mind, she sets the tone for practice and shows other golfers their potential, according to Hartley.

“Being ranked number one freshman in the state is definitely a confidence booster for me. I think it encourages our team to play well as a team. It’s very hard to be ranked number one, but it is even harder to stay at number one; so I’m hoping I can perform well enough to stay ranked number one freshman,” Micakovic said.

Returning team members include: seniors Paige Hays, Maya Lyjak and Taylor Olsen who took on leadership roles. The experienced senior group helps set a strong example for younger golfers.

“Senior year on the golf team has actually been a blast. I really like it. It’s been really weird because I remember my freshman year, I was always scared of the seniors. I was like, ‘oh, they’re intimidating’ and now I’m the intimidating one. So, it’s definitely been a change, but it’s been a lot of fun. The underclassmen are all really cool, so it’s cool to hang out with them,” Hays said.

Holding strong with their 5-5 record, the team is on track to take the top spot in their MAC Division and represent the school at states.

“[It’s nice to know] all this work is actually leading to something, and being a senior I did feel the need to perform better,” Olsen said. “Because it’s my last year I want to make it good.”