Spartan golfers focused on fundamentals in preparation for competition. photo by Morgan VandeRiet
The girls’ golf team had yet another successful season.
The 2016-2017 girls’ golf team finished the season strong with confident swings and excellent putts. Head coach Mark Smith drove his team to work harder and strive for lower scores, all while maintaining a positive attitude. This year the team’s size grew, proving helpful during tournament scoring. The girls experienced more rigorous practices, also aiding the players during tournaments. Senior Bethany Hawley mentioned, “Golf has helped me release a lot of stress, especially during practice, which was a huge help to the stress put on me this year and last year.” With positive attitudes and a love for the game, the girls went above and beyond.
Practices consisted of playing the par three and the west nine at Kennedy Golf Course to improve upon the girls’ swings, short game, and putts. The girls competed in ten tournaments this season under the direction of Smith. In April, the junior varsity members participated in the annual JV Cup held at Kennedy Golf Course. Going head to head against four other Denver Public High Schools, the JV team managed to beat the other schools due to the relaxation of the event. Later in April, varsity players met at City Park Golf Course to partake in the annual Varsity Cup. Once again facing four other DPS teams, the girls challenged themselves to be the best, but were unable to walk away with a win.
On May 9, 2017, four representatives of the girls’ golf team made their way to Eisenhower Golf Course located in Colorado Springs on the Buckley Air-Force Base to compete in this years’ regionals. Participants included junior Chloe Richter, senior Jalyssa Vigil, freshman Catie Aldridge, and sophomore Reagan Tucker; they competed with other schools in the Denver- Colorado Springs region which was comprised of multiple schools. Richter added, “Regionals was very organized and you knew who you were playing with before you even got to the course, which was nice.”
While the team may be physically strong and on top of things, they lack skills in some areas. Smith dove deeper into this by explaining, “They could adjust their attitudes; it’s a desire to want to compete and be successful.” However, the team sees it differently. They believe that they need to focus more on the fundamentals of the game. To further express this, Richter stated, “My strengths are putting and driving, whereas my weaknesses are irons and course control.”
Next season, the team hopes to continue to improve and become stronger competitors with a heightened love for the game. In order to revamp themselves, the girls will have to put more time in during practices and come back with indisputable determination.
