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Girls golf looks back on 2017, names captains
by Gregory R. Norfleet · Sports · May 25, 2017
With the close of the season, the West Branch High School girls golf team looked back and saw “terrific progress” from when they first took the course in March, the coach said.
The team closed the season with a fourth-place finish among 13 teams at the River Valley Conference meet and a third-place finish among nine teams at the Regional Tournament.
Head Coach Jan O’Neil noted that the girls varsity took 24 strokes off their total by the end of the season and the junior varsity cut 42 strokes from its score.
“I thought the team made terrific progress this season,” she said. “All the girls can can be credited with improving their games.”
The girls displayed improved consistency and better scores in practice and at regular-season meets, she said.
“It showed in each meet we played and, with practice and motivation throughout the summer months, we will continue to be very competitive in the future,” O’Neil said.
West Branch’s golf team started the season at Elks Lodge Golf Course in Iowa City because, at the time, the West Branch golf course was closed. However, the local course reopened and the team returned in April.
“The girls didn’t mind moving around from the Elks to Cedars Edge,” O’Neil said. “We needed a course to call ‘home’ at the beginning of the season and I’m so thankful that the Elks Lodge was willing to let us use their course again this year. Obviously, when Cedars Edge opened we were ecstatic that we could practice and play in West Branch.”
The team will take a hit at graduation, losing five seniors overall — Amanda Budreau, Allie Waterman, Ashley Riley, Sydney Lamont and Claire Bridges — four of whom (Waterman, Riley, Lamont, Bridges) played regularly on the varsity squad.
Yet several with varsity experience can return for the 2018 season: Aleah Rocha, Maddi Luneckas, Abbey Fryauf, McKenna Walsh, Drew Perkins and Lexi Clemens.
The Bears gathered for a “fun night” at Cedars Edge Golf Course and paired up to play three holes with their own ball, the coach said, as well as three holes for best shot and three holes with alternate shots. Karen Suchomel and Michele Beaver donated pizzas for the team and the team gathered to hand out end-of-season awards.
The team voted Aleah Rocha and Sydney Lamont with Most Valuable Player honors. The players also voted Rocha and Annika Olson to serve as captains for 2018.
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