GIRLS GOLF PREVIEW: Improved Falcons look to surprise SLC foes

Westosha’s Grace Anderson stays focused on the ball as she is about start her swing during a 2017 meet held at Brighton Dale Links. She will be among the team’s leading returners (File Photo/The Report).

Westosha Central shows early strength

By Daniel Schoettler
Sports Correspondent

The Westosha Central High School girls golf team enters its season with the hope of finishing in the middle of the pack in Southern Lakes Conference play.

The Falcons, who have a young squad with three juniors and a sophomore, will look to them to lead the way after finishing last in the SLC in 2017.

“They know they aren’t the elite of the conference at this point, but could be a surprise, or we could string together four good scores and catch somebody on a bad day and knock someone off,” said coach Dan Peterson.

“I’ve liked the way they have improved mentally, and my goal as well as the kids’ goal is to get to the middle of the pack instead of the bottom.”

Juniors Lyndsey Gulbrandson, Grace Anderson, Abigail Luellan, and sophomore Shannon Hughes bring the most experience among this year’s Falcons squad.

The remaining upperclassmen on this year’s roster include sophomores Carolann Bradley, Melissa Hernandez, and Jalyn Warren.

“Last year, all of our kids were freshman and sophomores because the year previous we had all seniors with the exception of two freshmen,” Peterson said. “It was a big learning curve for them last year.”

Anderson received an honorable mention for her performance at conference last season.

“From the beginning of the season to the end of the season, the team had improved by 100 point strokes, which was a great improvement,” Peterson said of last year’s performance. “Just a lot of learning being in a varsity setting is difficult there, and the maturity part because I saw the maturity get better as the year went along.”

The team brings in five freshmen including Isabella Avila, Isabelle Brenton, Carly Lois, Julia Luellen, and Catherine Van Kammen.

Peterson, noting longer shots were a challenge in 2017, said the squad has improved in this facet of the game.

“One of the things they lacked last year was having any kind of length off tees and longer fairway shots, and it took them a lot of shots just to get to the green,” Peterson said. “This year, I’m seeing that already because there are kids who instead of hitting irons off the tee, they are able to hit a five wood or a three wood and as a result their drives have gotten better.”


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