Taylor Smith, Sports Editor
The Eagle Grove girls golf team and Eagle Grove Golf Course hosted athletes from Lake Mills and North Union on April 13.
Sophomore Eagle Azlyn Amonson was a runner-up medalist for the second time this season. She shot a 45 through nine holes and was 10 over par for the day.
Head Coach Rich Thacker calls Amonson a “great player” who “hits the ball hard and has control of her swing.”
“She put in the effort in the off-season, and has the mentality to elevate in the face of competition. She is a player to watch throughout this season, both in conference play and into post-season play!”
Fellow sophomore Salem Willard tied for third and shot a 61 (+26).
“Salem had a great first year contributing to the team both in scoring and in personality. I’ll look for her to find her groove and continue to shave strokes off her PR throughout the season.”
Lake Mills senior Reagan Ham fashioned a 43 (+8) in Eagle Grove and had the meet’s best score, but the team title went to the Eagles with a low score of 232, beating Lake Mills’ total of 280 and a DNP from North Union.
Four-year veteran Caitlin Christopher was also a scorer for the Eagles, finishing tied for third with Willard at 61.
“[Caitlin] has consistently improved year after year, and I expect the same from her in her senior year,” said Coach Thacker. “I have already seen signs of increased control and consistency that will drive her improvement over the next few months.”
Lily Locke rounded out the scoring for the purple and gold with a 65.
“In her second year, Lily has already shown growth in controlling her body throughout the swing that she did not possess in her first year,” Thacker observed. “As she puts the pieces together, I believe she will have a breakthrough season in terms of her development in the game.”
Keeley Petersen also represented Eagle Grove, shooting a 79 (+44) in the second competition of her young golfing career.
“This is Keeley’s first year and attempt at golfing,” Thacker told the Eagle. “As a sophomore, with her first meet being this past week, she is a natural student athlete. We will look to build on her athleticism and turn her into a solid golfer for her next three years of competing.”
Coach Thacker also had positive words for the youngest member of his team:
“Lacie Jergenson is our only freshman. As a brand new golfer, we are looking to build her knowledge and skill within the sport before she takes on the rigors of competing in meets. She continues to get better with every day, though.”
“The team’s unofficial theme this year has been resilience,” he continued. “Our first meet was held in the mid 40’s with it raining the whole time, then Monday with a fairly strong wind. Despite the conditions, the girls have shown up and started their season with a smile on their faces and determination to improve on their minds.”
Thacker added that it “can be hard to put too much stock into early season results.”
“The conditions are often undesirable both in terms of weather and with the courses changing so much throughout the early part of spring, but as the weather warms up, the grass grows thicker, and the greens become more consistent and predictable, we will look to start to lower our scores.”
