Peaking at the right time is what every team hopes to when it comes to the end of each season. For the Park Hill girls golf team, the 2010 golf season was one in which they expected to do well, but surprisingly peaked higher than expected as they placed high enough in districts (3rd) to advance to sectionals to finish fourth, just two places short of qualifying the team for state. Despite falling short as a team, they still advanced two individuals to the tournament: then-senior Stephanie Atkinson and then-junior Bailey Warlen. Now a senior, Warlen returns with letter winner and fellow senior Anna Kloeppel for a 2011 season they hope isn’t as much of a surprise.
“Last year we weren’t planning on qualifying (for state) and we almost did, but this year I’d say we have a much better chance,” head coach Tari Garner said. “We’re just looking for that fifth and sixth golfer. We’ve got the top four, but we really need those next two spots to step up really bad.”
The third and fourth golfers Garner is referring to are freshmen Adrianna Elliott and Sidney Pollock, two newcomers who have brought a new sense of competition to the team which will help spur the fight for the final two varsity spots.
“It’s fun to have two freshmen on varsity because it kind of pushes the rest of the team,” Garner said. “That first tournament will be tough as it’s the first as higher schoolers for them, but when we get into the St. Joe and Drumm Farm tournaments we should be scoring really well.”
Still, the Trojans will lean on their senior leadership with Warlen and Kloeppel who have been playing varsity together for several years now and come into the season playing better than ever.
“Both Bailey and Anna’s games are looking really well,” Garner said. “Are both coming in really strong, and better than they finished at the end of last year.”
The team as a whole has focused particularly on their short game in early practice rounds. Although Garner preaches a balanced and rounded out approach to different parts of the game, she believes being comfortable close to the green will be an advantage.
“We’ve been working really hard from about 50 yards and in so they’re really confident with their short game,” Garner said. “I think it’s going to be better this year. We spend a ton of time on that by building in those pressure situations into our practice so they’re not just feeling it during the tournament.”
With the lesson of taking the conference tournament lightly last year in their mind, Park Hill hopes it won’t take a reminder to refocus on their state qualifying goal this year.
“I think coming out of conference not playing our best, and being frustrated, really focused us for districts and sectionals,” Garner said. “You’re always going to have days when you’re not at your best, but I think we’ll have a better chance at being in that top one or two spot this year.”
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