After a long summer, getting back into the swing of things may be a challenge for some. Although going back to school, starting up practices, and working through the busy schedule can be extremely stressful and overwhelming, the Lewis Cass Lady Kings golf team has found its groove. Their summer kicked off with practices, team bonding, and many learning experiences. Now that school is back in session, so is the Lady Kings’ season. With many recognizable faces and three new ones, the team has made an amazing jump-start and is looking forward to an amazing and productive season.
Looking back at past seasons, the Lady Kings have made some huge movements towards becoming the team they have been hoping to become. Head coach, Amy Densborn, has been leading for almost three years. She has seen many phases of the team and all of the ups and downs of the team. She initiated summer workouts for the girls to get an opportunity to come out, learn the fundamentals if they have not already, and just get to know each other. Densborn was asked what her expectations were before the season even began. She said, “Pre-season expectations were to have a good turnout for summer workouts, and to break 500 for the season.” So far, the girls’ scores have pointed them towards breaking 500 at the next 18-hole match-up. The Lady Kings have been putting tremendous effort in order to meet goals, lower scores, and make the best out of their season. Coach Densborn was questioned about her goals for the team this year. She said, “One major goal is to finish in the top 3 of the TRC conference.” The TRC Conference’s top three is a position the Lady Kings have been fighting for since the beginning. Making it out of the sectional as a team is also another hope for the Lady Kings. Last year, Alisha Toops made it to the Regional tournament, and if all goes well, the team should be moving on as a whole. When looking back at the past seasons, the Lady Kings have some of the lowest scores in a while. Densborn was asked what differences she has noticed. She mentioned, “So far, I’ve noticed a lot of confidence among the squad. Alisha Toops and Maddy Willis have been tremendous leaders for the team. The girls are playing very good golf right now.” Alisha Toops, a senior this year, and Maddy Willis, a junior this year, have both been playing since their freshman year, and have noticed individual improvement in themselves, and they have seen the team grow as a whole. Densborn also mentioned being super excited for this season and that her expectations for this season are very high, and she is hoping to make the most of it.
The Lady Kings have had two matches so far this season. Their first match was against Oak Hill, with the following lineup: Alisha Toops (Senior), Maddy Willis (Junior), Alexis Collins (Sophomore), Aaryah Coffman (Sophomore), Sophie Holmquist (Junior), Mackenzie Weaver (Sophomore), Aary Coffman (Freshman), and Morgan Hiers (Freshman). With this lineup, the girls ended the match with a total score of 202, taking the win, and the high score for the team was Alisha with a 40. The Lady Kings then suffered a close defeat against Eastern with the same lineup. Their final score was 204, with the high score for the team being Maddy with a 42.
Alisha Toops is the one and only senior this year on the team, and she has been making a lot of improvements and helping the team to make more. She has been golfing for 4 years, and she has been making forward movements for the entirety of it. Leading a team as the only senior can be a challenge, but also a reward. Alisha said, “I plan to be a leader and help my team as much as possible on and off the course.” Having someone who is able to help the rest of the team while still improving their own skill is a necessity. Alisha was asked what one of her major goals for the year is. She replied, “One of my major goals for the season is to make it out of sectionals again.” As mentioned before, Alisha made it out of the sectional as an individual last year and moved on to regionals. The hopes and expectations of a season are inevitable and hard to avoid. Alisha said, “My hope for the team this year is that we all improve as individuals to improve the team score.” Looking back at the past in golf, and seeing how she as an individual has improved, can be hard to believe. Knowing that your younger self was probably not as confident and not as skilled, and seeing yourself now could be a full circle moment. Alisha was asked if she could tell her freshman self one thing, what would she say? She mentioned, “If I could tell my freshman self one thing, it would be don’t be too hard on yourself. You are going to have bad rounds, you’re going to have missed puts and not let a couple of bad shots affect the rest of my round.”
Joining a sport as a sophomore would cause a lot of people to shy away and just not play the sport at all. Mackenzie Weaver, a sophomore this year, decided to join golf this year, and has had a good season so far! Kenzie was asked what she is enjoying about the season so far, and what one major thing she has learned. She said, “As a new addition to the team, I’m enjoying learning a new sport and how everything works. A major thing I’ve learned is how much different golf is than I had thought, and it takes a lot more effort than you’d think.” Golf is definitely a sport that looks like a breeze, but actually has a lot more in-depth skills you have to learn to perfect the little things. Being a new golfer, with no prior golf experience, can be challenging, but she said, “That makes me want to try even harder to do my best and learn everything.” Dedication is important for starting a new sport behind everyone else. Kenzie has stayed determined to do all she can to improve her game and make herself the best golfer she can be. Kenzie was asked why she initially joined the team. She mentioned, “The thing that initially made me want to join the team this year was because of all of the fun stories I had heard from my friends about their experiences; I also thought it would be fun to try something new.” The golf team has lots of funny moments and many memories in the books. Whether people get the inside joke or not, it is still funny to those who understand. Lastly, Kenzie was asked what her hopes were for herself and for the team this year. She said, “My hopes for myself and the team this year would be for all of us to just do our best and hopefully improve by the end of the season!”
As time goes on, practices continue, scores begin to climb, and more and more improvements are being made. The Lady Kings golf team is hoping for a great season with plenty of fun-filled matches. So far, the Lady Kings have had two matches, and thirteen more normal matches, not including tournaments, remain! The hopes remain high, the scores are staying low, and the weather has been just right! The Lady Kings have two matches this upcoming week. Tuesday they face Kokomo at Kokomo Country Club and Wednesday they face Logansport at home. Lewis Cass wishes the best of luck to the Lady Kings this golf season!
