Photo courtesy of Hannah Huggins

Ainsley Laidlaw-Smith, Hannah Huggins, Lydia Wigal, Avery Stanton and Olivia Page-Jones pose with their coaches prior to the State tournament. They were the first girls golf team to qualify for State in school history.

The girls golf team’s recent trip to the State tournament marks historic success for the program as the first team in school history to qualify at the DI level.

Unfortunately, the Blue Aces faced rain and cold on the first day of the tournament. Low temperatures and wind resulted in shots not going as far as usual and the overall discomfort of players.

“I had 3 layers on the first day since it was so cold, but we persevered and ended with better weather the next day,” Huggins, junior team captain and three-year varsity member, notes.

Even though the team did not perform as well as they had hoped at the tournament, the season was successful overall.

Some of their highlights from the season include first place in the LCL with a score of 40-0, second place at the Circle K Tournament, first place at the Utica Invitational, first place at the Freddie Invitational, a match play record of 11-0, a tournament record of 29-1, and ending their season as the seventh ranked team in the state of Ohio. After winning the LCL, sectionals, and a competitive district tournament, the Aces secured their trip to states.

Lydia Wigal, sophomore MVP, acknowledges how much dedication she and her teammates have for their sport and how that propelled their success this season. They were always practicing and working on their game.

“When you see your teammates working hard, it’s inspiring and motivating,” Wigal said. She mentioned that practicing over the off-season will only prepare the team better for next year. 

The team is comprised of 13 members, including three juniors, three sophomores. and seven freshmen. There were no seniors on the team, which is an unusual phenomenon for a high school sports team. Because of this, junior team members like  Huggins, had to step up and take on a lot more responsibility this year.

 “[The lack of seniors] forced us juniors to step up and take a bigger role, in my opinion, we took on the responsibility required to lead a team with so much potential very well,” Huggins said. 

Now that these juniors already have experience leading a winning team, they will be even better prepared to lead an even more successful team next year, as they have no senior contributors to lose.

“Sharing this experience as a group definitely made us closer, there is nothing better than having teammates by your side in such a competitive environment,” Wigal said. “The knowledge we gained from the state experience and doing 3 days of 18 holes of golf will help us better prepare for going again next year.”

Correction: An earlier version incorrectly stated that this was the first time the girls golf team to compete in the state tournament in school history. The first team to qualify for the state tournament was the 2010 team, made up of Renata Sucha, Amy Greenwood, Megan Howe, Rachel Gaber and Alaina McPearson. They competed at the DII level. This year’s team, however, is the first to qualify for the DI State Championship.