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Amanda

PREDICTIVE POINTING: Head coach Angie Kritta points out the bumps in the turf that the players need to watch out for during their afterschool practice on Apr.11. Team members listened intently while Kritta explained how to use the unevenness of the ground to their advantage. “We were looking for the angle of the putt,” Freshman Millie Farrington explained.

The sun beats down on a group of girls dressed in navy polo shirts all carrying their clubs over their shoulders. Faces full of determination, they prepare to start another day of practice.

Captain Nikola Barkwell is used to having a small team, but this year, girls golf encountered a sudden increase in participation. “Our team is quite close,” Barkwell said. “We have always had a very small team, but this year there are many new additions, so we are all working on getting to know one another.”

Since their season is just kicking off, there have not been any competitions, and practices have barely started. Indoor practices and weight training have taken up most of their time after school. Once the season starts picking up, on a usual day of practice the team will head to the Highland Golf Course or Element Indoor Golf.

Practices are freshman Eloise Leatham’s favorite part. “We do something new every day; it’s really exciting,” Leatham said.

Traveling to a golf course every day after school takes a lot of determination and commitment, and the team has been struggling with transportation recently. Older players provide rides to as many team members as possible due to recent bussing shortages, but they don’t let the situation ruin their mood.

“We have a lot of fun listening to music and getting to know each other,” Barkwell said.

Team members want to avoid equipment costs being the reason someone can’t join the team, so teammates with extra clubs will offer them to newer members to borrow.

“A lot of people don’t have clubs,” Leatham said. “They are also expensive, so providing for that would be something we can improve.”

Aside from having fun and improving their skills, the team is looking forward to hosting an invitational at Somerset Golf Course on May 8.

“This is a very exciting addition to our season because we get to pick the teams we play, so we can play with people we know,” Barkwell said. “We are hopefully going to create some cool merch and make it a big deal.” This will be the first invitational the girls golf team has ever hosted, so many players are excited.

The golf team’s next competition is today at Keller Golf Course.