Experienced Shawano girls golf team eyeing big season

SHAWANO — High school girls golf teams around the state opened practice Monday. By Thursday, teams can already start participating in meets in what is one of the shorter fall sports seasons.

Shawano and Bonduel will both send teams to the links, and both will compete in the Bay Conference.

Both teams will also be golfing on the first day they are allowed to, competing in a conference meet at Vernon Hills Golf Course in Peshtigo at 10 a.m Thursday.

Shawano

Shawano heads into the season with reason for optimism, as the team did not graduate any of its top golfers from a season ago.

Leading the team into action will be junior Taylor Johnson, who made the all-conference second team before qualifying for sectionals as an individual last year.

Also back from last year’s regional team are seniors Kiley Rusch, Georgia Eggert, Katelyn Laatsch and Macie Herm.

Eggert, Herm and Rusch all made the all-conference honorable mention team last fall, when the Hawks finished third in the Bay as a team.

“With having our whole group back, they know what to expect and have experience in competing,” said Shawano coach Dean Kugler. “It comes down to how much they played over the summer and work to improve on their short games.”

Kugler hopes the team can improve its standing in what he expects to be a competitive conference, while also qualifying for sectionals as a team.

“I think we really have to push each other and take it a step farther than we did last year. Work a lot harder in practice and have more passion for the game,” said Johnson. “And I think if we continue to really push each other, that (the team goals) can happen.”

“We’re going to have to stay committed to everyone, to practice. We’re really going to have to work on our short game because that’s where we struggle,” said Rusch. “But otherwise, I think it will be a good year.”

After going through the conference portion of the season, the Hawks will compete in the Division 1 Bay Port Regional, trying to earn a spot in the Notre Dame Sectional.

Bonduel

Bonduel’s lineup will have a much different look on the course this season after the graduation of three seniors that helped form last year’s regional team.

Junior Sydney Luepke and sophomore Ava Pleshek rounded out the regional team and bring back the most experience.

Coach Duke Copp hopes that Luepke and Pleshek will be able to step into the No. 1 and 2 slots on the team and lead an otherwise young and inexperienced group of teammates.

“Should have five first-time golfers rounding out the team, some of which have not played before,” said Copp. “It will take awhile for those girls to become competitive and to learn the game.”

Copp also likes the promise Kylie Hoffman showed last season as a freshman, but noted that Hoffman is a dual-sport athlete who competes in volleyball as her main sport.

The coach knows there might be a learning curve with the team this season, especially in a conference made up of schools much bigger in enrollment size, but “as long as all the girls improve throughout the season, we will consider it a successful season.”

“The work ethic is definitely a big part of it. You have to want to work in order to improve; you have to put the time in,” said Luepke who also mentioned that she would do her best in helping some of the team’s first-time golfers.

Bonduel will golf in the Division 2 Little Chute Regional, with qualifiers advancing to the Xavier Sectional.