OREGON – A year ago the Lady Giant golf team was short on experience and endured a number of long days on the course, learning the game the hard way.
Shelby Level
But those lessons are paying off.
Ross’ 2017 18-hole season-low round came in the form of a 112 from then-sophomore Shelby Level. Thursday morning, playing in just their second event of the season, the Lady Giants had three golfers clear that mark.
Level shot a personal-best round of 100. Freshman Alana Smith followed with a 107 and junior Mekhia Williams carded a 111.
Senior Jasannah Sabiers, a first-year golfer, rounded out the scoring with a 124, a score eight shots lower than her season-opening round on Monday, to give Ross a team score of 442, finishing sixth in the TRAC Jamboree.
“I was really proud of them for today’s round,” coach Nicole Kulasa said.
“We didn’t break 110 last year. Their personal goals are to get into the 90s, so I’m hoping we can do that in the next couple weeks.”
Kulasa said the Lady Giants have reached a point where they’re starting to sharpen their games and finding area to shave strokes.
Alana Smith
“In practices we’ve really been focusing on our putting and making sure we’re making those three-foot putts, four-foot putts or putting us in close range to make a putt from 12 or 15 feet. We ‘ve also been working some range time at practice and trying to fine-tune our swings and finding a swing that works for each girls because each girls has a different swing.”
Level’s round is more proof for the Lady Giant that the work they’ve put in last year and in the months since then is paying off.
“Shelby is really working hard and making sure she’s listening to her swing coach, what he has to say and taking advice from me and trying to really figure out how to get her swing ready to go,” Kulasa said. “And she was putting the ball where she needs to put it and making some smart plays today and I think that really helped her cut down some of her strokes.”
As for Smith, Kulasa sees a bright future for the freshman.
“I think she has the potential to be a good golfer,” she said. “I think it’s now finding what works for her and making smart plays. The more she learns that the better she’ll get.
Mekhia Williams
“She played some tournaments over the summer so she comes in with a little more experience than some other kids, so I think she has the potential to be really good and I’m looking forward to working with her throughout the season and helping her grow.”
Ross returns to the course Friday, teeing off at noon at Sleepy Hollow Golf Course against Bellevue, St. Paul and Plymouth.