Even though the Lady Cat golfers didn’t win a single match this season, Head Coach Gretchen Gabler still called it ‘good.?
‘Even though we didn’t win, we learned a lot,? Gabler said. ‘They’re a really good group of girls and they really kept trying, we were just having bad luck.?
The girls finished the season with a 0-4 record in the OAA Blue and 0-5 overall.
In their final tournament at the MHSAA regionals last month, they placed 11th out of 19 teams.
‘That was pretty good,? Gabler added.
Highlights of the season included Senior Alicia Kugligowski being named All-OAA League.
‘I am so proud of Alicia because she learned how to golf as a freshman. She came to us, not knowing how golf and now being named OAA All-League. She has some colleges interested in recruiting her,? Gabler explained. ‘I just couldn’t be more proud of her.?
The team was also named ‘Academic All-State,? which means all five girls who went to regionals had a minimum combined cumulative GPA (grade point average) of 3.5.
‘I believe the girls? cumulative was about 3.6,? Gabler said. ‘That’s something we’re very proud of. For at least the past 12 years, our girls have been named All-State Academic.?
‘They are just good quality girls,? she continued. ?(Former Girls Head) Coach (Terry) Kelly and I always tried to make sure they always knew they were scholar athletes and that scholastics came first. I think they’re learning how to balance academics and athletics.?
While the end of every season means saying good bye to seniors, Gabler said next year looks promising after having five new freshman girls join the team this year.
‘My JV Coaches Chris Pappas and Hannah Beebe did remarkable training with them through instructing and coaching,? she added. ‘The girls have really developed over the season.?
Gabler said she is really looking forward to Abby Smiles and Lauren Yankee coming up.
‘Those are the two freshmen we’re watching that we’re really impressed with how dedicated and how hard they worked,? she said.
Gabler is also looking forward to sophomore McKenzie Chaisson returning next year as a junior.
‘She is probably going to be our team leader next year,? she said.
Gabler said the girls program is getting ‘bigger and stronger? and that she and Pappas are looking for ways to ‘build the program into a powerhouse.?
‘We don’t have that girl who can break par, but we have girls who have that potential,? she said. ‘Chris Pappas and I want to make our program one that can take girls who don’t grow up in the country clubs and turn them into excellent golfers and be competitive in the OAA.?