The girls golf team competed at their state competition and got seventh place, the competition was held on Oct. 19 and 20. This was the second time in North history that the team went into state. Seniors Hanna Kizman, Isabella Krosse, Rylee Huddleston, Simran Mani and freshmen Abigail Gizewicz and Kayla Beu got the opportunity to compete in Decatur, Illinois.
“It felt really good. It has been my dream since freshman year because I watched another girl go to state,” said Huddleston.
Krosse had only been playing golf since she got onto the team since her sophomore year. “It felt so rewarding. It felt kind of unknown and a little bit more competitive, but we knew we deserved to be there, so that’s why it felt so great,” said Krosse.
For girls golf, state is a three-day period. The first day is just a practice day, which is crucial for golf players to know the routes so they can get the ball to where it needs to go. On the second day, 12 teams compete. Then, the top eight teams go into the third day of competition. North tied with another school for eighth place, so they both were able to compete the next day.
At state coach Steven Dodd has to run between the holes just to be able to talk to all of his athletes. He has to make plans with all of them so then they can get a better score.
“The plan often does not come to fruition, so a small part of me worries how the player might react, and it’s my job to decide how to interact with that player, maybe console them first but then to build them up again so we can plan for their next shot,” said coach Dodd.
Building up to the season during the winter, the golf team goes to Mike’s Golf, which has many indoor simulators as well as an indoor practice green. It is open on Sundays for two hours for the girls golf team to use, and the golf team has a fundraiser to pay for Mike’s Golf. It pays for everyone on the team as well as middle schoolers who will be golfing their freshman year.
“It is more of a social thing, you get to know the team,” said Huddleston. Mike’s Golf helps with their golf swings as well as team bonding opportunities. “I feel as though this has helped me immensely with keeping me swinging on the off-season. It has helped me to keep my game in check in the winter and is a great opportunity to improve and stay dedicated,” said Krosse.
Dodd is a coach that values being able to get to know all of his players, he also values knowing all of the seniors and how their high school experience has been.
“To speak to them about their HS golfing journey as they play for the last time in North Star colors is something truly special and something I will remember for life,” Dodd explained.
Coach Steven Dodd is excited about what is to come for his team in other seasons. He has a new coach this season, Sarah Arnold. She played on the North team when they went to state as a team back in 2018.
“Coach Arnold has really connected with our players. As she played and won at state, she knew all that the girls were going through,” said Dodd.
With all sports there will be the people that connect with coaches that have a true passion for the sport. Which leads the coaches to then give the players other lessons that don’t just involve playing the sport.
“Golf benefits everyone who plays it in an incredible amount off the course. I can’t count on my fingers the amount of life lessons that golf has taught me about myself and the life skills it has given me,” said Krosse.
