I’m going to Disney World!?
It’s a phrase athletes often say after winning a championship.
But when defense of your championship starts just two months after finishing the last season, as in the case of the Lake Orion High School girls golf squad, finding time for a trip to Florida can be a little tough.
Thanks to season changes in many MHSAA sports this year, the team is now playing in the fall.
‘It’s kind of bizarre, but it’s good too, because the girls get to start the season in warm weather,? Coach Megan Daly said.
‘Their games are in pretty good shape,? the coach added. ‘But at the same time, some of them are kind of tired of playing.?
Gone from the team are Megan Clemence, Britney Hamilton and Darby Peters, all of whom could play at the collegiate level.
Peters (Eastern Michigan) and Hamilton (Western Michigan) tied for fifth at states in June.
‘Last year was a once in a lifetime scenario,? Daly said of having so much senior talent on one team.
The fourth member of the varsity squad is rising junior Maggie Hughes, who is slated to be Daly’s top player this season.
‘Maggie has a lot of personal goals that she’s set for herself and she really worked hard on her game this summer,? Daly said. ‘She is just a natural leader and with the three seniors on the team last year that she really looked up to, she’s really grown.?
Hughes is the only returning player with big-time experience.
‘We probably won’t win states again this year, but we have a couple of girls coming in that will make us very competitive,? Daly said.
Newcomer Kaitlin Clemence (Megan’s sister), a senior, is able to play because of the season switch (she also plays soccer, still a spring sport). Junior Alex Grassi is another multi-sport athlete, playing tennis and hockey.
‘They’re both really good athletes,? Daly noted.
Seniors Kelsey Gross and Lauren Mihalak round out the varsity squad, and both have played in the program for three years.
Daly said the program has just enough players to fill out a junior varsity squad, but they would certainly welcome any interested players (contact Daly via e-mail at mdaly@lakeorion.k12.mi.us or call the high school athletics office at (248)693-5458 for more information).
Play got underway last week, as the Dragons shot a 411 in a tournament hosted by Birmingham Seaholm.
It was an outing that Daly called ‘a good tune-up.?
The coach said she expects Rochester and Athens to be the class of the OAA I this year. Amy and Christine Meier return for the Falcons, while Daly said Athens? team reminds her of the LO squad from last year.
The Dragons will host Adams, Stoney Creek, Rochester and Clarkston at Boulder Pointe in the coming weeks.
Their lone road match comes at Birmingham Country Club against Seaholm. The squad will also play in a handful of tournaments, including two OAA I events and regionals.
Daly said her team has been working hard around the greens in the first few weeks of practice, hoping that will translate to lower scores in match and tournament play.
‘We really work on, with all of the girls, the short game,? Daly said. ‘That’s where you cut down your strokes.?