The beginning of the golf season got off to a late start due to foul weather.

Coach Bud Hendrix returned to coach the team for another year. Seven seniors were lost after last season, but new faces took their place and for the first time in five years, the team welcomed a female, sophomore Emma Alter.

“Being with a bunch of guys didn’t bother me much because I grew up with older brothers so it wasn’t anything new to me and the team treated me like an equal,” said Alter. “I learned a lot about technique from coach Hendrix and the older guys which was nice since I’ve never really had a real lesson.”

Many of the returning players set new personal bests, which helped shape this season into a very successful one for each individual. Seniors Cole Gruninger, James Cahoon and William Brown stepped up their game up by improving their swings in the off season, which helped lower their scores.

“I think the season turned out really well. A lot of the older guys made it to states and a lot of the younger guys had huge improvements throughout the season as well,” Cahoon said.

The team went 13-10, which qualified them for regionals at Cypress Landing in Washington, N.C. After placing second at regionals, players moved onto the 1A Men’s Golf State Championship at Firefox Resort-Grey Course in Pinehurst, N.C. At the state level, the team  came in twelfth place.The team left on Sunday May 10 for the four hour drive to Pinehurst where they stayed overnight for two nights because they have to play in multiple rounds and they matches last for hours.

“Going to states this year was a huge accomplishment because we lost a lot of really talented players last year and coach set a goal for us to shoot a certain score and we met it,” senior William Brown said. “To make it to regionals was pretty rewarding after all the hardwork we put in throughout the season. To be given the chance to compete at states was all we could hope for as a team.”

For seniors being able to extend their season as long as they could was the best way to end their high school golf careers. Competing at states is one of  high school golf players main goals and it is not an easy one to reach, especially two years in row.

“Our trip this year to states is something I will never forget. Between the playing, the beautiful courses of Pinehurst and having a ton of laughs with the team, I thoroughly enjoyed myself,” Gruninger said.