10/29/2009 12:05:00 AM Marks' trip to State crowns
successful season for girls golf
Tim Neuenschwander Herald-Independent Correspondent
The Monona Grove girls golf squad recently held their end of season banquet. Award winners are pictured from left: Jenna Marks, MVP; Kelsey Veserat , Most Improved; Madeline Stebbins and Erica Euch, Captains.
As good as they were in the 2009 season, the Monona Grove girls golf team has all the pieces in place to make next year even better.
It was a season of firsts for the Silver Eagles, as the golf squad not only captured its first WIAA regional title in the program's nine-year history, but also sent its first golfer to the state tournament when sophomore Jenna Marks qualified for the big show.
But those are just the biggest pieces of what was, on the whole, a highly successful campaign, head coach Jake Mihm said.
In addition to capturing team titles and accolades, he said, the Silver Eagles also showed growth on an individual level, part of the benefit of the offseason work they put in this summer.
Each of the four regular contributors for the Silver Eagles improved their nine-hole average in 2009, as Marks shaved 1.7 strokes off her game, while juniors Erica Euch (5.1), Kaitlyn Frey (2.46) and Kelsey Veseret (5.7) also made huge strides in their scoring.
The Silver Eagles' stroke differential meant the squad dropped their combined nine-hole average from 204 in 2008 to 190 this season, which Mihm said made all the difference in staying competitive this season.
"Our team's average was down a total of 14 strokes and that was great. I always told the girls that they would be competitive if we could get below 200 strokes," he said. "That makes a huge difference over nine holes, and that's why we won some of our matches."
And competitive they were.
In addition to their post-season success, the squad also captured the team title at the Stoughton Scramble and finished 3-2 in Badger South dual play, falling only to Madison Edgewood and Oregon for a third-place conference finish.
To put that performance in perspective, the Crusaders captured their ninth-straight WIAA Division II state title, while the Panthers finished just one-stroke back of taking the Division I championship.
For her ability to knock nearly six strokes off her game, Veseret was named the Most Improve Player award while Marks was voted the team's Most Valuable Player during the squad's annual banquet Oct. 22 at Monona Golf Course.
"Kelsey's putting and chipping really came together this season. She was much better around the green and much more consistent," Mihm said. "She had softer and better hands, and she was just doing a really nice job.
"Jenna really matured in her mental game and in her approach to the game," he continued. "She really is a leader on this team and a role model. The girls watch what Jenna does when she practices, and they definitely look up to her."
In addition to those awards, Euch and senior Madeline Stebbins were honored for serving as team captains for the 2009 season.
Though the Silver Eagles put another successful season in the books, the squad has much to look forward to in 2010, as the program will return all four of its top contributors next spring.
That will mark the third-straight season that the group has played together as a unit, and if their ability to keep improving with age is any indication, the Silver Eagles should have another record-setting season in store next fall.
"If we stay together, we could be very competitive as a team," Mihm said. "This has been a great group of girls to work with and I'm proud to be the coach of this group."
