The girls JV golf team had a great fall season that ended on a high note. They had some hard fought wins and learned from each and every one of their losses, but most importantly, they grew and bonded well as a team. 

The season got off to a rough start for them, as they lost to both Greenville and Lowell in back to back games to make their record 2-7. After the Lowell loss, the team seemed more focused than they usually were. 

 “The team played great, it was just a tough loss. They are working hard and improving every day,” head coach Chris Sobieck said.

After the loss against Lowell, the team started to play the best they had played all season. The girls got their third win against Grand Rapids Christian in a tie breaker and never looked back from there. 

“This was our best team score of the year. The team is making great strides and working hard and it’s starting to pay off,” coach Sobieck said while recollecting the substantial improvements of the team.

After the win against Grand Rapids Christian is when the team really started hitting their stride. The next game against East Grand Rapids, they had the best team score of the year at 181. This game was the statement win of the season, as they kept improving week in and week out. 

Sobieck explained how big of a role freshman Ava Bacon played in this game saying,

“I was very impressed with the effort and determination from [freshman Ava Bacon],” Sobieck said while explaining the cruciality of Ava’s spot on the team. “I could tell last practice she was going to make a big jump. She worked really hard and was focused in, which allowed her to be a top competitor.”

One of the many leaders on the team, sophomore Serena Thiede, emphasized throughout the season how important it was that the girls connected with each other on and off the course.

“We became more comfortable with each other and our coach and really found our center,” Serena said.

The season ended on a positive note for the team as well. It blew out Northview by a score of 224-189 to get their third win in a row. 

Freshman Eisley Sandefur shot a personal score of 52 against Northview and was one of the main factors in FHC winning that game. Eisley praised her coach for helping her perform well in that particular game.

“Honestly for me it started out rough, but with the help of the coach coming around, I improved a lot in that game,” Eisley said.

The inexperience of the team and limited practice time due to COVID-19 was a big reason for the team getting off to a slow start, but once they found their rhythm, there was no looking back.

Overall, this was a successful season for the girls JV golf team. The players and coach showed a lot of grit, determination, and hard work throughout the entirety of the season. It is safe to say that the future of Ranger golf is in great hands.