The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
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Ready, set, go!
Saline girls' golf team starts 2008 season
By Jerry Hinnen, SpecialWriter
PUBLISHED: August 14, 2008
The Saline girls' golf team didn't have long to wait to find out where they stand in 2008 after losing their top two players from 2007.
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Head coach Betsy French's Hornets were the first Saline varsity program to get their 2008-2009 season under way when they began tryouts last Thursday and took to the links for official competition at the Mason Invitational on Monday.
Saline placed third at the invitational with a team score of 381 on the El Dorado Golf Course.
Junior Emily Hysong paced the Hornets with a 94 over the Red and White nines of the 27-hole layout. Sophomore Kristen Areddy add a 97 to complete the individual stroke play portion of the team event. Senior Devyn Bonifer and freshman Karla Gross combined to shoot a best ball score of 99.
The team of junior Erika Shima and sophomore Sabine Bickford shot a 91 in a scramble format that earned them a runner-up medal for all the scramble teams at the tournament.
French was pleased with the team's showing in an early tournament, two days after the beginning of the girls' season.
"We were able to play with the Holt team today, which should be in the top five in the state," she said. "Our team measured favorably in some areas and was able to identify areas that we need to concentrate on in practice to bring our team up to another level."
The Mason event was French's first opportunity to see how her team shapes up after the loss of multiple-season state finals qualifier Sarah Hoffman, now golfing for Grand Valley State University, and All-SEC golfer Bethany French, each of whom graduated after the 2007 season after several seasons on the Hornet varsity.
Along with the departure of senior Allyse Hartman, the losses mean Saline will enter 2008 with just one senior, 2007 junior varsity player Devyn Bonifer.
"We have a very young team," French said. "It's very open. There are opportunities to play (for the varsity) if they're willing to put the work in. It's exciting. There's a lot of potential and we're going to see who rises up."
The good news is that Saline returns their other three varsity players in junior Emily Hysong and sophomores Kristen Areddy and Shannon Fraser, who last year helped the Hornets to a runner-up finish in the Southeastern Conference Red division and fourth place — a slot out of a state berth — at Regionals.
Several talented newcomers and a pair of the program's returning golfers will compete with Bonifer and the three varsity veterans for Saline's final few varsity slots. Junior Megan Geiger and sophomore Sabine Bickford will look to build on their 2007 contributions while junior Erika Shima and freshmen Karla Grosse, Sarah Ignasiak, and Heather Vogt will each look to make an impact in their first year with the Hornets.
One of the key hurdles for the young Hornets to overcome, French said, would be the leadership void left by the departure of Hoffman and Bethany French.
"There are some big shoes to fill," she said, adding that the team's 2008 captains have not yet been selected. "It's something I'm concerned about. We're looking for one or two players to step up and assume that leadership role. It might be upperclassmen, it might not be. It's about who's going to show that maturity and who wants to lead. It's an individual sport, but we need to play as a team and that leadership has a big influence on how we come together."
One plus the Hornets have going for them is the presence of former LPGA Tour player and assistant coach Debbie Williams-Hoak, who French said was a "huge plus for the team" over the summer.
"They're really looking forward to working with her again," French said.
If the Hornets can continue to improve and find the right pacesetters to keep the team focused, French said, they can start thinking about battling for an SEC Red crown or even ending the Hornets' two-season team absence from the Division 1 state finals.
"I think we're going to see a lot of improvement over the course of the season," said French. "It depends on how dedicated the girls are, but we have a lot of good talent. I think we can be competitive in our league and in the postseason.
"It comes down to how badly they want it. But if they're willing to work, we think they can surprise some people. We think they might even surprise themselves."
The Hornets now have a week of practice until they're back in action at invitationals at Bedford and Perry next week.
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