COLUMBUS — Roni Halberg knows the best days of the Colonel Crawford girls golf program may very well lie ahead. That is true despite an 11th place finish at the Division II state golf tournament at The Ohio State University Gray Course Saturday.
“We did have a lot of inexperience coming in this season, with only losing one going into next year. Today we definitely focused on today, but a lot of our conversations were like, ‘So next year when we’re back,'” Halberg said.
Sophie Beck and Haleigh Hillman are the only graduating seniors in the program that finished second in the district.
Beck fired a 90 Saturday. Four juniors — Lucy Myers, Ayla McKibben, Claire Lehman, and Lexi Rush — joined her on the big stage.
“I hope that really drives them. I can’t begin talking about pre-season because that is a ways away, but this made them hungry,” Halberg said.
“I think it’s going to push them to want to come back. Even from yesterday going into today, they wanted to see improvement and some of them did.”
One, in particular, was Beck.
“Sophie shot 10 strokes lower from yesterday to today, so that’s pretty impressive. We talk a lot about this is your last time, you got nothing to lose. Just go out with all your heart and do what you can, and she did,” Halberg said.
“She enjoyed herself all day. Even after bad shots, she was like, ‘I’m OK, I’m OK.’ She really enjoyed the moment, which is exciting because that’s what it should be all about.”
Halberg hopes that attitude becomes contagious.
“If I can get the younger ones to have that same mentality, some really good stuff can happen.”
Beck said it was “super cool to be back” at the OSU facility.
“The environment was good this year and I’m happy with the weather,” she said. “It was just exciting, crazy.”
The turnaround from the first day’s round was motivated by a desire to help her team.
“I had a different mindset of I’m playing for the team. The team needs this low score. Not that I didn’t play like that yesterday, but I really wanted to improve.”
A key adjustment in that 24-hour span also helped Beck.
“Putting was a lot different. The greens were not as fast as what we thought, which was a good thing. So, I changed what I did and that really helped.”
Beck said she’ll miss competing as a Lady Eagle.
“I love being in a team setting with everybody. And a coach who is so funny and crazy and makes me love golf even more,” she said.
More hard work awaits the team during the off season.
“We’re probably not going to finish where wanted to, but where we were seeded to be. It does put that fire on them to play in the summer,” Halberg said.
Keeping girls interested in golf is a challenge at a school that boasts successful volleyball, track, and softball programs.
“Right now, I’m lacking the young, young ones. We need freshmen and I need to do a better job of recruiting to get that. The school does a good job promoting it, but some students may not even know we have a girls golf team,” Halberg said.
“Just trying to get the word out. This is an option and it’s available to them.”
The Lady Eagles played alongside Gates Mills Hawken and Cincinnati Seven Hills.
SCORES
11th Colonel Crawford 396
1. Lucy Myers 11 45 47 92
2. Sophie Beck 12 44 46 90
3. Ayla McKibben 11 52 54 106
4. Claire Lehman 11 54 56 110
5. Alexandra Rush 11 54 54 108
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Col. Academy 647
2. Garaway 670
3. Independence 691
4. Van Buren 707
5. Akron SVSM 716
6. Hawken 718
7. Westfall 727
8. Seven Hills 753
9. Hopewell-Loudon 763
10. Alter 768
11. Colonel Crawford 797
12. Calvert 824