Scott DeCamp | Kalamazoo Gazette , October 06, 2011 6:20 p.m.
BATTLE CREEK — Bart Lewis admits it's a bit of a squeeze in his "little red Durango," but the Plainwell girls golf coach couldn't be happier.
"We're packed in like sardines," he said about his team. "(The players) fight over what to listen to on the radio — sometimes country music.
"(There will be) a lot more people in it this year, which is great."
Lewis is referring to next weekend's trip to East Lansing, where the Trojans will compete in the Division 3 state finals as a team. Last season, Lewis' daughter, Hannah, was the lone Plainwell state qualifier in the D-3 meet at Michigan State University's Forest Akers East.
The Lewises will have plenty of company next Friday and Saturday, when the Trojans travel to Forest Akers West. Powered by senior Hannah Lewis' 1-under 74 Thursday at Binder Park Golf Course, Plainwell secured a state finals berth by claiming the program's first-ever regional title.
"I'm so happy. It's an experience to go by yourself, but then with my team (it's better)," said Hannah Lewis, two-time regional medalist, who tied for ninth at the D-3 state meet last season. "I'm just glad we have this experience to be together and go to state."
Spurred by steady performances from junior No. 2 player Darby Wagner (97), senior No. 3 Erika Havenaar (100) and senior No. 4 Anderson Cole (107), the Trojans totaled a team score of 378.
The top three squads at regionals advance to the state finals, as well as the top three individuals not on qualifying teams.
St. Joseph took second (380). Led by individual runner-up Jill Peacock (83), Marshall placed third (388). Vicksburg senior Sarah Manski claimed an individual-qualifier spot with a 91. Benton Harbor's Trianna Sutton (93) also advanced, as did Battle Creek Harper Creek's Jozlin Johnson (94), who beat Coldwater's Katie Fair in a three-hole playoff for the final spot.
"I'll definitely be prepared for the atmosphere and knowing what being there is like, but it's going to be a whole different experience going by myself as opposed to being there with my entire team," said Manski, who competed at the state finals with the Vicksburg squad two years ago.
It's the opposite scenario for Plainwell, which achieved the two primary goals it set this season: Winning the Wolverine Conference and qualifying for the state finals as a team.
It's been a banner season for Hannah Lewis, who set the tone back in August with a course-record-tying 68 at Stonehedge North en route to the Greater Kalamazoo Tournament individual title.
Fashioning khaki shorts with blue-and-white Argyle socks up to her knees Thursday, Lewis set the pace yet again. She had two birdies and two bogeys to finish even-par on the Preserve 9 at Binder Park, then recorded a pair of birdies and one bogey on the Marsh 9 to finish at 1-under.
"Well, I told the team to go all out, blue and white, but none of them did," Lewis said about the wardrobe choice. "I just thought it'd be cool and I had them in my closet."
Otherwise, the Trojans were on the same page.
"Frequently it comes down to, what do your second, third and fourth girls do and that's what makes up your team and they all played — to a girl — better this year than they did last year. I think that's why we're here (holding the trophy)," said Bart Lewis, whose team last year finished fifth at regionals.
"Hannah's so excited to go (to states) as a team. I told the girls I'd take them to Craig's Cruisers if they made it as a team, so that was the first thing when we got notified that we were going to make it, they were all pretending they were driving their go-carts and stuff."
Contact Scott DeCamp at sdecamp@kalamazoogazette.com or 269-388-8518.
Source:
No comments:
Post a Comment