Over the years, Lakeview athletics has historically had exceptional turnouts for sports participation in sports such as football and volleyball. Now, for the first time in years, girls’ golf has reached numbers nearly unheard of. Coached by Lakeview mathematics teacher Dean Shanower, the Lakeview Girls Golf program has exceeded turnout expectations, with 21 girls, and five seniors, sharing their last season as a team.
Shanower has been head coach for the girls’ golf team for three years now while having coaching experience with the boys in past years. To say he’s thrilled about the turnout is an understatement.
He has worked hard over the past three years building a program “where players can either try something new or take their competitive game to the next level. Golf is a sport that can be enjoyed for the remainder of your life, long after your high school years and I feel it builds honesty and integrity both on and off the course.”
There’s a higher drive (no pun intended) to push each other to keep going during rough times.
Shanower notes, “With more players, we can learn from each other, push each other to improve, and build lasting friendships. It also creates a sense of family within the team, where everyone is there to encourage and lift each other up, both in the highs and lows of competition. This sense of support makes a big difference, helping us stay positive and motivated.” He also added that he is looking forward to leading girls’ golf in the future as participation continues to build.
With only 6 varsity-level playing spots, not every girl can play every match. While this may seem a little discouraging, sophomore Lexi Dye views this as an opportunity to meet more people on the team regardless of playing time.
Dye is a returning player from last year and stated, “There’s less playing time than last year, but more opportunities to meet people I don’t usually talk to.”
Junior Chelsea Walker is relatively new to the sport and agrees that being on a larger team made the experience all the better. When questioned if being on a big team added to the experience, Walker expressed, “I honestly loved it. It was better because there were more people to talk to, it was way less clicky, and it made it a lot of fun being a part of a large group.”
For freshman Madeline Isenberg, joining the school’s golf team meant more competition and time to prove herself. When asked why she joined the team, Isenberg replied, “I like to golf and it is a good chance to be more competitive and get better.”
Even new upper-class girls have looked to the sport as a potential new hobby. Junior Izy Ash was a new player this season, who enjoyed seeing a larger crowd grow as a team.
Ash noted that “it’s really interesting to watch people grow and get better throughout the season”, and that it’s “so cool to watch the “veterans” try and help those who just joined.”
Senior Addie Nicholas was a sophomore when she joined, and just as many were this year, she was brand new to the game.
As a senior with experience, Nicholas agrees that she has come very far from where she started, stating, “I hope the people that are just learning keep playing because we were in the same spot two years ago, and have come so far.”
Along with many new members, the team also has some notable veterans, who have been members since Shanower’s early golf days. Even so, the big-team experience is a universal one with making new friends and the memories that come with it.
Junior DJ Godfrey has been a member of the team since their freshman year, also Shanower’s first year. Godfrey expresses that having more members “definitely makes the experience more fun. Everyone is so different and we all mesh together well making any practice or match enjoyable no matter who you are with.”
Senior Olivia Petrilla has been a member for two years now and also agrees that having a big team adds to the experience, claiming, “Everyone is exposed to more people and gets to make new friends. There’s also so many more opportunities for everyone to play and be exposed to a new sport!”
Currently, the girls are in their final stretch of matches and tournaments for the season. Senior Night was held on Tuesday, September 10th, and was full of bittersweet moments from Shanower, the players, and especially the seniors and their family members, as they joined the girls that night to celebrate during their match against the Niles Dragons. Adding on to the celebrations, the girls took home the NE8 Conference Championship title for the first time in years! Their season record held strong, with an 11-1 record and Hubbard Eagles being their only loss. The girls compete in Sectionals on September 26th at Pine Lakes, where they have a chance to advance to Districts later this year. Best of luck to the Lady Bulldogs Golf team and best of luck to the seniors playing their last tournaments for the season!
