Reporter Sports Editor
After graduating one of the state’s top players last season, it’s not surprising that the Hamilton Heights girls golf team will look a little different this season.
The Huskies will be “quite young and pretty inexperienced,” in the words of their coach Kim Drake. There are no seniors on this year’s team. But there will be some varsity experience, thanks to three returning letter winners and another golfer who is back after taking a year off.
Biggs
The top returner is a junior, Kate Biggs, one of the letter winners who is back. The other two are sophomores: Alyx Harley and Ellie Arrowood. All of them played regularly on the varsity last season.
“Kate and Ellie have been involved with lessons since last season and I am confident there will be good improvement from both of them,” said Drake.
Lexi Tucker played for Heights in her freshman year, but didn’t play last year. She returns this season, and Drake notes that Tucker brings athleticism to the team and has “shown a lot of improvement.”
“I am sure she will factor in to our top five players,” said Drake.
After that, there’s not much experience on the team. A key freshman could be Rebekah Steffen, who moved into the Heights district from Avon. Steffen played golf as a junior high student, and Drake said he’s hopeful that she will play a role for the Huskies.
Heights will be moving ahead with a tough schedule this season, starting with a trip to the Plainfield Invitational on Monday. The Huskies then play at the Hamilton Southeastern Invitational on Tuesday, where they will see other Hamilton County teams – meaning some of the best teams in the state.
Drake said that many of this year’s golfers watched Caitie Gehlhausen, one of the most successful golfers in Heights history, last season. Gehlhausen achieved her goal of playing in the state tournament last year and is now off to play Division I golf at High Point University in North Carolina.
With Gehlhausen graduating, this year’s Huskies will be in a new position of taking on leadership responsibilities, said Drake.
“It will be interesting to see who begins to step up in those areas,” said Drake.
Roster
Juniors: Katie Biggs, Reagan Bippus, Mallori Clark, Elizabeth Havron, Veronica Meredith, Lexi Tucker.
Sophomores: Ellie Arrowood, Alyx Harley.
Freshmen: Sierra Hinds, Rebekah Steffen.