FALL SPORTS
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THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2020
Eventful summer prepares NPHS girls golf for season Bulldogs carry high hopes into 2020 Telegraph file photo Maya Lashley, pictured, finished in 15th place at the Class A state tournament a season ago. Along with Baylee Steele and Karsen Morrison, who tied for fifth, the Bulldogs have a talented nucleus of players.
While Morrison is en- tering her sophomore year, Steele and Lashley are seniors, and this will be their final shot at tak- ing first place as a team. “I’m ready to show who I am,” Steele said. “I have yet to really take hold of that course (Norfolk Country Club) and real- ly do something good. I think state has been in my head the past three years and I think I’m fi- nally mentally prepared to do my best there and just trust my game.” With the lineup they boast, this could be the year they get it done. Steele sits at the No. 1 spot in the lineup, fol- lowed by Morrison and Lashley at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Jones has the No. 4 spot, and Kaylee Carlson is at No. 5. The other four girls on the team, Cora Meyer, Madi Preece, Hailey Matthews and Elaina Davis, each play on “JV” but could see time in the main line- up later in the season. Against Ogallala, who didn’t have a JV team, those four got to tee off against each other in a scrimmage of sorts. Meyer carded the best score of the four with a 56. They’ll contribute this year, but how success- ful North Platte is this season will fall solely to the starting five. While making it to states is al- ways a major goal of the team this year, winning it is what each member is striving for. “A lot of times for many years, North Platte wasn’t looked upon as a golf school — it was looked at as a football or basketball power or track,” Orcutt said. “It’s good to get some recog- nition. We just have to be able to back it up.”
and I hope that pays off down the road,” North Platte coach Jim Orcutt said. “I think that will.” It wasn’t just time they put into those tour- naments, but dominant showings as well. Steele and Morrison compet- ed in the Nebraska Golf Association’s Junior Amatuer Championships in July, where Steele finished seventh and Morrison tied for 14th. Morrison also won the Founder’s brack- et at the Nebraska Women’s Match Play Championship. Lashley competed in the Junior Ambassador Youth Golf Classic, where she placed second. She was joined there by teammate Abbie Jones, who finished fifth. “Any time a student competes, it is easier and less nerve-wracking to compete the next time,” Orcutt said. “I encourage that during the sum- mer and some take it to heart.” Despite playing in some tournaments, Steele said she didn’t feel as if she played enough golf this summer, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t ready for the fall season. There are some slight
By JAKE DREILINGER jake.dreilinger@ nptelegraph.com
Only two shots sep- arated Maya Lashley from Baylee Steele and Karsen Morrison in the North Platte girls golf team’s season opener against Ogallala. Steele and Morrison tied at 36, while Lashley came in at 38. Those scores would make for a close race if they were competing in a tournament. They aren’t, though. They’re team- mates, and that level of success is almost expect- ed from golfers who are among some of the best in the state. No one competing came close to matching Steele, Morrison and Lashley’s scores, which proves to make for a tough top of the lineup as North Platte begins its fall campaign. It returns a powerful roster full of athletes looking to make an impact. It all starts with the Bulldogs top-three spots and the impact they hope to make. “Karsen and Baylee and Maya, too, put in a lot of time with the Nebraska Golf Association tournaments
Jake Wragge / Norfolk Daily News Karsen Morrison of North Platte chips onto the green during the Class A state golf tournament at the Norfolk Country Club in 2019.
and putts are important when playing,” she said. “Just the mental aspect (of the game) going in and taking it one shot at a time.” There’s a lot more to it this year than improv- ing aspects of their game. They also want to finally get over that hump of fin- ishing runner-up at the state tournament. For the past two years, North Platte couldn’t take home the win in the most important tournament of the season. Last year, Steele and Morrison tied for sixth, while Lashley tied for 15th and Abbie Jones tied for 39th.
that I am ready and that our team is ready for this coming season.” When not competing in tournaments over the summer, the girls spent time working on their game. Morrison said she worked mostly on hitting greens. “I think hitting greens in golf is more import- ant,” she said. “It sets you up for some birdie opportunities.” Lashley said she want- ed to work on a different part of her game this summer: Her short game. “This year, (I’m) look- ing to improve my short game because chips
drawbacks her game. She suffered a minor injury at the be- ginning of last season, and she was having some back troubles she said they are still trying to figure out. That isn’t stopping her from play- ing this season, though, and she is hoping to help lead North Platte to a successful season. “Honestly through- with out the quarantine, I was luckily one of the ath- letes to still be able to play their sport,” Steele said. “I’ve played a lot of golf. I didn’t play as much as I would have liked this summer but I still feel
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