Swinging Into a Victory

Girls Golf Match at Senior Night

Photo by Brooke Nohle/Maclay Andalusian

The girls golf match was a par-ty at Senior Night. Maclay pulled off an exciting win against Chiles, Florida High and Rickards on Tuesday, Oct. 3, solidifying the Senior Night victory. However, Maclay still has a long road ahead of them as the playoffs are right around the corner.

Led by senior captain and University of North Georgia commit Ellie Jane Riner, the Marauders have improved tremendously throughout the season.

“I think the team did good even when there was pressure on the line because of the competition,” Riner said.

Although the Marauders played against some solid competition, the girls did not let the stress get to them and managed to stay focused during the match. They came together as a team and used all their strengths to their benefit.

The new golf facility that opened up earlier in the year has played a major role in the Marauder’s success. The new facility includes a putting green, chipping area and bunkers for the team to enhance their skills.

“It has been fun to practice with our team there [new golf facility] and play with all 11 girls,” junior McClaine Ulrich said.

Due to the fierce competition, the Marauders must center their attention on their training in order to make it in the playoffs this year. While the physical aspect of golf is hard to perfect, the mental preparation can be even tougher to accomplish and plays a vital role in the team's success.

“We are going to practice more as a team and work on better attitudes,” Ulrich said.

Riner led the Marauders and came in second overall and shot a 38. Ulrich was not far behind her, shooting a 40. Despite the team winning, the girls were not completely satisfied with their scores and were ready to get back into practice to refine their technique.

“A positive was that the team won and a negative was that I didn’t play how I wanted to but was still able to post a decent score,” Riner said.

The Marauders look to upgrade their strengths and improve their weaknesses as they head into the final stretch of the regular season. They have begun preparation for the playoffs and hope to finish out the year strong.