Hays, Garden City expected to battle for top WAC honors in girls golf
For the past few seasons, the battle for supremacy In the Western Athletic Conference girls golf has been between the Hays High Lady Indians and the Garden City Lady Buffaloes, with the Lady Buffs getting the nod in 2019 by winning all five league events and Hays placing second in each of those.
It may well be the same tight race again in 2020 if the preseason assessment by the league’s five coaches are any indication. Last year’s team champion – Garden City – lost Player of the Year Alyssa McMillen to graduation and her runner-up Class 6A state finish will be sorely missed. Hays, which placed second in Class 5A to Andover last year, appears to have more experience returning with its top 6 players from a year ago intact.
DODGE CITY LADY RED DEMONS
Head Coach: Jim Mapel (36th season)
Veteran coach Jim Mapel is back for his 36th season at the helm of the Lady Red Demons. A Dodge City High School alum himself, Mapel has a keen eye for the league race.
After placing fourth in the WAC race in 2019, the Lady Demons qualified for the Class 6A state but missed the cut after the first day as the state tourney moved to a 36-hole, two-day format for the first time since the 1980s.
Ashlyn Armstrong placed 51st individually at state and she returns along with senior Ella Friess, both of whom were honorable mention all-WAC selections in 2019. Along with those two, Mapel welcomes back returning letter winners Valeria Aguirre, Reanna Barlett Konrade, Cassidy Bockelman, Tiley Fry and Camila Gonzalez.
“We are excited to have 18 girls out for the team this season,” Mapel said of his turnout for the fall season.” I believe we have an opportunity to improve as the season progresses and reach our goal of qualifying the team again for the state tournament.”
Season Schedule: Aug. 31-at Hays High Inv.; Sept. 10—DODGE CITY INV. Sept. 14—at Liberal Inv.; Sept. 24—at Garden City Inv.; Oct. 6—at Great Bend Inv.; Oct. 12—Class 6A regional, Mariah Hills GC, Dodge City; Oct. 19-20—Class 6A state tournament, Hesston Golf Course.
GARDEN CITY LADY BUFFALOES
Head Coach: Trent Specht (3rd season)
During his first two years as head girls golf coach, Garden City’s Trent Specht had the benefit of the No. 1 player in the Western Athletic Conference – Alyssa McMillen – leading the team.
All McMillen did was capture back-to-back WAC Player of the Year titles, and place fifth and second individually at the Class 6A state tournament while leading the Lady Buffs to a third-place team finish at the state tournament in 2019. Emma Kells, an honorable mention pick, also graduated.
But now with McMillen, and another all-WAC player, Grace Yi, having graduated, the Lady Buffs will regroup with a much younger, but still talented group of golfers, according to Specht.
The cupboard is not bare, though, with sophomore Ryann Warren the top returner after making all-WAC her freshman season, placing fourth in regionals and medaling in 18th place at the state tourney.
Senior Rian Linenberger was an honorable mention all-WAC selection and junior Allie Sandoval is another returning starter. Specht has high hopes for a talented incoming freshman class as well, with Emma Ortiz and Jerika Garcia leading that group.
“We won’t be that good at the start of the season, but by the end of the season, I think we have a chance to be pretty competitive,” Specht said. “Hays has a talented returning group and would be the favorite, but hopefully we can give them chase and perhaps get them somewhere later in the season.”
Sophomore Kallista Rhoades and junior Hanna Plummer are also in the mix for challenging to make the six-player varsity roster, Specht said.
Season Schedule: Aug. 31-at Hays High Inv.; Sept. 10—at Dodge City Inv.; Sept. 14—at Liberal Inv.; Sept. 24—GARDEN CITY INV.; Oct. 6—at Great Bend Inv.; Oct. 12—Class 6A regional, Mariah Hills GC, Dodge City; Oct. 19-20—Class 6A state tournament, Hesston Golf Course.
GREAT BEND LADY PANTHERS
Head Coach: Travis McAtee (6TH season)
Following a solid third-place finish in the 2019 WAC girls golf season, the Great Bend Lady Panthers are eying to move up the ladder.
With graduation losses of Cailee McMullen and Kaylee Reiser, sixth-year head coach Travis McAtee will be looking for leadership from senior Ashlyn Harbaugh, who was a Class 5A state qualifier in 2019. McMullen was an all-WAC first-team selection while Riser was an honorable mention pick.
With 14 players out for the season, McAtee will be looking for others to step forward to give the Lady Panthers room to improve. Seniors Kendyl Henning, Kirsten Miessler and Dakota Baldwin are returning letter winners as is junior Allyson Kaiser.
“We have five freshmen participating this season, which is one of our strongest first-year groups since I’ve been here,” McAtee said. “We have good varsity experience and those girls will have to step up this season to help us be competitive.”
2020 Schedule: Aug. 31—at Hays Inv.; Sept. 3—at Dodge City Inv.; Sept. 8—at Salina Central Inv.; Sept. 10—at Dodge City Inv.; Sept. 14—at Liberal Inv.; Sept. 21—at Salina South Inv.; Sept. 24—at Garden City Inv.; Sept. 28—at Hoisington Inv.; Oct. 6—GREAT BEND INV.; Oct. 12—Regional Tournament, Site TBD; Oct. 19-20—State Tournament, Salina Municipal GC.
HAYS HIGH LADY INDIANS
Head Coach: Mark Watts (31st season)
There is an adage that says the cupboard is either bare or full when assessing the strength of a new season of high school sports.
Thus, it would be fair to say that the Hays High Lady Indians golf team’s cupboard is not only full, but loaded with extras.
After chasing Garden City all season in 2019 as the WAC team runner-up, veteran coach Mark Watts has perhaps his most experienced team returning for 2020. There were no graduating seniors from the team that was second at the Class 5A regional, only to miss the 18-hole cut at the two-day state tournament.
But Watts does return state medalist junior Taleia McCrae, who placed 12th with scores of 90-85 at Emporia Municipal Golf Course. Another returner, senior Sophia Garrison, was 25th with scores of 94-91—185. Both of those players earned all-WAC first-team honors a season ago. McCrae also was an honorable mention Kansas Golf Coaches Association all-stater in Class 5A. Garrison was an HM all-state honoree by the KGCA.
Sophomore Katie Dinkel will be one of the other top players Watts welcomes back after she earned all-WAC honorable mention honors during her debut freshman season. Other experienced returners include seniors Andrea Lopez, Sierra Smith, and Hope Schumacher along with junior Gracie Wente.
“We’ve got our entire team (17) back from last year with four additional freshman that could be vying for a spot on the varsity team,” Watts said. “With that being said, I think the outlook for 2020 is very good for the Hays High Lady Indians unless COVID-19 grounds us. That would be a very unfortunate thing to happen especially for the seniors, in particular Sophia Garrison, who has been on varsity since her freshman year.”
2020 Schedule: Aug. 31—HAYS HIGH INV.; Sept. 8—at Salina Central Inv.; Sept. 10—at Dodge City Inv.; Sept. 14—at Liberal Inv.; Sept. 21—at Salina South Inv.; Sept. 24—at Garden City Inv.; Oct. 1—at Hutchinson Inv.; Oct. 6—at Great Bend Inv.; Oct. 12—Class 5A Regional, Site TBD; Oct. 19-20—Class 5A State tournament, Salina Municipal GC.
LIBERAL LADY REDSKINS
Head Coach: Karen Roush (5th season)
In the highly-competitive WAC race, the Liberal Lady Redskins finished fifth in the overall 2019 competition of the five hosted tournaments that determine both team and individual placings.
Head coach Karen Roush begins her fifth season guiding the program and will sorely miss two graduated seniors who qualified for the Class 6A state tournament a year ago in Maci Reeves and Katie Horyna.
Roush does return three letter winners in Ashlyn Wagenseller, Lesley Carrillo and Diana Arana, so there is optimism for improvement.
“I believe I have a few returners that could make a post-season run,” Roush said.
2020 Schedule: Aug. 31-at Hays High Inv.; Sept. 10—at Dodge City Inv.; Sept. 14—LIBERAL INV.; Sept. 24—at Garden City Inv.; Oct. 6—at Great Bend Inv.; Oct. 12—Class 6A regional, Mariah Hills GC, Dodge City; Oct. 19-20—Class 6A state tournament, Hesston Golf Course.
Coaches Preseason Poll: 1. (tie) Hays and Garden City; 3. (tie) Dodge City and Great Bend; 5. Liberal.
