Lady Indians return most of 2021 championship team
One only has to scan through the returning players from the 2021 Western Athletic Conference girls golf season to realize that two-time defending champion Hays will be the odds-on favorite to capture its third consecutive conference crown.
That’s because veteran coach Mark Watts, entering his 32nd season at the helm, returns all but one player from the squad that captured all five WAC tournaments to finish with a perfect score of 25 points and also return the 2021 WAC Player of the Year in senior Katie Dinkel.
It was Dinkel who narrowly won that honor by scoring 70 points (15 for first, 14 for second, etc.) to edge Garden City’s Ryann Warren by only 1.5 points for the top honor. Warren also returns to lead the Lady Buffaloes.
Two years ago, Hays’ Taleia McCrae won the WAC Player of the Year title as a junior, but missed a couple of tournaments in 2021 due to illness and was a second-team all-WAC performer and the lone graduate.
The remaining varsity players all come with solid credentials in all-WAC first-team selections Abbie Norris (Jr.), Evyn Cox (Jr.) and second team all-WAC players Claire Humphrey (Sr.) and Jaycee Oakley (So.).
“I feel that with the players we have coming back, there is a good chance to win the WAC again, also qualify for state and to make a run for the 5A state championship,” Watt said.
Warren will likely be one of the chief challengers to Dinkel for individual honors and will be playing for new coach Chris Duncan, who replaces Trent Specht. Another top player, senior Ashlyn Armstrong of Dodge City, will have new coach Tyson Clark at the program’s helm after veteran coach Jim Mapel retired from that position but continues to coach the boys’ Demon team in the spring.
Great Bend has a group of young players that show promise, if not fully this year, certainly in 2023. Liberal also has a new coach in Bert Luallen.
The opening tournament for the WAC will be at Hays on Monday, Aug. 29, and will be played at Smoky Hill Country Club. The remaining WAC tournaments will be Sept. 8 at Dodge City’s Mariah Hills Golf Course; Sept. 12 at Liberal’s Willow Tree Golf Course; Sept. 22 at Garden City’s Buffalo Dunes Golf Course; and Oct. 4 at Great Bend’s Stone Ridge Golf Club.
Regional tournaments for Class 5A and 6A schools will be Oct. 10 with state tournaments scheduled for Oct. 17 and 18. The Class 5A state will be held at Hesston Golf Course and the 6A state will be played at Salina Municipal Golf Course.
DODGE CITY
Mascot: Lady Red Demons
Class: 6A
Coach: Tyson Clark (1st season, head coach; 22 seasons overall)
2021 in Review: Junior Ashlyn Armstrong placed ninth at the Class 6A state tournament and earned first-team all-WAC honors with an 87.0 scoring average; Lady Demons placed 1st at 6A regional and finished 9th among 12 teams at State.
Top Returners: Ashlyn Armstrong, Sr.
GARDEN CITY
Mascot: Lady Buffaloes
Class: 6A
Coach: Chris Duncan (1st season)
2021 in Review: 3rd place, WAC; 2nd place 6A Regionals; 7th place at State Tournament, just missing the 18-hole cut for the final day; Ryann Warren, 2nd in WAC individual; regional runner-up and 10th at state (89-81); 2nd team all-state by Kansas Golf Coaches Association.
Top Returners: Ryann Warren, Sr.; Jerika Lopez, 7th at 6A regionals; Jacya Vargas, So.; Natalie Unsworth.
Coach’s Comments: “Our team as a whole has been working hard specifically on skills that will decrease scores in the shortest amount of time. Our focus is to make 100% of our short putts and to recover immediately out of bunkers and long native grass. Our leaders, Ryann Warren and Jerika Lopez, are looking to take top WAC honors and repeat their visit back to the State Championship.”
GREAT BEND
Mascot: Lady Panthers
Class: 5A
Coach: Steve Wolf (2nd season)
Top Returners: Kylie Mohr, Jr.
Top Newcomers: Anna Baldwin, Jr.; Clarissa Bashor, Jr.; Cailee Moeder, Jr.; Maleigha Ribordy, Jr.; Kylee Miessler, Fr.; Callie Steffan, So.; Cari Vandenburg, Fr.
Coach’s Comments: “My goal for this team is to improve every day. I have been impressed with their work ethic so far. Our juniors, which are the leaders of the team, have shown an improvement in their ability to implement instruction. We have everyone back next year and it may be then that we start to be competitive with the top teams in the league. Kylee Miessler, our new freshman, is one I have very high hopes for her future in golf. She has a lot of natural ability and implements things I show her very quickly. It may be her junior year, but she will be a very good player before it’s all said and done.”
HAYS
Mascot: Lady Indians
Class: 5A
Coach: Mark Watts (32nd season, girls coach; 43rd overall)
2021 in Review: WAC Champions (Won all 5 league meets); Class 5A state runner-up; Katie Dinkel, WAC Player of the Year.
Top Returners: Katie Dinkel, Sr., 2021 WAC Player of the Year; Top 5 at 5A regional; 9th place at 5A state tournament; Kansas Golf Coaches Association honorable mention all-state; 3 tournament wins; 80.5 season average. Abbie Norris, Jr., all-WAC first team; top 10 at regionals; six top 10 individual finishes. Evyn Cox, Jr., all-WAC 1st team; 3rd place 5A regional; 6 top 10 finishes. Claire Humphrey, Sr., 2nd team all-WAC; 7th place 5A regional; 5 top 10 finishes. Jaycee Oakley, So., all-WAC 2nd team; 3 top 10 finishes. Lily Garrison; Ashlynn Banker, Jr.
Coach’s Comments: “I feel that with the players we have coming back, there is a good chance to win the WAC again, also qualify for state and to make a run for the 5A state championship.”
LIBERAL
Mascot: Lady Reds
Class: 6A
Coach: Bert Luallen (1st season)
2021 in Review: 5th, WAC; 7th, Class 6A regional.
Top Returners: Ashlynn Wagenseller, Sr. (1 top 10 finish in 2021 tournaments); Nubia Rodriguez, Sr.
Coach’s Comments: “With this being my first year in the program, it’s difficult to say where our team is or will be. We’ll just have to wait and see if I can teach them enough to lower their scores.”
