Golfers wrap it up at home
By Jim den Hollander
The team and these three golfers began their careers together for the most part. Kirsten Schueler, who comes from a golfing family had dabbled in the sport beforehand, but Devan Dollar and Mary Moore never picked up a club before the start of the WDHS program in their freshman year at the school. It showed too, in particular for Moore, who at times struggled in her first season to stay in double digit is for a nine-hole round. Four years later, this trio are the clear leaders for a team that came within a step of reaching the state championship tournament. Schueler said at the beginning of the season her goal was to make the newest golfers in the team feel comfortable, something she said she didn't feel in her freshman year. Two months later, Schueler, along with Moore and Dollar were shoulder to shoulder with a pair of freshman mates, Tama Estebo and Sam Mueller who will carry the team's torch into a second generation as the clear leaders beginning next season. The team entered the eight-team (plus six individuals) event as the bottom seed, but despite conditions (cold and rain) that promoted anything but golf, the five member combined to put up a round of 434 - not their best of the year, but definitely a good round in WIAA Division 2 Golf Sectionals at Trappers Turn - Oct. 7, 2008 Team Scores: Tournament Medalist: Low Individual Scores: Wisconsin Dells Scores: Devan Dollar 96, Mary Moore 103, Kirsten Schueler 111, Tama Estebo 124, Samantha Mueller 148.
these conditions.
Only the top two teams advanced to state and the Chiefs finished 56 strokes away from that spot, taken by Arcadia.
The top spot was practically conceded to Madison Edgewood before the day began and they didn't disappoint, a 334 team score giving them the Sectional crown with 42 strokes to spare on Arcadia.
Teams likely won't get any closer to Edgewood next week at the state championship either.
Individually, only a trio of golfers, not from those top two teams moved on.
Dollar was in the mix for a while, especially with a 46 through the front nine on a day that saw all golfers struggling.
Dollar wrapped up the day with a 96, missing a state berth by four strokes.
Other scores for the locals included a 103 (56-47) for Moore, 111 (59-52) for Schueler, 124 (61-63) for Estebo and a round of 148 (77-71) for Mueller.
There was no real pressure on the team and to a member, they seemed proud and pleased with the rounds they fired under some difficult conditions.
For head coach Troy Ryan, the day marked the official end of the team's berth. The graduation of Dollar, Schueler and Moore means a new wave of golfers will be taking over the team. There are some major similarities though.
It was a young Dollar, Schueler and Moore that ultimately stepped into the varsity roles in their sophomore and junior years at the school and they had a lot more ground to make up than the current group.
The played a great leadership role with the other two this year, said coach Troy Ryan.
"The nice thing about the three seniors is that they were home grown," said Ryan. "They started with the program and they lasted all four years. Some filled in gaps along the way, but these three were the glue of the program for the past four years."
"Devan was a conference champ (last season) and they earned two Sectional berths. They steered the team in the right direction. The seniors did a great job," said Ryan.
This year, they relished the role of mentor as well.
"Knowing we had at least two who hadn't played before, each senior kind of grabbed a freshman and helped them," said the coach adding "They are leaving a legacy behind."
Ryan is also pleased that all three appear to be looking at continuing the sport in their post-high school education as well - Schueler at Concordia University while Moore and Dollar are both looking into the Edgewood College team. Ryan said Tayler Petersen started that trend, an '08 graduate who is currently red shirting at UW Superior. Laura Stoll and Hannah Hess, earlier graduates also flirted with the idea as well.
"All three could see their scores drop at college," said Ryan