Golf has just wrapped up for the season with the state championship, with two Lockwood golfers having qualified: Kiaralynn Weidinger and Cyleigh Kelly. Weidinger not only finished 13th but is also the first-ever All-State Golfer for Lockwood. Head coach Toni Bender and the two qualifiers left on Wednesday the 29th of September to arrive in time to have a day to practice on the course.

The freshmen on the team include Bryson Arneson, Asa Fox, Garrett Watts, Cecily Betes, Abigail Funk, and Alexis Potter. The Sophomore class had the largest number of people on the golf team. It included Brodi Banderob, Brady Kittelmann, Clayton McElvain, Garrett Miller, Hailey Barta, Nevaeh Lee, Rylee Sannon, and both Cyleigh Kelly and Kiaralynn Weidinger. Pierce Dotson and Wyatt Hayden were the only juniors on the team.

When asked, Coach Bender said, "I am very proud of what the golf team accomplished this season. For some, this was the first time they ever picked up a golf club. Some of them never played a full 18 holes until the first tournament of the season. Many of the golfers got to experience a tournament for their first time. Some of them set their personal best rounds. Golf is a sport that takes a lot of hard work and determination. Many of our golfers put in hours beyond practice times to better their game. I am so lucky to work with these kids. I'm looking forward to the future of the Lockwood Golf Team."

Throughout the season, the team has made many improvements to grow the Lockwood Golf program which is only in its second year, with hopefully more growth to come in the future. This year both a team of girls and boys went to the Laurel Invitational at a Varsity level. They both placed sixth. Five boys and three girls went to divisionals in Sidney: Brady Kittelmann, Wyatt Hayden, Garrett Miller, Asa Fox, and Clayton McElvain. Kiaralynn Weidinger, Cyleigh Kelly, and Alexis Potter were the three girls who got a chance at divisionals, with Weidinger finishing eleventh.

When asked about the season, Weidinger said, "I worked hard over the summer and it looked like it paid off.. the grind never stops. The varsity team as a whole made lots of laughs and good memories. I would have to say for golf plans in the future are to keep working hard and striving for the best because if you don't give it your all then why do it?! Something to work on for the next season is definitely team building skills. I mean if you look at laurel or park (Livingston) they have a great team bond and since Lockwood is new we don't have the greatest start. I have grown a lot over the last year and off season.. I worked on the mental state of the game..the composure you need to be able to focus and do your best. Currently I have been playing golf for about 5.5 years but competitive golf was my first year last year." Many of the team members have said that they have improved their golf skills over the season, and they plan to continue playing even if they didn't get to do much this season.

Cyleigh Kelly got 13th at divisionals, and got the chance to go to state. She has been playing in tournaments for two years but started practicing in 8th grade. When asked, she said, "I feel like this year's golf season was great! I think the team did really well even if we all didn't get our goals this year. It helps us all strive to do better next year. My plans for golf are to keep doing better and not to give up, to also strive to beat my goals. I hope next season I will beat my PR of 107 and try my best to make it to state next year." The golf team worked hard this year to grow as a team and sport at Lockwood, and we can't wait to see how this program will continue to grow.