This story is sponsored by Forward Financial Bank
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – To say the Marshfield girls golf team has been a work in progress during its short two-month season is an understatement.
Second-year coach Mike Field leads a group of six underclassmen into the postseason beginning Wednesday with the WIAA Division 1 regional at New Richmond Golf Club.
Marshfield steadily climbed the ranks of the Clover Valley Golf League throughout the season and shot a season-best nine-hole team total of 183 last Thursday at RiverEdge Golf Course in Marshfield to finish second in the overall standings of the seven-leg CVGL tournament.
“It’s a young team with one junior, two sophomore and three freshmen,” Field said. “It’s a very exciting team with a lot of cohesiveness, which started this summer by practicing and playing tournaments together.
“We progressed playing on some difficult courses, and our individual and team scores improved. Each one contributed in any given meet, which was very exciting.”
Sophomore Molly Field, coach Mike Field’s daughter, earned first-team all-CVGL honors by placing fourth overall during the conference season. Junior Macy Fitzgerald ended up eighth to earn second-team all-conference honors, and freshman Ana Jensen, who finished a season-best third at the RiverEdge meet with a 42, ended up as an honorable mention CVGL choice by tying for 14th in the overall standings.
Sophomore Janelle Skaden and freshmen Jordyn Fitzgerald and Hannah Gross also put together solid seasons to help the Tigers to second in the conference.
“One bad day, one bad hole, one bad stroke, doesn’t mean you’re a bad golfer,” Mike Field said. “You can come back next time and be meet medalist. That’s what I try to tell the girls.
“I do not put a lot of expectations on girls, just go out there, one stroke at a time, one hole at a time, and if you do that, I know that you did your best, and we’ll see what happens.”
The top four teams and top four individuals not on those teams move on to next week’s WIAA Division 1 sectional at Stevens Point Country Club. The top three teams and three individuals not on those teams qualify for the WIAA State Girls Golf Championships at Cherokee Country Club in Madison on Oct. 8-9.
Marshfield has the sixth-best nine-hole stroke average of 208.11 in the eight-team field.
Regardless if they are successful or not in their push to Madison, Mike Field said he is pleased with the way the Tigers progressed this season, and that the future looks bright with all six girls returning next year.
“As they get more experience, especially tournament experience, and gain confidence and composure, it looks great for the future,” Mike Field said. “Looking at the regional, we really are the only team that has (a lot of) sophomores and freshmen playing varsity. Anyone of them has potential of doing well. It’s a great group.”
WIAA Division 1 girls golf regional
When: Wednesday, Sept. 26
Where: at New Richmond Golf Club
Teams competing: New Richmond, River Falls, Rice Lake, Eau Claire North, Hudson, Marshfield, Eau Claire Memorial and Superior.
What’s at stake: Top four teams and top four individuals qualify for WIAA Division 1 sectional on Oct. 1 at Stevens Point Country Club.