As she tees off, freshman Miah Wanserski swings her club and watches her ball soar over the course. After spending the season as a starter on the girls varsity golf team, she qualified for state and traveled two and a half hours to Decatur to compete with other players from all across Illinois. This accomplishment was achieved through three years of practice and a focused work ethic.

On the first day of the competition, located at Hickory Point Golf Course, Wanserski scored a 78 plus 6 above par in order to make the cut for the second day of play. On the second day, after scoring an 80 plus 8 above par, she soared into the leaderboard with a combined score of 158 overall- this scored her 44th place in a field of 113 other golfers. In a team of players from all grades, she was the only to qualify for state.

“It definitely was [a confidence booster.] I felt great, and I was like, “Dang, OK!” Wanserski said.

In order to qualify for state, Wanserski had to attend regionals at Whitetail Ridge Golf Course and then sectionals at Village Greens Golf Course. At regionals, she scored a 79 plus 8 above par, which moved her on to regionals where she scored a 78 plus 6 above par.

“I went in as an individual, and it was a lot harder to get in because we have the hardest sectionals in Illinois competition-wise because all the better schools are in that one,” Wanserski said.

Golf coach and PE teacher Lindsay DeGiulio, recognized that she had a strong foundation in the beginning of their eight week season. DeGiulio worked throughout the season to mainly support that original foundation and motivated Wanserski through the mental aspects of the sport.

“Miah came in with a very good base to her game. She had that dedication and talent walking in, and my approach with her this year was to support that and work with her in areas that I felt a young athlete needs to improve on. I focused with her on mainly her short game,” DeGiulio said.

After observing Wanserski throughout the season and during competitions, DeGiulio was not taken by surprise when she qualified for state.

“After seeing Miah and her focus, I was not surprised because I know how driven she is, and I know that she is a very focused person. I’m proud of her for not getting distracted by the little bumps and bruises throughout the season. I think it’s really fun to see how excited she gets and the passion she had behind it,” DeGiulio said.

Outside of school, Wanserski continues to strengthen her golf game through the Collegiate Athletic Program (CAP). She participates in tournaments throughout the summer months and trains through the CAP during the winter. This allows her to sharpen her individual skills and focus on her own game, instead of playing on a team.

“I like playing on my own and practicing on my own. I have more control over what’s happening,” Wanserski said.

Wanserski plans to carry forward playing golf both individually and on the school team in the coming years. She hopes to qualify for state again in coming years.