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East Jackson High School girls’ golf coach Ray Hill works with senior Reagan Rudd during a practice on Thursday.  Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

The East Jackson High School girls’ golf team may be in an unfamiliar position next Friday at the Jackson County Golf Outing at Cascades Golf Course.

The Lady Trojans may be the team to beat.

So far, so good for East Jackson.

The Lady Trojans have won all of the Cascades Conference jamborees, won invitationals, and have been the highest finishing school at several events.

But it has been a long time coming for the Lady Trojans.

East Jackson teacher Ray Hill took over the program more than a dozen years ago with three simple rules – having fun, improving every year, and being competitive with a chance to win.

Hill has taken on a number of projects in those years, with payoffs a few years down the road.

“I start recruiting kids in middle school and look for softball players,” Hill said. “It doesn’t matter if they haven’t played golf … they spend the first year learning and figuring out which end of the club to hold.”

Senior team captain Jordan Goostrey was one of those players – just starting out in the sports as a freshman.

“What stood out was the way the rest of the team welcomed me in,” Goostrey said. “It was like a little family.”

Hill said the change of seasons more than 10 years ago has helped girls’ golf. The sport was moved from spring – where it battled softball and track and field – to fall.

Members of the East Jackson teams have taken advantage of the Jackson Junior Golf Tour and mini-sessions held by Hill. Players met three times per week during the summer to work on simple things items such as the short game.

“Short game Sundays were pretty popular because getting better at chipping and putting lowers scores,” Hill said. “We had up to a dozen students at some of the sessions.”

East Jackson shared the Cascades Conference a year ago – their third league title in the last five years. Each time the Lady Trojans have tied with Napoleon for the title.

When East Jackson did not advance to the state meet a year ago, they took it personally.

“That was rough,” senior captain Reagan Rudd said. “We really thought we had it in the bag playing on our own course.

“We worked so hard since then.”

Hill said players have been working since last October, going to Miles of Golf in the winter, playing in the spring, participating in the Jackson Junior Golf Tour events, and attending mini sessions.

Senior Alexis Brzezinski was a bright spot for the Trojans last year. She advanced to the state meet and finished in the top five in Division 4. But it was a hollow victory for the EJ golfer.

“It (the state meet) was not really that fun,” Brzezinski said. “The hotel was really quiet and I spent nights in the hotel doing homework.

“I missed the support of my team.”

The Lady Trojans spent nearly a week just before school with a trip to Kalkaska. Besides golf, the nine players spent time together.

“A trip like this makes the younger girls feel connected,” Hill said. “It is intimidating for a freshman to play with a senior golfer who is really good.”

EJ has set its goals to win the Cascades Conference outright, be the best in Jackson County, advance to the state meet, and play as well as possible at the state meet.

“We are not used to being on top, but we have spent all summer working for this,” Brzezinski said.

By the numbers

East Jackson High School golfer Alexis Brzezinski is leading the Lady Trojans with a scoring average of 43.2, Rudd is averaging 47.8, and Goostrey is at 52.5.

Both Brzezinski and Jordan Goostrey plan to play college golf in the near future.

Rudd and Brzezinski have 4.0 grade point averages and are expected to be two of a number of valedictorians at EJHS.

Brzezinski is leading the Cascades Conference in scoring averages at 7 strokes over par per nine holes.

East Jackson is 18-0 this season at jamboree matches.

The Lady Trojans have four of the top nine golfers (Rory Mericle is ninth) in the conference.

Alexis Brzezinski of East Jackson High School earned a top-5 finish last year in the Division 4 state meet. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.

Jordan Goostrey started playing golf as a freshman at East Jackson High School. She is now a senior tri-captain for the Lady Trojans. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.

 

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