The Huron Women’s Varsity Golf team won regionals for the first time in 20 years on Oct. 6 against 11 other schools in the region.
“It was really cool,” senior Jennifer Tang said, who is a captain on the team. “Honestly, I was really proud. It’s the first time we’ve also qualified for states last year in 20 years. So we’re really happy about that.”
There’s no denying that the win was a significant milestone. However, some of the players were especially excited for another aspect of the win: ‘The Mitten,’ the sought after MHSAA Michigan championship trophy, shaped like Michigan’s upper and lower penninsula.
“I think I was just most excited to win ‘The Mitten,’” senior Jessica Wu said. “We really want to win regionals for the title regionals, but we [also] wanted ‘The Mitten’ and to take pictures with ‘The Mitten.’”
Huron competes within Division one, Region two. This year, the MHSAA moved two other teams out of the region, resulting in a slightly different competition.
“It was a really incredible milestone, for sure,” Wu said. “This year, [MHSAA] actually changed the schools in our region, which contributed a little bit to our ability to win.”
While this change in competition raised expectations, it did not necessarily guarantee an easy win.
“With a good team and an easier region, we were pretty hopeful,” Tang said. “But it wasn’t set in stone, because Skyline was also pretty good, so we did have to still lock in.”
Strategy also played a role in the win.
“We had to really focus on making sure that we were playing smart and not making any mistakes,” Wu said. “Because as long as we’re consistent, that’s just how we win.”
In the future, the golf team is focused on improving the team and working towards personal bests.
I think we’re all just trying to prove ourselves,” Tang said. “It’s my last two rounds as a high school golfer, and I want to prove that I have it in me.”
Wu also shares these values, and hopes to improve personally.
“We’re really just here to play for ourselves and to be our personal best,” Wu said. “So it’s not comparing ourselves to other teams. It’s more like comparing ourselves to where we were in the [last] season or in past years.”
As majority of the players are seniors, the team hopes to end the season on a good, final note.
“We were just talking about how sad it is that these are our last rounds in high school,” Tang said. “Hopefully we have a lot of fun and not a lot of crying.”
