SPASH senior Ally Nickel lines up a putt during the WVC Leg at the Stevens Point Country Club Tuesday, Sept. 10. (John Kemmeter photo)

Portage County Gazette

By John Kemmeter

Led by an experienced group from last year’s team that won its second consecutive Wisconsin Valley Conference (WVC) Title, the Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH) girls golf team is aiming to repeat in the conference and contend for a trip to state this season.

The Panthers brought back three of their top golfers from a year ago, and have won both of their WVC Meets so far this season, after they finished with a total of 182 to beat Wausau West/East (184) at the Stevens Point Country Club Tuesday, Sept. 10.

“It’s hard not to feel confident in who we have coming back,” said senior Leah Earnest. “We all really like being around each other, it’s a great chemistry, and it’s fun to come to practice every day.”

“I have a solid senior group that’s leading the way, and a young player, Riley Pechinski, who’s fitting right in with them,” said SPASH girls golf head coach Mark Lesinski. “And hopefully with this senior leadership, we can break through and get to state.”

SPASH senior Abby Nickel taps in a putt during the WVC Leg at the Stevens Point Country Club Tuesday, Sept. 10. (John Kemmeter photo)

The Panthers lost a pair of All-WVC golfers from a year ago in Kaylee Hintz (First Team) and Kirsten Hill (Second Team), when the team finished with a total of 371 to place third at the New Richmond Sectional and just miss a trip to state behind New Richmond (358) and Onalaska (361).

Leading the returnees this season is two-time First Team All-WVC senior Abby Nickel, who qualified for state last year as an individual and earned co-medalist honors in the WVC, after she was the conference medalist as a sophomore.

Also back for the Panthers are two-time First Team All-WVC senior Ally Nickel, who finished fourth in the conference standings last year, and Earnest, who was First Team All-WVC last year after she placed third in the conference.

“Abby’s a leader, and she’s usually pretty solid,” said Lesinski. “Leah’s coming around, (her scores were) a little high at the beginning of the year, but now she’s shooting the numbers that I thought she would be able to shoot.

“And Ally’s a grinder, she has to work a little bit harder to shoot it in the 40s, but she finds a way to, which is good,” he said.

Breaking into SPASH’s lineup this year on varsity have been freshman Riley Pechinski and junior Megan Bonikowske, while Sadie Racine, Lexi Vrieze, Clare Viau, Bella Nimm and Sydney Grajikowski are also in the mix.

“Megan’s stepping up from JV last year, and she’s made big gains from last year to this year, which I’m pleased to see,” said Lesinski. “Riley’s a solid golfer, she’s pretty serious about golf, she played a lot of junior golf during the summer and she’s really a dedicated player.

“It’s a great group of girls to work with, we’re having fun working with them, and the seniors make it fun for the girls at practices,” he said. “They’re challenging each other at practice, which is good when we’re out on the course, and as the season goes on, I think it will work in the long run toward the tournament time.”

SPASH junior Megan Bonikowske watches her putt approach the hole during the WVC Leg at the Stevens Point Country Club Tuesday, Sept. 10. (John Kemmeter photo)

SPASH opened the conference season by finishing with a 166 at the WVC Leg #1 at Marshfield Country Club Aug. 29 to win the meet over Wausau West/East (191) and D.C. Everest (209), as Abby Nickel earned medalist honors with a 39, Pechinski was third with a 41, Earnest and Ally Nickel tied for fourth with 43s, and Bonikowske was sixth with a 46 to put each of the Panthers’ five golfers in the Top 6.

After Leg #2 was postponed due to rain Thursday, Sept. 5, SPASH hosted Leg #3 at the Stevens Point Country Club Tuesday, Sept. 10.

Abby Nickel and Earnest each shot a 44 to tie for third, while Ally Nickel and Pechinski tied for fifth with 47s, and Bonikowske tied for seventh with a 49, as SPASH finished with 182 to win the meet over Wausau (184), Wisconsin Rapids (212), Marshfield (220) and D.C. Everest (238).

“We placed all five on varsity for conference points, which is pretty good,” said Lesinski. “I’m happy all scores were in the 40s, but they were a little high in the 40s, all of these girls on my Top 5 are capable of 45 and less.

“We haven’t been out as much with the rain and the weather, so hopefully we can work on their game,” he said. “But overall, two firsts (in conference so far) is great. It’s a little close for comfort, two strokes, but we’ve got places we can improve.”

SPASH is scheduled to have four more meets in the conference season before it returns home to host WVC Leg #7 in the conference finale at the Stevens Point Country Club Wednesday, Sept. 25.

Last season, the Panthers won each of the seven legs to finish with 70 points and win the WVC Title for the second year in a row over Wausau West/East (48), D.C. Everest (37), Wisconsin Rapids (35) and Marshfield (20).

In the postseason, SPASH will compete in the WIAA Division 1 Regional at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids Oct. 2, while the Sectional will be at the Stevens Point Country Club Oct.8, where a trip to the State Meet will be on the line.

“A goal is to try doing a three-peat on conference, and I’m hoping we can get somebody as medalist of the conference,” said Lesinski. “It’s going to be tough, (last year’s co-medalist) Jasmine Yang of Wausau West is a pretty solid player, but they’re capable of doing it.

“At Regionals, we’re hoping to be one of the four teams going on, and we host Sectionals, so we’re hoping that with the home field, that will give us a little edge,” he said. “I don’t see why we can’t make it to state, but the girls have to show me and prove it.”