Despite graduating three seniors from last year’s varsity lineup, the Ankeny Centennial girls’ golf team still boasts plenty of depth.
There are 22 golfers on the roster, led by a trio of returning regulars in seniors Kate Geiselhart and Kaylee Sprecher and sophomore Cate Trewet.
“We are very deep,” said Centennial coach John Petersen. “We have a couple of girls that have shown the ability to shoot in the 70s and low 80s. We have several players that can shoot in the 80s and 90s. If we can get four girls to play bogey golf–an average of 90 or better–we will be very competitive.”
Centennial posted a 6-2 record in the CIML Conference last season. The Jaguars also placed third at the conference meet.
Geiselhart placed third on the team with a 50.4 average. She shot a two-day total of 187 to place 20th at the conference meet.
Trewet was the squad’s No. 4 golfer with a 51.0 average. She placed fifth with a 47 in a triangular meet at Briarwood Golf Club, where she helped her team to wins over Valley and Urbandale.
Trewet later carded a 93 to place ninth in a Class 4A regional meet at Veenker Golf Course in Ames. She helped the Jaguars to a third-place finish.
Sprecher, meanwhile, was sixth on the team with a 53.2 average. She fired a 46 in a triangular meet at Copper Creek.
Petersen will have to replace three-time state qualifier Payton Drefke. She graduated along with Brooke Ridout and Sophia Wilson.
Drefke won the individual conference title by nine strokes and went on to tie for 16th place in Class 4A. She is now playing for Augustana University (S.D.).
Still, Petersen is excited about his team’s potential.
“Our goals always start with daily improvement, great attitudes and having fun!” he said. “We also have the competitive goals of getting to and winning the state tournament. I feel like we can shoot scores in the 340-360 range, which would be fantastic team scores.”
The Jaguars will open the season on April 14 by hosting the Centennial Invitational at Briarwood. They placed fifth at last year’s meet.
