The Norwalk girls golf team enters the 2024 season with 19 players on the roster, including five out of six varsity golfers from the end of last year.
Head coach Steve Wermerskirchen says that the Warriors are excited for their April 1 season opener and looking for consistent improvement throughout the spring. Norwalk ranked near the middle of the Class 4A pack in terms of scoring average last season, and Wermerskirchen says that the girls have already been knocking strokes off their individual averages during recent practice rounds.
“I look for good things,” he said. “We’re going to be better. How much better? Well, that’s all about the girls – how much they work and get better at the short game, which is where it’s all at. I’ll tell you what, though. They’re very motivated… They all want to get better.”
Returning varsity players include senior Calissa O’Connor, juniors Ava Garvey, Lydia Krueger and Allie Soukup, and sophomore Addie Smith. Garvey led the group with an 18-hole average of 105.2 last season and a nine-hole average of 51.6, according to gobound.com. Also competing for varsity spots are junior Mariola Torro Abad, who missed last season due to injury, as well as sophomore Lillian Garvey and freshman Evelyn Kinney.
Wermerskirchen says that Warrior golfers have impressed him so far by their willingness to tabulate their own stats during a practice round – including total putts – and understanding the significance and what they need to work on. The Norwalk head coach adds that the goals and expectations for the season are all about consistently improving in the three main elements of golf: hitting off the tee, approach shots and the short game of chipping and putting. He says that if each player can improve in those areas – one stroke at a time, one hole at a time – better scores will follow.
Norwalk opens the season April 1 in the Waukee Northwest Invitational, which will be played at The Legacy Golf Club in Norwalk. The Warriors will face a tougher schedule this spring, competing in 10 18-hole tournaments.