A group of kids came together and became a team for the ages. Some knew each other, and some had never met. Yet somehow, after all the tough rounds and lengthy practices, this very same group of kids banded together. Now, leaving this team behind may be more sentimental than they thought it would be.
The Lakeland Hawks golf team played 14 rounds in their 2023 season. With coaches committed to the individual players, some students with little to no previous golfing experience could succeed.
Head coach Colleen Hall and assistant coach Brian Williams were strongly committed to helping players thrive. With early mornings and long days on the grass, the coaches never gave up throughout the whole learning process.
The team had a total of 31 golfers, made up of eight girls and 23 boys.
Some of their most memorable moments were when Kevin Slover scored an eagle (two under par) on the first hole at Prairie Falls. Also, senior Arlen Holdhal has hit some of the longest drives in all of North Idaho.
“I regret not joining sooner,” senior Kate Bishop said.
She recalls fun memories with her teammates and shares that the highlight of her season was getting fries to share with Aly, Lydia, and Bridget after a tough day of practice.
“Every player improved. Our varsity seniors (Emma Marshall, Julie Collins, Arlen Holdahl, and Tristan Chamness) all had their best tournaments this year,” Hall said.
Leaving behind a season, especially as a senior, can be a bittersweet experience. But all the seniors on the varsity team have reached their peak and executed personal growth.
Hall believes their best tournament was the Post Falls Invite at Prairie Falls.
“Our boys beat five other teams and had our lowest team score of the season (303), and Cannon Steckman took 1st place medalist honors,” said Hall.
Considering all tournaments have specific things about them that make them all good and bad, according to Hall, districts were their most disappointing. But she also believes they have learned from their mistakes and are better prepared for next year.
Both coaches enjoyed watching the players grow throughout the season. Even though the seniors are some of the team’s strongest players, the team is confident because they have lots of young golfers who will lead the team in the coming years. This was Hall’s first year coaching golf and likely not the last.
Checking off many goals this year, Cannon Steckman had a very amazing season. Alongside him, his teammates did very well. Some of these feats include winning a 1st place medal and scoring the team’s season low. The whole team supported one another through the good and bad times.
Junior Jake Jovick says the season was very fun and a phenomenal experience. Jovick’s best score was 76 at Prairie Falls.
“We all got along; we were all pretty close friends, so we worked well together,” said Jovick when asked how he and the team got along. His highlight of the season was making the varsity team.
Cannon Steckman also had an amazing season.
“The season was pretty solid; I won my first tournament at Prairie Falls and won my second at the Links,” said Steckman.
The most memorable part of Steckman’s season was winning at the Prairie Falls tournament and shooting 70.
The team helped each other at practices and kept positive mindsets throughout the season, leading to another year full of growth and victories for the Hawks.
