Liberty’s Frick finishes in top 2 at high school national invite
After three years chasing a state title, Peoria Liberty High senior Mattie Frick shot 151 to secure the golf bag at the 2020 Arizona D1 Golf State Championship last fall.
“I have been going after that for three years now,” Frick said. “I know the Arizona golf competition is really good and anyone could go low on any day.”
Her success excels further than at the state level. Recently, Frick competed in the girls 2021 National High School Golf Invitational at Pinehurst Resort, North Carolina on June 23-25. She shot evenpar 216 to place as runner up, just one stroke shy of Chloe Johnson (Evansville North High, Indiana) to claim a national title.
Frick said that she knew that if she played the game as well as knew she could, she would be at the top. Her goals for the national tournament were to shoot even, place in the top three, and play her best.
Check, check, and check.
During her practice rounds, a lot of her focus was dedicated to working out of the bunkers and rolling different putts to adjust to the texture of the rough because it will “make or break a round on how well your short game is.”
“I was really excited that I was able to do that well. In the end, to be 100% honest, I was a little frustrated because looking back on the last three days there were one or two strokes that I gave away and could’ve had the title,” Frick said. “In the end, I was super proud of myself for how well I did, especially after being seven strokes back from the first day.”
Because of COVID-19, the recruiting process has stagnated for Frick, but she hopes that she will be committed to a university by the end of the year. Comfortably sitting at the top of her class adds to the appeal factor she brings for her top three choices: Furman University, University of Illinois, and Virginia Tech.
Liberty High head coach Kyle Pooler said that it has been so fun to coach Frick, even though following her national invitational scorecard was arduous for him.
“I was pacing around the house waiting for the latest update and my wife kept saying you have to calm down there is nothing you can do from here,” Pooler said. “Mattie is not only a great golfer, but an excellent student, and even a better person. I am so excited for her and can’t wait to see what the future holds for her, because she is going to make some waves.”