The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Looking for a trip to Columbus
Paighton Masterson and the Avon Lake Shoregals are determined to qualify for state tournament
Paighton Masterson has enjoyed a summer traveling to some of the top tournaments in Ohio, but now the junior and her Avon Lake teammates have one goal — get back to districts.
With Masterson leading the way, posting a 37.5 nine-hole average in 2016, the Shoregals are poised to take the Southwestern Conference title for the second year in a row, but that’s not enough for a team still reeling from an early postseason exit last year.
“We were very upset that we didn’t get to go to states last year, so I think we’ve been hoping to go out and practice more,” Masterson said. “Last season kind of set us off and I think we’re going to work harder than we did last year to get there.”
“They were heartbroken that individuals didn’t move on and that the team didn’t move on,” Coach Krystine Frisch added.
In 2016, the Shoregals went undefeated in the regular season in addition to claiming the SWC title, and with Masterson — the
reigning SWC MVP and 2016 Morning Journal girls Golfer of the Year — and a handful of juniors returning, Frisch is encouraged, to
say the least.
“I know we have three solid scores,” Frisch said. “If we can get that fourth, maybe we can get past districts
which is obviously a goal of ours.”
While the team is focused on winning, Frisch said she’s making sure the
Shoregals have a little fun, too.
With such a short season, the third-year coach is hoping to emphasize team bonding more than last year to give the girls the experience they deserve.
“I always set the expectations high,” Frisch said. “It would be nice to win the conference again but I know we have a lot of competition this year, so I’m just hoping they improve from where they were last year — improve on the skills they have, improve on their scores, and honestly enjoy the season. I mean, it’s such a short season and we want to do some team bonding so they have a fun season, too. It’s not all score-driven. We want them to have a good experience, too.”
The Shoregals are on the right track, kicking off the season with a win at the SWC preview event Aug. 14 and a 163-205 victory in their first match against Avon Aug. 17.
But nevertheless, the team has its sights firmly set on a state tournament berth with the extra hours on the course to prove it.
“I think we’d love to go undefeated again as a team, go to districts and maybe even states,” Masterson said. “I would love to go to states. That’s probably my biggest goal right now.”