Girls’ Golf Team Makes History with Regional Qualification

The girls’ golf team at Olympic Heights reached the fabulous milestone of qualifying for regionals for the first time in the school’s history. Led by varsity head coach Vanessa Koher, the team displayed great devotion, teamwork, and a solid work ethic in setting a new benchmark of success for the program. After placing 4th out of six teams at the FHSAA 3A District 13 Tournament at Southwinds Golf Course on Oct. 28, the OH girls’ golf team received an at-large bid to qualify for the FHSAA 3A Region 4 Tournament at The Park on Nov. 4.   

Coach Koher, who has been the varsity girls’ golf coach since 2018, reflected on this year’s historic season, with her mind focused on the determined and growing team. “The girls had their lowest team score for my time as the golf coach in that very first match of the season,” she recalled. “Angelika Ratoviz even got a birdie during that match, and I remember thinking it was going to be a great year.”

The team’s journey to regionals has been particularly meaningful, as golf at OH has mostly flown under the radar. “It feels incredible,” said Koher. “Golf doesn’t get much attention, so making school history is something to be celebrated. Even though I’ve taken three individual golfers to regionals in the past, it was special for the entire team to experience this together.”

The girls’ golf team has worked hard throughout the season, according to golfer Sarah Bilsky.  “We push each other to do our best and not give up,” Bilsky commented.  Golfer Angelika Ratoviz echoed the sentiment: “We support each other!”

A Season of Growth and Teamwork

One of the key areas of success this year was team captain Gwendolyn Rogers, who showed a lot of improvement from last season. Koher said that Rogers took 24 strokes off of her 18-hole score from last year’s district score. “She knows all the rules, helps her teammates, and practices a lot during the off-season,” Koher shared.

Another major contributor was Alexa Gleichenhaus, who was new to the team and has natural talent.  “She earned many pars and even got a birdie at one of the last matches,” Koher said. Bilsky, who played consistently through the season, and Ratoviz, with her athleticism and bubbly personality, rounded out the team to keep morale high; each golfer was instrumental in this winning team performance.

The friendship among the girls contributed much to the successes they had this year. “Even though it’s mostly an individual sport, the camaraderie from the teammates bolsters morale,” Koher said. “I can tell the girls really get along and are friends on and off the course.”  

As if making school history wasn’t enough, the girls’ golf team had the highest team GPA (3.718) out of all the fall sports at OH, truly highlighting the talent of the 2024 girls’ golf team.

Boys’ Golf Team Highlights

Throughout the fall season, the boys’ golf team had quite a season, improving little by little each match because of the mentorship given to them by varsity head coach Corey Musser. “The team’s journey can be described by the urge to always do better,” Musser reflected. “Golf is a tough sport where tiny improvements take a really long time and practice.” The boys did much of their practice focusing on mock match situations, often with the aim of building their confidence for high-pressure moments of play. “There needs to be a continual effort to increase personal confidence so one can rise to the occasion in pressure-packed situations,” Musser explained.  Sophomore Mason Udell mirrored this concept.  “This season, I learned the importance of teamwork and persistence from both my teammates and coach,” Udell expressed. 

After competing as a team at the FHSAA 3A District 13 tournament at The Links on Oct. 29, Evan Koslow and Mason Udell qualified as individuals for the FHSAA 3A Region 4 Tournament at The Park on Nov. 4.  This was particularly noteworthy because last year only one boy qualified for regionals, and this year two golfers advanced.  

A Bright Future for Golf at OH

The girls’ historic regional qualification and spurts of growth by the boys are testaments to how strong this sport is at OH. The serious players will be supportive of teammates, and with great coaches, this program will be in a position to inspire many young athletes. 

“This season and the last four years have been an amazing experience from me, and I am sure that Coach Musser will continue to grow the golf team for years to come,” remarked senior Jacob Bockstein.