For the past couple of years, the Lansing girls golf team has made it a habit of earning postseason hardware and seeing multiple golfers take part on the big stage. This season was no exception.
For the third straight year, the Bobcats captured the Section IV title, doing so on May 28 at Soaring Eagles Golf Course in Horseheads. The championship came right down to the wire, but the Bobcats fended off Corning by just two strokes. While golf can be an individual sport in many regards, head coach Kelly Baughan knew it would take a full team effort to complete the three-peat.
“At that point in time, every score is counting,” Baughan said. “For everybody, I think [the message was] just to finish strong and try their best, and that’s all I said going into it. I said, ‘Every shot matters, don’t give up, and have a good attitude.’ It paid off.”
This recent triumph did not come without its fair share of adversity. The Bobcats were down one of their top golfers for most of the season in Miley Palmer. They also came up short at the IAC championships, falling to Marathon by nine strokes and ending their five-year winning streak in the competition. But at sectionals, Lansing stepped up its game and was able to extend its season into states.
“I think I always have my core group that consistently plays well,” Baughan said. “But to throw Harper Ivery in who’s new to golf and how much she improved and enjoyed being part of the team, and then Emily [Lombardi] growing, I think those two were also key to the success.”
Lombardi was one of four golfers who took part in the state championships from June 6-8 at Wild Wood Country Club in Rush. Hailey Baughan was their most experienced golfer at states, making her fifth career trip after placing fourth at sectionals. She had her best-ever finish at states finishing tied for 22nd. Add in a fourth consecutive IAC individual title, and it’s been quite the career for Baughan, who will continue golfing and playing hockey at St. John Fisher. For her coach and mother, it was an unforgettable past six years out on the course.
“Having the opportunity to walk the fairways with her and hang out with her friends and help all of them [was special],” Baughan said. “They’re such a great group of girls. I’m so grateful that I was a part of all of it. Most of the parents are on the sidelines, not getting to be in the van with them, and the van rides are always so much fun. To be able to spend that time with her and her friends is something I’ll always remember.”
Alessandra Monacelli is the Bobcats’ other senior, and she too was able to cap off her career on a high note. Monacelli took the ninth and final spot for Section IV’s qualifying team to make her second appearance at states.
“She was always a consistent contributor to the team,” Baughan said. “I think that she will have from this experience the confidence to go out and play wherever she might want to play, whether it helps her in business later on or just to go out for fun. She’s grown so much as a person and a player, and I’m extremely proud of her.”
As the Bobcats say goodbye to Baughan and Monacelli, they will return most of their squad for next year, including two state qualifiers. Farren Snyder placed seventh at sectionals as the junior qualified for states for the second time. Emily Lombardi was the youngest golfer for Lansing at states, as the sophomore was able to qualify for the first time as part of the team competition.
“Farren brings that positive energy, always looking on the bright side of things,” Baughan said. “Her 95 score at sectionals was probably the highlight, and then playing at states and doing what she could do was awesome.”
“Emily’s grown so much throughout the season,” Baughan continued. “Her swing has totally changed, and we’ll continue to work on that next year. For her to just have the experience—I think she probably played in every match—and just continuing to improve her swing experience, I can count on her in the future years.”
Since the state championships span three days—the first day for a practice round, the second for the first round, and the third for the final round—it’s a different beast than their usual matches during the regular season and even the postseason. It will be a valuable experience for Snyder and Lombardi as the Bobcats aim to make their presence at states to continue being a consistent one.
“I try to just tell them that you have a lot of downtime in between shots, but when it’s your turn to hit, make sure you’re taking your pre-shot routine, make sure you’re taking good practice swings, and continue to think positive,” Baughan said.
