Update:  https://www.postandcourier.com/sports/highschool/academic-magnet-all-lowcountry-girls-golf/article_87d92ec4-9aa3-11ee-afcb-e7b8dde0bbdd.html

With three matches and a tournament under their belt, the girls golf team breaks in with a strong start to their season. After winning against Philip Simmons on September 18th, Captain Maryn Tombs says she is feeling confident about upcoming matches and is hoping to defend their two-year-running region title. Their coach, Mr. Stackhouse, agrees, saying his goal for the season is to make it to the State Championship Tournament. So far, the team has lost to Oceanside, tied Bishop England, and come 12th out of 20 teams in the Rivertowne Tournament. At that tournament, junior Akiera Sanchez was the overall winner, shooting a 73 and tying a Lucy Beckham girl leading to a two hole playoff. The girls replayed the 18th hole and while the other girl had a par and a bogey, Akiera came out on top with two pars. Akiera was the 2nd place Individual State Champion in 2A last year, and this is a fantastic start to another impressive season. Although there was some disapointment among the girls at losing to Oceanside, they will play them again later in the season and there is a strong hope for a win, especially due to beating them last year. They will also get a rematch against Bishop England later in the season and Maryn reports that she is confident that they will prevail. As Coach Stackhouse said, “the season is progressing nicely.” With seven more matches to go plus state, the season is just getting started and looking strong so far.

Aside from Maryn and Akiera, the team boasts two other members: Grace Griffen, a junior, and Logan Taylor, a freshman. This is their smallest team in years, but it has led to them becoming very tight-knit, often carpooling to out of town meets and bonding on the drive. Maryn recalls one far-away meet in Sheraw, South Carolina her sophomore year. It was the state meet, and it was held in a state national park. Akiera brought her three dogs to cheer her on. The team all stayed together in a motel near the course, and when Maryn pulled back the sheets on her bed, she discovered it was full of frogs! This ridiculous event brought the team even closer as they laughed about it together on the eve of state. Maryn remembers still chuckling on the course the next day. Akiera also has fond memories of this meet, saying she loved spending the night talking with the other girls. She says she sorely misses class of 2023 Courtney Sharp, last year’s captain and a kind leader. Akiera also added that she enjoys having a small team because it allows the girls to become friends and help eachother out without worrying about who will get to play at matches. She reports that larger teams normally have schools that are more sports-oriented and there is a strict hierarchy within their golf teams – skipping practice will lead to being bumped down the roster and being unable to play in upcoming tournaments. The more relaxed style of the Magnet team leads to greater team work and team spirit, something that Akiera credits to the improvement of her golf skills over the past four years. She did not run out of good things to say about her teammates and the team as a whole, a testament to how close this team has become.

However, Akiera does acknowledge the disadvantages that come with being such a small team. For example, in golf matches, of all the girls who compete, only the top four’s scores count. On other teams there is more room for error because if someone is not playing their best, it is likely that one of her teammates will pick up the slack and that girl’s score will not count for the team. However, with a team with the minimum amount of players possible for a team, there is more pressure because the score is less forgiving. Furthermore, it also becomes that much more important for everyone to show up for matches; one absence means there is not a team.

Thinking back on her nine years playing golf, Akiera shared some of the highlights. She said the best part of playing golf is that feeling when you know you have hit a good shot. While she does have big goals like advancing the team past the state tournament, she confided that the true goal of golf is attaining that “perfect shot” feeling. She says once she hits a good shot, she holds that feeling in the back of her mind throughout the match and onto practice for the rest of the week. Hopeful to play in college, Akira says that coming to Magnet has forced her to take golf and time management more seriously. Her parents have told her that if her grades slip, then she will have to cut back on golfing, something Akiera refuses to do. Her biggest tip is to plan out the week with specific time alloted for academics and athletics. She shared that when activities take more time than she planned, she can become stressed and it may lead to anxiety. Best to stay on schedule! For any new girls thinking about trying golf, Akiera advised that “golf is not a sport of perfection and it’s important to stay patient. Don’t be too harsh on yourself!”

Overall, the girls golf team has built a strong foundation of community and have dependable leaders in Coach Stackhouse and Maryn Tombs. They have had a solid start to the season and are hungry for future challenges and opportunities to show their growth. Their victory against Phillips Simmons and their confidence in a Bishop England or Oceanside rematch are indicators of an exciting season ahead. Despite already having proven themselves as last year’s region champs, they have come back even stronger and are ready to tackle not only region, but also state and beyond.