Dragons start off season with team, individual win at Wray Invite

It took a while, but golf season has started for the Holyoke girls golf team.

And what a start it was.

The Dragons won the team title at the Wray Invite, behind a first-place finish by senior Emma Thompson.

Holyoke finished seven strokes ahead of the hosts, 301-308. Third place Limon was 17 strokes back.

Thompson had a personal best score of 77 and needed every stroke she could get to hold off Akron’s Kendall Velder’s 80.

Head Coach Nick Flaa was enthusiastic about Thompson’s day.

“Emma is hitting the ball hard off of the tee box and was able to play with some great finesse around the greens. Her wedge play and putting today may have been the best I’ve seen from her to date,” Flaa said, adding that a couple approach shots with her iron play and a few more accurate ones off the tee would have had Thompson flirting with the Par 70 course quite easily. 

Senior Erin Andersen finished the day in 10th place with a score of 106. Andersen shot 57 over her first nine holes and knocked off eight strokes her second time through. 

In their first varsity competition, senior Jimena Nuñez and junior Megan Walker each shot 118 to finish at the middle of the pack. Walker finished with the second nine holes well, lowering her score by four strokes compared to the first nine holes.

Flaa said it was an obviously a strong showing from Thompson, but the Dragons also great contributions from Andersen, Nuñez and Walker.

“You couldn’t draw up a better start,” Flaa said.

Flaa complimented the four freshmen who were JV for their first high school tournament.

Emma Henry, Rozlynn Crossland, Roslynne Doorn and Gracelyn Bahnsen had an awesome day, Flaa said, adding it was good for them to see how a tournament works and to get those jitters out of the way.