Chiefs girls ready to tee off in 2011

MOSES LAKE - It takes time to build any kind of sports program and Lonny Brown may be on to something.

The Moses Lake Chiefs girls golf coach who enters his 10th season, returns six veterans from a team that finished seventh out of 15 teams at last year's Columbia Basin Big 9 district tournament.

"That was the best finish for our team that I can remember," Brown said.

Now with his top three scorers back - senior Jacy Jones and juniors Kristi Brown and Vannessa Goodwin - things are looking up toward a continuation of this recent string of solid play on the links.

"Our team goal for this year is to be in the top four of our league," coach Brown said. "To accomplish this, our returning lettermen are going to have to lead the way.  We have set individual goals for Vanessa to score under 90, and for Jacy and Kristi  to score under 100, consistently.  If these girls can do this and we can get one or two of our younger girls to continue to improve over the season, we might just get there."

The team has three other returnees in junior Hannah Kersey and sophomores Teya Sandmann and Katrina Ulnick. Lonny Brown will also have a large group of a half-dozen newcomers, including five freshmen, to assess and see if they can provide some low scores as well.

For now Jones' leadership will be one of the keys to keep the team moving forward.

"Jacy has been a big part of the girl's recent success in climbing the league ladder by showing her commitment to improving each and every year," Lonny Brown said. "When she started four years ago, she was a brand new golfer.  With lots of hard work she has now become one the league's top 25 golfers.  She is also a great leader of the younger players."

Goodwin has become a top scorer thanks in part of plenty of golfing in her background and a lot more hard work.

"Vannessa is one of the few girls that joined the program with a golfing background," her coach said.  "She plays all year round and it has shown as she has improved each and every year.  Her goal this year is score consistently in the 80's and give herself a chance to qualify for the state tournament.  She is another player that has shown a great amount of dedication to the game."

Coach Brown's daughter, Kristi, could also provide some big moments this season.

"Kristi Brown is now a two-year varsity letterman and shows very good leadership to the team with a great attitude about all things," coach Brown said. "She is working on improving her game with a goal of getting in the top 25 players in the league.   If she continues to practice hard, she could get there."

Yet, for Moses Lake to progress forward as a whole, all team members have plenty of work left to do.

"Our goal this year is to improve our short game -100 yards and in - since this is the place where most golf shots occur," Lonny Brown said. "We spend 45 minutes to an hour each and every day hitting pitch shots, chip shots, and putting.   If we can become more efficient from this distance, the player's score will improve dramatically.  Already in just one week of practice I am seeing improvement with this part of the game.  But we have a long ways to go.  That's the one thing about golf, there is no such thing as being perfect.  There is always room for improvement."

MOSES LAKE 

CHIEFS (4A)

Head coach: Lonny Brown (10th year)

2010  overall record:  N/A

2010 league record: 10th place

2010 postseason: Seventh at Districts

Number of returnees: Six

ROSTER: SENIOR - Jacy Jones; JUNIORS - Kristi Brown, Vanessa Goodwin, and Alyssa Raynovich; SOPHOMORES - Teya Sandmann and Katrina Ulnick; FRESHMEN - Cassidy Calder, Emily Dennis, Madisyn Lybbert, Kaitlyn Stevens, and Terrin Utter.