Tuscarawas Valley Trojans

The 2017 season brought a sense of excitement as Tusky Valley fielded a girls’ golf team for the first time since 2009. During the 2016 season two girls, Abbey Dillon and Olivia Galigher, had golfed as members of the boys’ golf team. However, this year they were joined by senior Boston McKinney, sophomore Taylor Galigher and freshmen Sydney Clements, Keegan Selinsky and Megan Engstrom to form a girls’ golf team.

For Dillon and Galigher the chance to play with girls made a huge difference both competitively and socially. “The best part of having a girls' team this year was being able to play competitively against the teams and individuals,” noted Galigher. “My favorite part was that girls actually talk to you,” said Dillon. “The boys never talked to me and I never really felt like I fit in.”

While the girls were excited to have a team they faced quite the challenge as Tusky Valley’s move to the IVC meant the girls would face several schools such as Garaway, Strasburg, Malvern, Sandy Valley and Ridgewood that had had girls teams for several years. However, the Trojans showed right away that they would not be intimidated as they placed second at the IVC Preseason Invitational to kick off the season.

After a strong start the girls inexperience began to show as they placed a disappointing ninth at the Tri-County Tournament and lost three of their first four dual matches.

The Trojans would steady themselves and win three of four to set up a match with perennial league heavyweight Garaway on August 28th at Wilkshire Golf Course. The match turned out to be a humbling experience for the girls as the Pirates placed three girls in the 30s and easily defeated the Trojans by 37 strokes.

After another tough loss to Indian Valley, the girls found their groove as they won eight of their next nine matches including setting a school record for low team score with a 176 vs. Sandy Valley on September 13th.

The Trojans final regular season match was once again vs. Garaway on September 20th. This time the girls played much better as they shot a 177, just one shot shy of their own school record. While it wasn’t enough to knock off the state-bound Pirates, the girls gained 21 strokes on Garaway from the first time they met.

After finishing the regular season with a dual match record of 12-8 and placing second in the IVC final standings, the girls entered tournament play of qualifying for the district tournament for just the second time in school history.

As the girls prepared for sectional play, the team got to experience a moment that most golfers never get to enjoy. “My most memorable moment from the 2017 season was my hole-in-one during a practice round for sectionals,” recalled Olivia Galigher. “That is a moment I will never forget!” Galigher had aced the downhill 250-yard par 4 four fourteenth hole while playing a practice round with her dad Ed, sister Taylor, Abbey Dillon and Abbey’s father Shawn.

The girls would add to the memories when they shot a school record 18 hole score of 359 to place fourth in the sectional tournament and qualify for the districts for just the second time in school history. “The most memorable moment with the team was when we found out we were going to districts,” said freshman Sydney Clements who led the Trojans with an 89. “That was our goal throughout the whole year and being able to accomplish that made all the hard work worth it.” Sophomore Abbey Dillon shared Clements’ thoughts. “Moving on the districts was my most memorable moment, because I was so happy for my teammates all shooting their career lows and pulling through for our team,” Noted Dillon. “This met our goal that we set at the beginning of the season.”

The Trojans advanced to the District Tournament for only the second time in girls' golf history.

The girls failed to advance out of districts as they placed fifth but the season was a huge success. “The most important factor in having the success we did this season was that we all wanted to succeed (like play competitively against Garaway and qualify for districts as a team)”, said Olivia Galigher. “We worked really hard during practice and had good mental attitudes to make those goals reality.”

Olivia Galigher - I would summarize the 2017 season as a successful first year full of learning, fun, and growth.

Abbey Dillon - I would summarize our season as a success. We exceeded all expectations and made it to districts our first time as a team.

Taylor Galigher - The 2017 golf season was a season filled with fun, laughter, and growth as we achieved, and even exceeded, our expectations.

Sydney Clements - Even though golf is an individual sport, not one of us could have moved on without the team. We took amazing steps in improving our game, which allowed for us to compete as a team in many of the postseason tournaments. The whole entire season completely exceeded my expectations, and made me realize that with hard work and teamwork anything is possible.

Keegan Selinsky - The 2017 season was full of laughs and wins and loses. All of which were done by the best team ever.

Olivia Galigher - The team's biggest strength was the ability for all of us to shoot low, good scores. The biggest weakness is that no one was consistent throughout the entire season.

Abbey Dillon - Our biggest strength is friendship and encouragement. Golf is a team sport, however it is also very independent because each girl has to provide our own score. We were very good as a team encouraging one another and keeping a positive attitude. Our biggest weakness is staying focused. We like to have a lot of fun and a lot of laughs.

Taylor Galigher - Our biggest weakness is how young we are. A lot of our team was just starting to play golf and didn't have much experience. Our biggest strength is that we all wanted to be there, and we all wanted to become better golfers.

Sydney Clements - The biggest strength of the golf team was the ability to connect and play as a team. While our biggest weakness would be the fact that we were inexperienced and the majority of our golfers had just started.

Keegan Selinsky - Our biggest strength was how young our team is and how close we are. Our biggest weakness was that our scores differed every week.

What was your most memorable moment from the 2017 season (on or off the course)?

Olivia Galigher - My most memorable moment from the 2017 season was my hole-in-one during a practice round for sectionals! That is a moment I will never forget!

Abbey Dillon - Moving on the districts was my most memorable moment, because i was so happy for my teammates all shooting their career lows and pulling through for our team. This met our goal that us girls set at the beginning of the season.

Taylor Galigher - My most memorable moment from the 2017 golf season was watching and supporting the top five girls on the team have their hard work pay off and advance to districts. Even though, I did not get the opportunity to play with them, I loved being there to support them and go on the journey to districts with them.

Sydney Clements - The most memorable moment with the team was when we found out we were going to districts. That was our goal throughout the whole year, and being able to accomplish that made all the hard work worth it.

Keegan Selinsky - One bus ride to the match Boston and I were putting goldfish in people's hair and it took them so long to notice. Also, she was throwing goldfish into people's mouth. It was a great ride.

Olivia Galigher - The best thing about being a member of this year's team was my teammates. All of us got along so well and had a ton of fun while we grew as golfers.

Abbey Dillon - The best thing about being a member of this team is sharing all the memories and laughs we had throughout the season. I love my teammates more than life and i loved having a girls team with them this year.

Taylor Galigher - The best thing about being a member of this year's team was the friendships that came out of it.

Sydney Clements - The best part about being on the girls golf team was not the fact that we had a good first season, it was that we all became really good friends through the whole process. I always knew that they had my back whether I was playing good or not, which really made the year special.

What was the most important factor in having the success you did this season?

Olivia Galigher - The most important factor in having the success we did this season was that we all wanted to succeed (like play competitively against Garaway and qualify for districts as a team) and we worked really hard during practice and had good mental attitudes to make those goals reality.

Abbey Dillon - The two most important factors in my success this season was my dad teaching me everything I know and my teammates endless support.

Taylor Galigher - The most important factor in having success was being willing to practice to get better.

Sydney Clements - The most important factor in having the success we did was the ability to work as a team through all of our tournaments. I realize it's not a team sport, but not one of us could have done what we did by ourselves

Keegan Selinsky - Make sure to keep calm and always focus on the hole your on, not the next one or the one you just finished.

Olivia Galigher - I think that a golfer must have the right mindset and attitude while golfing. If you have a bad shot, bad hole, bad round, or even bad week, you can't let it affect you or your game.

Abbey Dillon - You have to have a strong mental game and not get frustrated when things do not go your way. That is the hardest part of golf.

Taylor Galigher - One quality a golfer must have to achieve success is patience.

Sydney Clements - One quality I feel a golfer needs is patience. Golf is one of those sports that you need a lot of practice as well as a level head to play. You can't get irritated or frazzled because it all goes downhill if you do.

Olivia Galigher - My favorite part about playing golf is seeing the growth and improvement in myself. It is exciting when you have low rounds, great holes, and a great team performance after you have been working really hard.

Abbey Dillon - I love playing golf because you get to meet so many great people. Plus I love my teammates and love going out and playing with them. Also, when you aren't competing it's very calming.

Taylor Galigher - My favorite part about playing golf is that is a way to stay active in the fall, and it allows me to spend time with some of the people that have become some of my closest friends.

Sydney Clements - My favorite part about playing golf is that you don't have to be flexible, strong, or fast in order to compete in it. You just have to put in a lot of work and set goals, and you can accomplish amazing things in it.

Olivia Galigher - My favorite course to play on this season was Carroll Meadows because of the memories associated with it. It is where I had my hole-in-one, shot my best round (9 hole & 18 hole) and where the team placed fourth at sectionals to qualify for districts.

Abbey Dillon - My favorite course to play is Willandale because I had my career low of 38 at that course. Plus one of my favorite girls to play with goes to Garaway and they play at Willandale.

Taylor Galigher - My favorite course to play on this season was Cambridge Country Club because the course was in really good shape, and I really liked the way it was arranged (if you are riding). The course was hilly, and had many different types of holes.

Sydney Clements - My favorite course to play on was Carroll Meadows because it was the course that we played for sectionals as well as the course that allowed us to move onto districts.

Keegan Selinsky - I liked Wilkshire because we played that course the most. I also liked Indian Valley's course.

What was the best part about having a girls’ team this year instead of having to play on the boys’ team?

Olivia Galigher - The best part of having a girls' team this year was being able to play competitively against the teams and individuals. Also, girls talk a lot more and we have some pretty great memories from this season!

Abbey Dillon - My favorite part was that girls actually talk to you!! The boys never talked to me and I never really felt like I fit in. I never got to share the laughs and the memories I got from the past season with the boys like I did this year. All in all, girls are way better!