Montague's move up to Division 3 this year in girls golf may make the competition tougher on the Wildcats, but the team is undaunted and expects to score impressively all year long.
The 'Cats, fourth in the state in Division 4 last year, have been bumped to D-3 due to enrollment numbers across the sport. Interestingly, two of the three teams that finished ahead of Montague - champion NorthPointe Christian and runner-up Lansing Catholic - also made the same jump. Combine that with three-time D-3 champion Grand Rapids Catholic Central and the presence of programs like Sparta and West Michigan Conference competitors like Whitehall and Ludington, and Montague, now one of the smallest programs in its division, will be jumping into the deep end of the metaphorical golf pool.
"It doesn't make us a state championship or bust program as we move into Division 3," Montague coach Phil Kerr said. "I'd say our goal is to make the state finals. We were in Division 3 one other year and didn't make it, so our No. 1 goal is to make the Division 3 finals and play up there with some of those bigger schools."
It's a reasonable goal for Montague, which returns four of its top five players from a year ago. All-state performer Cadence Fox graduated and now plays at Northern Michigan University, but a trio of seniors are ready to propel the team forward. Addi Smith, who was all-state honorable mention last year, is a natural fit to move into the No. 1 lineup position, but it's expected that fellow seniors Brynlee Kessler and Molly Mulder won't be far behind after impressive offseasons of work. Junior Marguerite O'Connell, armed with a new set of clubs after her set was stolen during last fall's state finals meet, is also expected to perform well. Whoever the No. 4 is of that group will be among the better No. 4s in the state.
The first full offseason with the program's new Will Kari Golf Room has already gotten results, Kerr said. Kessler shot in the 80s throughout the Greater Muskegon Junior Tour season and Mulder and O'Connell have both improved in their consistency. A promising group of freshmen is on the way, too, and will have the luxury of developing on the JV team to start their careers while the Wildcat varsity players pursue a state finals spot. Some of those younger players might make varsity appearances later in the season depending on how they perform.
The Wildcats, as is typical, face a very challenging early schedule, starting right where last season ended - at Katke Golf Course, which hosts the Big Rapids Invitational Friday. Less than a week later, Montague will be at a two-day tournament at the imposing Crystal Mountain courses.
"The first three days of competitions, the scores won't necessarily show what his team can do in October because we are starting with some big courses," Kerr said. "We may not do that all the time in future years with a younger team because there's a danger in beating them down too early, but this group is ready for the challenge."
Invitationals at Whitehall, Ludington and Montague's home course of Old Channel Trail will also sharpen the team up, as will another trip to Katke to close the regular season. Katke will host the D-3 finals, too, so Montague will be as familiar with that course as any team if it plays at state.
There's been a change in the WMC that will affect the Wildcat season. Enough WMC schools now play girls golf that the league has split into six-team Lakes and Rivers divisions, mirroring most other sports. That will add another layer of competition to the Montague season. Kerr expects Whitehall and Ludington in particular to be big obstacles for his team as it battles for a conference title. The WMC is now playing nine-hole conference jamborees instead of 18, giving those meets a different feel.
"It's a sprint instead of a marathon now," Kerr said. "We pushed hard to keep it at 18 because, in my opinion, it prepares you better for postseason play, but it is what it is. We're going to try and adapt and try and defend our title."
