“I’ll definitely tell them how it is before we go so then they aren’t as nervous,” she said. “I’m just trying to make it fun for them. I’ll definitely be that person that’s hyping them up and making it fun.”
The Falcons had fun Wednesday at Heatherwoode Golf Club. They shot 351 to defeat Cincinnati Seven Hills, the only other state qualifier, by eight shots. Rush shot 82, sophomore Elizabeth Haas shot 87, junior Avery Roethlisberger shot 90, sophomore Emma Lowman shot 92 and sophomore Sophia King shot 97. Last year the Falcons almost made it three state appearances but lost the fifth-score tiebreaker.
Last year’s state champion Columbus Academy and runner-up Sugarcreek Garaway return their entire starting lineup. So Fenwick coach Scott Dalton is realistic about how difficult it will be to overtake either of those teams. Still, he believes his team can make a run at a top-three finish.
“They′re very confident,” he said. “We need to strut out on the course, and we’ve got to be full of confidence.”
Haas’ confidence, for one, is peaking. Ten days ago she shot 59 in a nine-hole match. She came back with nines of 45 and 42 Wednesday playing as the team’s No. 5 golfer.
“That’s stepping up,” Dalton said. “And all the girls stepped up.”
Dalton also took the 2020 team state and placed seventh. He said the most difficult part about playing at state is everything a team has to do before play begins. He’s put his team in highly competitive tournaments this season against a lot of Division I teams.
“It’s a routine up there,” he said. “You get more people there, and you got to be there on time and on point. You got to be at the driving range to practice on time. So all the little, tiny things, that’s going be the most pressure, to get there early, get your putts in, get to the driving range, and get used to the crowd.”
Rush will be ready to help her coach get the team ready. And she’s already talking positively.
“It’s a completely different team, but I love this team, and I loved that team,” she said. “It just feels amazing. And we’ve worked so hard, and we definitely earned it.”
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