Girls? golf not focused on state pressure

In 2015, the Demons couldn?t have asked for a better end to the season.

Washington swept the individual and team titles at the Class 4A girls? golf meet a season ago, and now they have a chance to repeat that feat with some new faces on the squad.

However, with everyone eyeing the returning champs as the team to beat, the Demons aren?t worried about it.

?We haven?t talked much about it,? Washington girls? golf head coach Leonard Kull said. ?My point is that the secret is going to be to just feel at home and be happy to be there. The most stressful tournament is the one we just had. That?s the one where the season could be over. The season is going to be over (no matter what after state), and we don?t have to worry about qualifying.?

With the regional meet done, the Demons seem to have relaxed, using a second-place finish at Grinnell to punch their ticket to state.

?During regionals, I think we all kind of let it get to us that everyone was expecting us to go to state, so we didn?t do too well in our first round of regionals,? Demon sophomore Megan Strabala said. ?It?s pressure having everyone expect us to go, but we try not to let it get to us, and just play our best.?

Sarah Nacos, who claimed the Class 4A individual title as a freshman, will also have added pressure on her, as she will look to head a field of strong competitors next week.

?I don?t feel a ton of pressure,? Nacos said. ?My expectation for myself is to go out and play my best. If I do that, it should be good enough. I?m trying to think of the next shot. Expectations are high, and if I focus on playing my game my way, we?ll be successful.?

However, Nacos isn?t the only Demon who enters the state tournament as one of the favorites to claim the state title.

Washington senior Deanna Peiffer, who won this season?s conference meet, is also looking to finish her career on top. As she prepares for her final high school meet, she said the worst part is that after the meet, it will be all over.

?It?s been crazy,? Peiffer said. ?I?m looking forward to the state tournament, but it?s the last hurrah for me. There?s a lot more pressure on senior year, because it?s your last time to really make your mark.?

Those pressures were also felt by fellow senior Brenna Burlingame, who said the team is ready to put the expectations behind them.

?It makes you nervous when you think about it, but I think we just kind of put it behind us,? Burlingame said. ?A lot of people were expecting us to go to state, so at the regional meet, that was all in our minds.

Those four Demons all were a part of the state championship team a season ago, but helping the squad out this year will be two fresh faces to the state meet.

Sophomore Allison Vogel chose to join the team this season and has put together a strong year, but wasn?t sure if there was any extra pressure on her in her first state meet.

?Yes and no,? Vogel said. ?We all want to win, but I feel like that either way it ends up, we?ll be OK. Hopefully we?ll do well and the goal is to improve.?

For freshman Carly Burlingame, Brenna?s younger sister, jumping into a state-championship caliber team seemed daunting.

?I felt like if I had a bad shot, my next shot would have to be better,? Carly said. ?Knowing that they are all amazing golfers, I felt I had to step it up a little bit.?

As far as what to expect at the state meet? The girls say they haven?t gone into detail too much as of yet.

?We haven?t talked about it too much,? Vogel said. ?It?s a bigger meet and there will be more people. We might get to play with some of the same people, but it will be pretty normal, I think.?

That familiarity comes in the form of the Southeast Conference making up three of the eight qualifying state teams with Fairfield and Mt. Pleasant each earning a spot in the field.

The Trojans and Panthers each won their regional tournament (the Panthers outshooting the Demons by 11 strokes in their head-to-head regional), while Washington claimed the conference title earlier this month.

Having teams they know well competing right alongside of them will only help, according to Kull.

?No question about it,? Kull said. ?We?ve done well all year against both teams, and (in the regional) we didn?t play with any of them. Mt. Pleasant was separated from us, and Fairfield was in a different regional. I?ve always been confident that if we can play head-to-head against good teams like them, I?d take our chances.?

Those chances look good on paper for the Demons, who hold the top average in Class 4A, along with two of the top 3 ranked individuals in the tournament. Kull hopes those numbers don?t faze the girls during the competition.

?Hopefully not,? Kull said. ?We need to have the attitude of just doing what you need to do. We have to go out and do our best and keep our heads as square as we can. If we can do that, I?ll take our chances.?

The Demons will open up their state tournament at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, with the second round being held on Wednesday.