Heading into the 2012 golf season, the Morris golf team has a wide range of personalities on it. Together they will be spending the fall trying to spread the fame of the Redskins golf team.
The boys are led by Mike McPherson, who was named captain of the team in recent days, though the locals also benefit from getting Ryan Borgstrom back and the additional insight of senior female golfer Olivia Kief.
Morris' boys will be trying to repeat the feat of winning a regional title and Kief will be trying to make it to state at the end of the season when she actually goes back to playing amongst other girls.
"Right now everyone wants to do it again," Kief said of the boys winning another regional. "I practice with them all the time and that's what they want to do. They are pushing to be the best."
Counted in that group is Borgstrom who played golf as both a freshman and sophomore but played football last year. He's put in a lot of work this summer to get back to his previous golfing form.
From what I have seen from him these last two days I'm liking it," Morris coach Matt Lafond said.
Borgstrom said that he used the summer wisely before the official practice season started.
"It's more like on your own in the summer and you do what you can before the season practices start," he said. "I've played a lot of golf this summer. Probably four times a week. Around the area mostly. Hitting range balls, putting and practicing your game."
McPherson said that he is also looking forward to helping the younger kids on the team in order to help them be ready in the future years.
"I'm going to try and use my leadership skills and help anyone who needs it," he said. "I also want to show the younger kids that it's not about hitting a great shot every time, it's about not hitting a terrible shot. It's not just about hitting a good shot."
On the girls side, Kief will be trying to improve from finishing sixth in the Northern Illinois Big 12 Girls Conference meet and she also wants to make the state cut after falling four shots shy of doing it as a junior.
"She's got some unfinished business as far as conference and regionals go. She's definitely ready for that," Lafond said.
In the meantime, Kief will have to work hard to get time on the varsity boys squad this year.
"She's having to battle through some tendonitis issues in one of her arms," Lafond said. "She's got some battling to do, but she's got it in her to compete."
Morris has one other girl on the team this year but fell short of having the minimum of four girls scoring so it could field a whole team.
"I thought we had a few more (girls) interested," Lafond said. "I was hoping to get at least two more out so we could field a girls team. That way the girls can actually tee off from the girl's tees."
However, whether the golf team has boys or girls competing, the goals are the same for all.
"Getting past the regional was big last year," Borgstrom concluded. "Maybe this year we can get to state."
