PRESCOTT — Prescott girls golf has been an unstoppable force in the Division 2 scene, bringing home four consecutive state championships, but now they face an even greater challenge.

As the squad kicks off its season, they will now be competing in Division 1, facing the state’s biggest schools and some of the best teams.

“We’re playing literally the biggest schools in the state, so that will certainly be a challenge,” head coach Chad Salay said. “We’re up for it. All of our invitationals are Division 1 level… We’re playing two of the biggest tournaments of the season that we were invited to.”

While Prescott is smaller than many of the schools they will go up against, it is the experience and determination that gives them a shot at the ultimate goal. During the four straight championship runs, Prescott has faced adversity including a one-hole playoff for the title and, most recently, winning a back-and-forth battle against the Notre Dame Academy Tritons.

“Everyone from our team last year is back, so they all have that experience,” Salay said. “Any time you’re in a situation that’s high pressure and everything is on the line, and you’ve succeeded with that, it definitely brings your game to a new level.”

To get to where they are today has taken a lot of hard work, some talented golfers and supportive families.

“We’ve had some unbelievably hard working girls,” Salay said. “Set a standard of excellence and just pushed each other.”
Salay credited some of the success to parents being as fully on board as the golfers are, going to tournaments in the summer, working with professional swing instructors and more.

When you have won four titles in a row, some teams would become satisfied and complacent, not Prescott though.

“Just competitive people,” Salay said. “I’m never satisfied with anything. Winning obviously is great, but once we win something I’m onto the next challenge. And I think our girls kind of have that same mentality and my assistant coach is the same way.

“When you have that mentality you’re just never satisfied with winning a single state championship or four state championships,” Salay said. “I want five and I want six.”

With the amount of returning talent the team has, Salay said Prescott as a whole is a team to watch. Senior Gabbie Matzek led the team with the lowest scoring average last year, and fellow senior Jeanne Rohl, who dealt with an injury throughout last season, is off to a good start to the year, sinking a hole-in-one during tryouts.

“That’s only the second hole-in-one I’ve ever seen as a coach in 18 seasons,” Salay said.

Matzek and Rohl both received conference honors a year ago.

Other golfers including Kendra Ogilvie, Lydia Feran, Macy Reiter and Layla Salay are all names that Salay said will be key as the season starts. Salay said all of this year’s varsity squad have a chance to golf in college if they are interested.

Prescott dove right into the season, spending the Aug. 16-18 weekend at Wisconsin Dells to both bond as a team and take on some tough competition. The team started in Reedsburg and wrapped up the weekend with the Tomah Invitational, which is the site of sectionals, marking an important experience early in the season.