Sports preview: Girls golf ready with key return players

The Forest Lake girls golf team heads into the year with a strong core group of talented golfers. After a second-place finish in the Suburban East Conference a season ago, the Rangers lost a couple of key pieces on the roster, but still have plenty of athletes who are ready to step up to the challenge.

The key returnees for Forest Lake this year consist of a three-time state entrant in senior Bella Leonhart, seniors Maddie Jerde and Ally Hubbard, along with rising freshman Ella Brott.

“She’s been our No. 1 player for us for the last three seasons,” head coach Andrea Brischke said, referring to Leonhart.

“We’ve got a young group. I wouldn’t say they lack experience, but they certainly don’t have the experience that Bella [Leonhart] has. Hubbard and Jerde are going to do pretty well stepping up; I’m excited for them,” Brischke said.

“My ninth grader Ella Brott, she’s been playing a decent amount of varsity for me – even for the last couple of years she’s been playing in some varsity matches. She’s been hitting the ball really well from what I hear on the driving range,” Brischke said.

The Rangers lost Taylor Thompson to lacrosse this spring, which Brischke noted is a “tough loss” for her No. 2 golfer.

Brischke’s expectations of the girls this season goes as far as getting the less-experienced bunch as many reps as they can so they can be further developed in the future seasons of the program.

“We did lose a couple of key players obviously from last year’s team, but I think we have the potential. It’s just a matter of how long it takes for them to get into a rhythm playing in the positions that they’ll be in this spring,” Brischke said.

Regarding challenges: “I think nerves are going to play a huge role for us. Bella I don’t think ever gets nervous, but regardless, nerves will play a role for us. I foresee Ella, possibly being my No. 2. It’s stressful – they start to worry a little bit too much on the numbers side of where they’re at, compared to just playing golf. It’s just more or less getting comfortable in their new positions and knowing that we’re going to need to try and find our true identity,” Brischke said.