Inspired by former coach who battled cancer, Harper Creek golf seeking league title

BATTLE CREEK - Athletes tend to do a little better, compete a little harder, when they are playing for something bigger than themselves.

That just might be what is happening with the Harper Creek girls golf team.

The Beavers are having a standout season and have their eyes on a possible league championship. And, with each swing, their thoughts are with their former head coach who recently had a battle with breast cancer.

Amanda Zima stepped down from coaching the Harper Creek girls golf team after last season after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

While Zima isn't with this year's team on the course, she hasn't been forgotten.

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"When we found out she had breast cancer, we were kinda surprised because she seemed really healthy. From that point, she said she wasn't going to be able to coach us any more. But, we just wanted her to be OK," said Harper Creek senior Ellie Sandel. "So this year, we just wanted to make sure we did well because she had spent a lot of time with us as a coach to make us a good team and we wanted to keep this going.

"She is doing well now and she still watches our scores this year, so we want to keep doing our best to make her proud."

Under Zima, Harper Creek won the Interstate 8 Conference last season. The Beavers are on their way to doing that again under first-year head coach Jason Knickerbocker. Harper Creek has won each of its four league jamborees in 2024 and go into Wednesday's Interstate 8 Conference Championship Meet as the favorites to take the title. Harper Creek will also be aiming for a city title at the annual All-City Girls Golf Championship on Friday at Riverside Golf Club.

"I thought we would be pretty good this year. We had two seniors returning that were pretty good last year and we have a freshman who is leading the conference in scoring, so that's a good combination," Knickerbocker said. "We have a lot of momentum right now and looking to take that into the end of the year."

Those returning seniors are Sandel and Arabella Stanley, who have each finished as a match medalist during a jamboree this season. Stanley and Sandel each shot a 49 to win the I-8 jamboree hosted by Pennfield early in the month. Sandel was medalist with a 46 at the I-8 jamboree at Arbor Hill Country Club. The addition has been freshman Haley Willi, who was match medalist when Harper Creek won the I-8 jamboree at Marshall last week with a 42. Willi is leading the team with the best scoring average so far.

"I was hoping I would be able to compete well as a freshman. But I was a little worried about the stress of playing varsity," Willi said. "But it has gone really well. After the first jamboree, doing well, I gained a lot of confidence."

Harper Creek didn't have a replacement for Zima until late in the process, but the Beavers haven't missed a step.

"Coach Zima stepped down when she found out she had breast cancer and nobody had taken the job, so I got a call about a week before the season started. I agreed to help out, because I have a background in golf," Knickerbocker said. "So I am kinda learning as I go about being a coach, but Coach Zima has helped with that some.

"It was nice to see that the team wanted to honor their former coach and that they cared that she was doing well. Plus, along the way, the girls are learning about the important things in life. Learning about caring for other people. It's been a good life lesson for them."

Harper Creek won its last jamboree, wearing special pink ribbons in honor of Zima as they continue to hope for good health for their former coach.

"We really miss her. It's really important for all of us to play well this year in her honor," Stanley said. "The way I have looked at it this year, is I want to play my best for her and play how she would want me to play."

Contact Bill Broderick (269) 966-0678 or bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter @billbroderick.

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Inspired by former coach who battled cancer, Harper Creek golf seeking league title