The Devils Lake girls’ golf team has continued improving steadily in the third year of the program.
The Firebirds have set or tied their program-best score for each individual meet they’ve competed in. They also set their overall best score in any meet, with a +85 in Round 1 of the East/West Classic in Jamestown on Aug. 17.
In fact, Devils Lake set its program-best score in each of the first two meets of the season. That streak got broken in the third meet, Round 2 of the East/West Classic — however, even in that meet, the Firebirds still achieved a feat new to the program, with four girls each breaking 100.
Senior Tylie Brodina has been leading a strong group of golfers. Though Brodina is still chasing her personal best of 86, she’s been consistent, averaging 91 through six meets. She posted a team-best 90 in the Devils Lake Invitational on Aug. 27 and was two strokes short of qualifying for state.
Junior Charly Black has been one of the team’s biggest improvers. She averaged a hair over 96 through seven meets, and set her personal best of 89 in Round 1 of the East/West Classic.
Sophomore Mara Hogness set a personal-best 96 in the season-opening West Fargo Sheyenne Invite and is averaging under 100.
Junior Camila Quinonez competed in each of the Firebirds’ first eight meets, averaging 98.4 with a best of 89 on the season.
Junior Emmy Remmick shot a personal-best 115 in the Wahpeton Invitational, then beat her best again two days later in the Grand Forks Central Invitational with a 103. Junior Brynlee Homan also achieved her best in Grand Forks, with a 96.
The team has some newer, younger golfers who have made improvements as well. Freshman Ashytn Mertens set her personal best of 112 in the West Fargo Sheyenne Invite. Sophomore Saige Stafford achieved her best score of 101 in the Grand Forks Central Invitational. Freshman Zoey Burdick debuted in varsity this season and took just two meets to get her score down to 101.
The Devils Lake Invitational — the second such home meet held in the program’s young history — led into a string of state-qualifying meets. While no Firebirds have qualified yet, several have been on the cusp.
Devils Lake’s best standing as a team was in Round 1 of the East/West Classic, when its +85 ranked 15th out of 19 schools. It was narrowly behind Dickinson (+81) while beating Wahpeton, Bismarck St. Mary’s, Minot North and Williston.
The next three state qualifiers are scheduled for Sept. 15 in the Fargo South Invite, Sept. 21 in the Shanley Invite and and Sept. 23 in the West Fargo Invite. The season concludes with the East Region meet on Sept. 28 at King’s Walk Golf Course in Grand Forks, followed by the state tournament Oct. 5 and 6 at Riverwood Golf Course in Bismarck.
Head coach: Chris Fixen
Assistant coach: Courtney Loegering
Roster
Brynlee Homan | Junior
Charly Black | Junior
Tylie Brodina | Senior
Camila Quinonez | Junior
Saige Stafford | Junior
Rebecca Tohm | Junior
Ashtyn Mertens | Freshman
Zoey Burdick | Freshman
Emersyn Remmick | Junior
Mara Hogness | Sophomore