SOUTH WHITLEY -ÊMany teams that have not won a contest all season get down on themselves. They give up.

That's not true for the Whitko girls golf team.

This year's Wildcats exemplify something more important than winning - attitude. Coach Jennifer Frieden has something to do with that.

While many 0-15 coaches would be disappointed with the season and hesitant to talk about it, Frieden happily talks about her team.

"I think the girls are starting to realize that golf can be fun, especially when you start to get better," said Frieden. "These girls have made great strides this season.

"When we started this year, almost all the girls were shooting 70s, some were even in the 90s. Now they are all in the 60s. I am thrilled with the way this team has progressed.

"I am proud of this team. They have definitely improved. Our girls have set goals and become better golfers."

Frieden has helped an inexperienced squad reduce their scores by as much as 20 strokes since the beginning of the season.

"Marla Rowland played on the high school team for the first time this year as a senior," said Frieden. "She has done well for us. She has natural athletic ability and she has really worked at it this year.

"All the girls have worked hard to improve this season. They have progressed well."

That improvement has come from a focus on the fundamentals of the sport and repetition in practice.

"A regular day at practice we go to the driving range and then focus on the basics of golf," said Frieden. "Then we work on our short game - cutting and chipping. Then we play four, five, six holes, whatever we have time for."

Although Frieden is happy with the way her team has progressed this season, she expects big things from her Wildcats next year.

"Last year the girls did not play in the summer," said Frieden. "If we had one girl play 18 holes once last summer, we were lucky. Hopefully this year the girls will get on the course in the summer so we will be ready to play when we come back in the fall."

And with only two seniors graduating this year (Carla Herbst and Marla Rowland), the young Wildcat team will look to improve.

"We are going to put a lot of emphasis on the freshmen and sophomores this year," said Frieden. "If they keep working hard, we will definitely be more competitive next season."

As they look to the Warsaw Sectional at Rozella Ford Saturday, the Whitko squad has set goals for performance.

"Hopefully we can have everybody shoot in the 60s at the sectional," said Frieden. "If we have a good day, a couple of our girls could shoot in the 50s.

"It would be nice if we could get some local girls to advance. Dorey Bungitak from Manchester is definitely a capable player. It would be nice to see her advance."

Whitko will tee off at the Warsaw Sectional Saturday beginning at 12:20 p.m.

The following area teams will compete in the Warsaw Girls Golf Sectional at Rozella Ford Saturday.

WARSAW TIGERS

Coach -ÊBob Turner; Season record -Ê11-5; NLC Record -Ê4-2 (2nd); Golfers to watch -ÊKerri Wrobel (All-NLC), April Turner (NLC honorable mention)

WAWASEE WARRIORS

Coach -ÊScott DeHart; Season record -Ê8-17; NLC record - 1-5; Golfers to watch -ÊAshley Ward, Ashley Bell

NORTHWOOD PANTHERS

Coach -ÊJay Taylor; Season record -Ê8-10; NLC Record -Ê1-5; Golfers to watch -ÊJill VanBruaene (All-NLC), Cori Neff

TIPPECANOE VALLEY VIKINGS

Coach -ÊRoger Moriarty; Season record - 11-18; TRC record -Ê6-2; Golfers to watch -ÊKendra Koser, Ginger Ervin

MANCHESTER SQUIRES

Coach -ÊKeri Nichols; Season record -Ê13-7; Golfers to watch -ÊDorey Bungitak, Miriel Speicher

WHITKO WILDCATS

Coach -ÊJennifer Frieden; Season record -Ê0-16; TRC record -Ê0-7; Golfers to watch -ÊCarla Herbst, Miranda Krider

Warsaw Sectional Tee TimesÊ

11-11:32 a.m. -ÊCulver Academy, Columbia City, Warsaw, Plymouth

11:40 a.m -12:12 p.m. -ÊSouthwood, Manchester, TIppecanoe Valley, Wabash

12:20-12:52 p.m. - NorthWood, Wawasee, Whitko [[In-content Ad]]