While Warsaw senior golf standout Nikki LaLonde worked on reducing her strokes on the course, she increased her opportunities to continue her game at the collegiate level. The three-time All-Northern Lakes Conference selection and two-time state qualifier made her choice official on Monday by signing a letter of intent to play golf at the University of Saint Francis. LaLonde had a successful four years at Warsaw, helping lead the Tigers to two sectional crowns (2011 and 2012), qualifying each of the four years she competed for the regionals, and as a sophomore helping the team to qualify for the state finals in 2011. Named the team’s Most Improved Player in 2011 and MVP in 2013, LaLonde had numerous impressive performances this year, including a 9-hole score of 34 at Sycamore Golf Course, and she shot an 18-hole score of 76 at Noble Hawk this year. The daughter of Mike and coach Chris LaLonde, she was a member of the National Honor Society, the Octagon Club, Mathletes, Tiger Student Athletic Board. A member of the 2010 swim team, LaLonde serves as a water safety instructor teaching swim lessons, serves as a lifeguard at the Warsaw Community Pool, is a member of the YMCA swim team, has volunteered at the area Soup Kitchen, served with the WCHS School Blitz (Community Service Based Organization), and assisted with the Church Youth Group March for Life. The senior also had three wins in four years participating in the Indiana Junior Golf Association, and she racked up several top finishes in six years competing in with the Little City Junior Golf Program. While LaLonde was rising above the competition on the course, she performed equally as impressive in the classroom where she has earned a 11.2 Grade Point Average on a 12-point scale (A average and in the top 16% of her class of 549 students) over her four years while enrolled in a number of honors and challenging courses. Next season she will be playing for coach Tim Alexander and the Lady Cougars. She plans to major in either biology or nursing.
