Lightning, Rain and Hail Took Center Stage Wednesday Along with Waukee Golfers

Submitted by Chris McLinden

The Waukee High School girls' golf team was more than prepared to go out on day two of the Iowa Girls Athletic Union State 5A Golf Championship and protect a 15-stroke lead it had built on Tuesday, but Mother Nature took the upper hand.

While the coaches and tourney officials were having their regular morning meeting before the start of play, lightning crackled in the background. The rules call for an automatic 30-minute delay after the last sighting of lightning. And then the rain and wind followed and the afternoon forecast didn’t look much better.

IGAU officials cancelled the tournament with one day of play and shortly after 11 a.m. held the indoors awards ceremony.

The Waukee girls have now finished second, third, first and first in the last four years of Iowa girls' state championship play.

This year’s team had an injury to last year’s No. 1 in state player Payton Minear (elbow surgery) early in the season, but still managed to go undefeated. Waukee will lose two starting seniors to graduation -- Minear and fellow senior Brittney Best -- and two others who were an integral part to the success of Waukee’s season -- Allie Oder and Hannah Dammen were varsity for most of the season.

The Warriors will have a solid core of players returning, including this year’s tournament medalist Kelsey Shay (76 stroke +4 on Tuesday with 5 birdies), plus Caitie Oder, Jasmine Wyzgowski and freshman standout Paige Seiser.

When asked what has contributed to Waukee’s success the last few years, Waukee coach Marty Sullivan credited the entire Waukee community and City of Waukee Sugar Creek golf pro Jim Webb and teaching pro Sarah Bidney with a strong Junior Program.

“Waukee is now known for the Sugar Creek Junior Program as one of the stronger ones in the area, and a lot of our former players are coming back to help as instructors in that program,” Sullivan said.

And the Waukee girls' golf team is becoming known for state championships.