Led by the Region 2 individual champion, Cyprus girls golf finished second place in Region 2. Even though several of its players were new to the sport they stuck with it the entire season.

“We had a great team,” Cyprus head golf coach Zach Dickison said. “We had 12 players and some had never played golf before. It is fun to get them involved and see them stick with it.”

The Pirates placed second in the region to Roy High School. One stroke separated the two teams.

“When you think about the whole season, one shot would have made us region champions,” Dickison said.

In a typical season, the teams would have played seven or eight regular season tournaments, one for each school in its region. Because of the wet spring weather the UHSAA had to modify its rules and reduced that to five. 

“The weather was crazy. We had to cancel so many tournaments,” Dickison said. “It made it more challenging. At the start of the year, we could only practice inside and could not do much. It did not give us as much time as we would have liked, but we did what we could.”

Senior Madalin Chandra finished as the Region 2 individual champion. She averaged 83 shots per round which included a season-low 74 at Riverbend Golf Course. Her season average ranked her 18th overall in the state.

“She played so well and so consistent all season long. More than anything she has such a good attitude. When she misses a shot she has a short memory. That is a difficult thing to do as a golfer. She is also super helpful and friendly,” Dickison said.

At the state tournament, she was seen consoling another competitor.

“This girl was struggling on the first day at state. I saw her go over and pat her on the back. She said, ‘You’re OK and you got this.’ That is the kind of person she is,” Dickison said.

As a golfer she consistently drives 300 yards. Her coach describes it as “killing the ball.”

“Her swing is fundamentally sound. In her last region tournament she shot an incredible 74 even though it was windy,” Dickison said.

Chandra has played golf for several years and the team now includes her sister Katey.

She placed 23rd at the state golf tournament by shooting 175 over the two-day event. Her rounds included two birdies and one eagle (two shots under par).

“She has the potential to continue to play at the next level,” Dickison said.

Freshman Madilyn Hongell had a season average of 105 second best on the team. Katey Chandra, Lorryn France, Savannah Watkins and Kallie Harrison made up the rest of the varsity team.

“She (Hongell) has grown up around golf. I had no idea she was a golfer until she showed up at tryouts. She is really good,” Dickison said.

Hongell shot her season-best 90 at Mountain View Golf Course even though her father works at Stonebridge in West Valley. She did shoot a 114 at Stonebridge in her first tournament of the season. 

“We had JV girls like Gracie Erickson, Devina Park and Avery Williams that were brand new to golf and caught on really quickly,” Dickison said. “Golf can be frustrating and tough to stick with. It can be challenging. They made steady progress and growth. Our team is all solid in the classroom and high achieving students. They are great girls.” λ