Divine Savior Holy Angels won its second consecutive state championship in girls golf in October. (Submitted photo)
The Divine Savior Holy Angels girls golf team left University Ridge Golf Course in Verona with a comfortable six-stroke lead after the first day of the state tournament.
On the second day, Oct. 15, the Dashers blitzed the field.
“We were very confident,” DSHA Coach David Himm said. “When you have to stand toe to toe with us, I believe the pressure is on the other teams. We have a lineup that is not going to beat themselves. Their play ratchets up the pressure, they just keep hitting good shot after good shot. There is always going to be a bad hole no matter who you are, but just when it may look like an opening for another team, we go on a run of pars and increase the lead.”
DSHA cruised to its second consecutive state championship with a two-day total of 320-317—637, topping second-place Prescott by 29 strokes (335-331—666). That came on the heels of the Dashers’ first state title in school history a year ago.
“Having that first banner hanging in the gym made it easier,” Himm said. “We’ve learned so much being at state two years in a row, from our pre- and post-match practice routines to how we eat and relax after the first day.”
DSHA was led by sophomore Zoe Gryniewicz, who came in fifth individually with a two-day total of 77-77—154.
She was one of four returning starters for the Dashers, along with seniors Hannah Strachota (90-91—181) and Rachel Morris, and junior Ava Roesch (78-79—157).
Freshmen Addison Roesch (85-76—161) and Julia Krueger (80-85—165) joined the varsity team this year and made immediate contributions to the squad.
Following the 2023 state title, the Dashers hit the ground running in late summer to start this season, winning the first tournament of the year by 28 strokes; Addison Roesch was the medalist in her first high school meet, shooting 4-under par.
The Dashers had just one hiccup throughout the season, finishing second in one tournament, but winning all of their dual meets and all of their Greater Metro Conference meets by an average of 14 strokes. They also set two school records throughout the year, shooting 147 as a team for nine holes and 299 for 18 holes.
“The girls cheer each other on, they want to push each other and they want to win,” Himm said. “The biggest thing that I’ve pushed to instill is the team, the team, the team. They play for each other, (and) they practice to make each other better.”
While the winning was nice, Himm said working with the group of young ladies was great because of their chemistry, which he called the best of any team he’s ever worked with.
“I love this team,” Himm said. “It goes without saying that the talent level is through the roof. However, these girls work so hard to get better every day. The practices are focused, and they help each other and push each other. They laugh, they love snacks and they love to work. This also applies to the classroom. The four returning players were all academic all-state. (The freshmen weren’t eligible for that honor.) They are all amazing young women. They strive to be leaders in golf and in life.”
When he was hired as the golf coach at DSHA, he made a point of noticing how the school’s girls golf banner had no years listed on it for state championships. In just over 12 months, the Dashers have added two.
“We have a document that has our vision, values and standards for our program,” Himm said. “They all sign it at the beginning of the season. We live those items listed, but it all starts with the opening line: We want to build and sustain a competitive golf program with the goal of reaching the state golf tournament and give all glory to God.”
