Fall Sports Preview: Worth County Golf
JON DYKSTRA/THE FORUM
Worth County golf: front from left; Georgia Taylor, Catelyn Moyer, Hadley Rush, Karleigh Gwen, Arenna Galanakis; back; coach Craig McNeese, Unique Brown, Emsley Spainhower, Brynn Chapman and Brecklyn Rush. Not pictured: coach Janice Borey and Haley Russell.
Janice Borey’s golf program at Worth County has been gaining steam in recent years with a conference title just two years ago and participation numbers that a lot of larger schools would envy.
“Their attitude is really good,” assistant coach Craig McNeese said. “They are eager to learn and they are diligent about it. We feel like they are making progress pretty quickly.”
Of the 10 girls on this year’s Tigers, nine are from Worth County, but that co-op which has been so helpful in football over the years is helping the girls golf program compete for titles as well now.
Senior Georgia Taylor makes the trip from school in Ravenwood to practice in Grant City each day and it has paid off for her and the program over the years.
“I am super excited,” Taylor said. “I don’t go to Worth County. I go to Northeast Nodaway and I am so glad that they let me co-op and come over here.”
As a sophomore, Taylor served as the team’s No. 3 golfer and won the team’s first conference title since 2006 and went to state as a team for the first time since that season as well.
Last season, the new challenge for Taylor was to step up into the No. 1 spot in the lineup and lead a young, inexperienced Worth County squad.
She responded with an impressive junior campaign, finishing fifth overall at conference, third in the district and narrowly missing out on a Class 1 state medal with a 21st-place finish at state.
“I’m really hoping to get back to state,” Taylor said. “I really don’t think that I’m going to have a problem with that. I hope that I can take somebody down there with me. And I hope to do well.”
The work continued this summer as she never stops golfing with her dad building a simulator in their home.
“I’m sure Georgia’s goals are high,” McNeese said. “She should be one of the top golfers in the area — there is no doubt about that. … I think she’ll have a great year.”
She shot a career-best 78 this summer on the Northwest Missouri Junior Tournament Series — at their Cameron stop which is home to the GRC West Conference Championships in the fall. She finished as the tour champion in the St. Joseph-based summer series.
“There is a lot of potential in everyone,” Taylor said. “Especially with the freshmen. I love that people are wanting to do this. … I think that we have a lot of potential as a team.”
The Tigers depth this year now has a year of experience under their belts. Senior Emsley Spainhower got a taste of districts last season as the team’s No. 3 and finished 43rd overall.
“I’m just excited to take a few more strokes off my game and meet new people and play some golf,” Spainhower said. “We’ve grown a lot since last year. It is a lot of new faces, a lot of new people, and I am excited to see how they play and improve. I know that my freshman year, I improved a lot in just that one season and I know those girls will do the same.”
Arenna Galanakis joins Taylor and Spainhower as the seniors on the team. Brynn Chapman and Unique Brown are back as juniors while Haley Russell is a sophomore.
Borey is excited about her group of four freshmen and what they can become if they stick with it. That group consists of Catelyn Moyer, Hadley Rush, Karleigh Gwen and Brecklyn Rush.
“We are really excited about the freshmen,” Borey said. “As Craig said, their attitudes are really good. They want to learn. They are out here golfing when they don’t have to be. They don’t wait for practice.”
The Tigers open the season at Stanberry next Wednesday.
“I think there is definitely going to be some fighting for spots,” Borey said. “Those freshman girls are really hungry to play.”
