The Cyclones golf team at Innisfail High School recently competed in zone championships, earning a silver medal in girls team competition and a fourth-place finish by the boys team.
The zones were held on Sept. 20 in New Norway and saw Bradie Pillman, 16, and Jace Ouellette, 17, both earn spots to the Alberta Schools Athletic Association (ASAA) provincial golf championships in Medicine Hat, Sept. 26 and 27.
The two-day provincial tournament will be the third for Pillman and a first provincials for Ouellette.
The girls golf team has qualified for provincials the last two consecutive years, with two gold medals at zone championships. This year, the girls team won silver, with team member Bradie Pillman earning second place overall, qualifying her as an individual participant at provincials.
“Two years ago at provincials as a team we won bronze and last year at provincials we got gold,” said Pillman. “They take the top two girls for individual scores and they take the top girls team to provincials.
“You go in golfing your best and hope for the best,” she added, noting several years of golfing experience. “I'd definitely like to place this year.”
Her experience from previous tournaments is expected to help Pillman in her third provincial championship.
The Innisfail Golf Club has been going into the high school and assisting young golfers with their game.
“They have been coming into our school for the past three years and teaching our Grade 9s and exposing them to the game of golf,” said Dean Woroniuk, athletic director at Innisfail High School, noting the instruction from head professional Jim Boomer.
Both Pillman and Ouellette have had exposure to the sport outside of school as well.
“I've always taken lessons from Jim Boomer,” said Pillman. “It's been really good having him help me with my swing, my game and consistency.”
Ouellette qualified this year and is competing in his first provincial championships.
“I've had lots of other tournament experience before this one,” said Ouellette, noting he learned much of the sport on his own. “This year I started working with Luke Rundell at Alberta Springs but this has been my first year with a coach.”
There was a tie for third place at zones this year and Ouellette had to play teammate Taylor Dobbs in a three-hole playoff to decide who was going to provincials.
“It was good. I've played in one other playoff this year so it's nice to have that experience before heading into provincials,” he said, noting his hopes for his first provincial championships. “I'm just going in there and try to post a good first score and build off that for the second day, try and move up the ranks and see if I can't place well,” he added.
Like Pillman, Ouellette has several years of experience playing golf outside of high school and is the first boy from Innisfail High School to ever qualify for the ASAA provincial championships.
“I can use this as momentum to play better in my game,” Ouellette concluded.
