Clovers will look to experienced golfers to lead the way

CLOVERDALE -- With just five girls on the roster, the Cloverdale girls' golf team may not field a lot of numbers, but coach Ken Williams is looking for quality out of the girls he has.

The team consists of two seniors and three sophomores. Senior Kate Chambers is returning for her fourth year of golf and classmate Paige Cassida is in her third year. Williams is happy with the progress the duo has made since the 2006 season.

"Kate and Paige are both improved over last year -- Kate by two strokes and Paige by 10 so far this year," Williams said.

Among the three sophomores, two are on the team for the first time this year. Kayla Langdon and Elizabeth Wiley are in their first year while Jessica Hall participated as a freshman.

While Langdon is new to the team, she is not new to golf. The coach is using her experience to his team's advantage, placing the sophomore in a key role.

"Kayla has some golf experience and will improve greatly as the season progresses," Williams said. "She will play number one for us."

Wiley, on the other hand, is brand new to the sport. She is already showing promise, having earned a big highlight recently.

"Elizabeth is new to golf and is gaining experience quickly," Williams said. "She had her first birdie Monday and will soon break 60 on a regular basis."

Hall returns after her freshman season and should do what any young player does with practice -- get better.

"Jessica is gaining experience, too, and will improve as the season progresses," Williams said.

The Clovers were 4-12 last year and lost Courtney Williams and Elizabeth Rich to graduation.

Although his 2007 team is small, Williams looks to improve on last year's record and tournament placings.

"We finished second in county and fourth in the WCC in 2006," Williams said. "We hope to improve and compete with South Putnam for those titles later in the season."

Most recently, the Clovers dropped their Tuesday afternoon match with Crawfordsville, 184-233. Their record now stands at 1-3.

The Clovers return to the links at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21 against Monrovia and Plainfield at Plainfield.