Lady Spartan Golfers Started Great 6-Year Run 22 Years Ago

While writing on the front page of the May 23, 2024 issue of the Leader about the Scobey High School boys’ golf program capturing its first-ever Montana High School Association state championship, mentioned at the end of the photo caption was the Scobey girls’ golf program.

"The boys now join the Scobey girls in the State C winner’s circle, as the Lady Spartans were State C champs in 2002 (645 strokes), 2004 (769) and 2007 (686),” it stated.

It wasn’t long after a thought occurred: how about a feature-story recap of those trio of state titles the Lady Spartans captured in a very short 6-year span.

The 2002 article dated May 23 had this headline: Their Backs Against The ‘Wahl,’ Spartans Witness Small Miracle.

The story on page 6 started like this: Erika Wahl was anything but thrilled with the 29-over-par 65 she shot during her first nine holes of 18 in her final round of last week’s Class C State Golf Tournament in Sidney.

“She was upset but she was not trying to show it,” Scobey head coach John States said at the time 22 years ago, speaking of the time around the clubhouse between the front nine and the back nine when he was in the presence of the Scobey High School senior.

Knowing her team was in contention for the state championship trophy— the Spartans entered the Wednesday, May 15, final round in first place and held a three-stroke lead over the Superior Bobcats—Wahl also knew she had to atone for the extremely disappointing 65. As they say in the sports world, it was time to “suck it up.”

Coach States knew some kind of improvement was possible from Wahl: “She was hitting the ball well on Saturday (May 11) and Monday (May 13) during practice rounds” on the Sidney Country Club’s 18-hole layout, “so I knew she was capable of shooting a good round.”

Somewhere between the time Wahl finished her first nine holes and started her final nine, she had a decision to make: forget about the 65 and shoot a score that will hopefully help her team in the final standings or let the 65 linger in her mind and gnaw at her to the point where she would probably shoot another 65 or worse.

She chose to toughen up! So away she went, nine holes and a couple of hours away from a golf score, just a state championship riding on it.

Yes, this would qualify as a pressure-packed situation.

As time passed, Wahl’s teammates and the girls from Superior trickled into the clubhouse with their final scores. Scobey junior Lacey Dickinson carded out with a 47-58—105, sophomore Roni Hagfeldt a 5259-111 and junior Danielle...