Spring prep preview | Oak Harbor girls golf

Published 11:37 am Wednesday, March 9, 2016

The two-time defending North Division champion Oak Harbor High School girls golf team will need to develop some depth if it wants to claim its third consecutive title this spring.

The Wildcats return three letter winners, including one of the league’s top players, senior Resego Mooki, but none of the other team members has played golf before, according to coach Andy Wesley.

Mooki, a three-year letter winner, was named to the first-team, All-Wesco North squad the past two years. Last season she finished second in the division tournament, 14th at district and 33rd at state, where the Wildcats placed ninth as a team.

Mooki also finished fourth in total season points in the North even though she missed a match, and she was named the Wildcats’ Most Valuable Player.

Senior Tarra Baird, a two-year letter winner, and sophomore Hannah Taylor, last year’s recipient of the Most Improved Award, also return after helping the club take the division crown.

Wesley said the leadership of Mooki and Baird, who have been in the program for four years, is the team’s strength. The obvious weakness, he said, is the lack of experience of the new team members.

In addition to shooting for their third division title in a row, the goals for this year, Wesley said, are to have fun and improve as the season progresses.

The season tees off at 3 p.m. Monday, March 14, when the Wildcats meet Marysville Getchell at the Cedarcrest Golf Course.

Oak Harbor hosts the annual Whidbey Shootout, which will feature 18 teams, at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 22.