On Oct. 12 and 13, senior Rebecca Su competed in the girls golf state championship tournament for the third year in a row.
The tournament took place at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield, MO.
Out of 91 girls, Su placed fifth overall with a score of 74 on the first day and 78 the second.
“It was different this year, because last year I had my teammate Mia Walton competing with me. I was lonelier this year, but more focused on playing. It just wasn’t as fun,” Su said.
Last year, Su placed 14th in the state tournament, which took place at Twin Hills Country Club in Joplin, MO.
“Rebecca has definitely improved over the years. Her sophomore year she placed 27th at state, last year 14th, and this year she improved to fifth. Finishing fifth is a big deal, and I’m very proud of her for it,” golf coach Greg Schade said.
Su scored a 77 at the districts tournament at Aberdeen Golf Club, then an 80 at Forest Hills Country Club.
“I really admire Rebecca for her work ethic and passion for the sport. She’s a great leader,” junior Mia Walton said. “She takes responsibility for the entire team and always makes sure everyone is prepared.”
Su improved by practicing more than usual over the summer. She played in several tournaments over the summer including the Missouri Women’s Golf Association Tournament, where she scored a combined 165 over two days. She also played in the USGA Junior Qualifier, where she scored an 84.
“Rebecca is a really hard worker. She has talent, but what got her this far was her dedication, work ethic, and persistence,” Schade said.
Su earned the spot of Conference Player of the Year in the Suburban South Conference.
“Being conference player of the year was not really something I expected to happen, but Coach Schade and Coach Bertram made it special for me when they announced it in front of the whole team. It was a really nice surprise and I am glad my team was with me when I found out,” Su said.
Schade attended the state tournament along with Su to support her.
“I walked along and watched her. I gave her advice while she was playing and was there for her when she needed someone to talk to. Golf is one of those sports where the coaches aren’t constantly in the player’s ear. Most of the time golfers prefer to be left alone,” Schade said.
Su plans on continuing her golf career in college, but has not decided where she will play.
“Knowing that this was my last season playing for this team was bittersweet,” Su said. “It’s nice to know we came a long way from where we started, but it’s also sad because I won’t ever get to experience playing on this team again.”
![Holding the disc, senior Nathan Thompson waits for an opportunity to pass to senior Timmy Fry. Parkway United’s ultimate frisbee team is made up of students from each of the four Parkway schools. “The one thing I really like about ultimate [frisbee] is the community because it’s so different from any other sport I've been a part of. [My] national teammates are people who we play against in the regular season, so we see each other all the time. It's always fun hanging out with [them],” Thompson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/C96A6823-1200x800.jpg)
![Senior Josie Grunzinger watches the football game intently from the sidelines on Oct. 18. Grunzinger stood out to the crowd as the only girl on the football team, encouraging other girls who want to play football to take a chance and go for a sport outside of their comfort zone. “If you think you could [play football] and you want to do it, just try it, because all it takes is to actually try it out,” Grunzinger said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Untitled-design-1200x675.png)
![With her arms held high, junior Jenna Rickelman throws the ball across the pool during a girls water polo practice. With hours of practice after school and over the summer, Rickelman saw many improvements in her water polo skills. “When I look at [my] stats, I'm so much better than I was last year,” Rickelman said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Untitled-design-2-.png)
![Putting on his helmet, catcher and senior Tommy Eschbach prepares to get in his primary stance. Despite losing 6-1 against Eureka on April 16, Eschbach didn’t let the tough loss affect his playing or mental health. “It's [so] easy to get caught up in the sport and what you're doing that [after] one bad game or a stretch of games it is hard to remind yourself that your worth as a person isn't directly related to your performance on the field,” Eschbach said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0415-1-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Sports organizations have changed lives on and off the field, improving athletes’ muscle strength, reducing their risk of diseases and building energetic work capacity worldwide. However, many student-athletes struggle to balance schoolwork and athletic commitments, hoping to seek more understanding and support from their teachers and coaches. “To lessen mental strain student-athletes [face] and create a healthier, more comfortable lifestyle, there shouldn’t be any homework. I'm already [at school] for eight hours and [homework] creates a bigger load for student-athletes in AP or honors classes,” track and field sprinter and sophomore Lucy Penton said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_0095-1-e1713883278514-1200x847.jpg)
![At the Spring Pep Rally on March 8, boys varsity water poloist and junior Jack Brau stands with the boys water polo team. The group, hoping to include everyone — whether boy or girl, varsity or JV — cheered on the girls water polo team during the sports team runouts. “Even though we all play separate games and have different practices, we like to see ourselves as one big group who represent one water polo [team],” Brau said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_8810-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Looking for an open teammate, freshman Patrick May passes the ball across the court at the Nov. 28 game against Parkway Central. May started in the game against the Colts. ”Growing up, [my parents] always gave me a basketball, [and] we had a basketball hoop outside. I grew up playing [all the time], playing on the [driveway] and shooting hoops with my dad.” May said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image2-1-1200x801.jpg)
