By James Costello Sports Writer
PLYMOUTH — The Lady Pilgrims’ motto this year is “15 minutes to Franklin.”
Having earned consecutive invitations to the Legends Golf Course with state berths in 2006 and 2007, Plymouth’s girls golfers are confident they can make it three in a row this season.
“Our team this year has high expectations considering our top seven players attended state last year, three playing, and four as alternates,” said senior Alex Starr. “We know the course and know what we can achieve.”

Last year, Starr, Ashley Lenne and sophomore Erin Kinney all qualified for state after Plymouth earned runner-up honors at the East Noble Regional meet where Lenne carded a team-low 79, finishing three strokes outside of the top five individual scores.
Lenne, who helped Plymouth to the CGA Invitational Crown Saturday, shot an 86 at The Legends, while Starr turned in a season-low 89, and Kinney came in at 91, although Plymouth fell shy of one of the top nine team scores to earn a spot in the second round at state.
Starr and Lenne were also present as alternates with the team in 2006 when Plymouth took second at the LaPorte Regional. Although the Pilgrims lost two key golfers this year in 2008 PHS graduates Brittany Payne and Kristen Holloway, because of the team’s track record the past two seasons, Plymouth is very confident it can make a third straight appearance at state this season.
“I think that with going to state, especially doing it the last two years in a row... as far as our goals this season, that’s our ultimate goal. We have that expectation now,” Plymouth girls golf head coach Julie Stauffer said. “We’ve talked about that as our final goal — I don’t want to do less.”
Plymouth senior Rebecca Moberly is also back this season after traveling to Franklin as an alternate with the team last fall, and she and junior Allison Bayley, as well as sophomores Marisa Green and Megan Schenk have all been shooting consistent scores in the mid 90s for the Pilgrims. That consistency has been one of the keys to Plymouth’s success as the squad finished the Northern Lakes Conference round robin undefeated this year, and it’s something which Lenne says may make this year’s Plymouth squad even more formidable than the ‘06 and ‘07 teams she was also a member of.
“I think our team can make it (to state) for sure,” Lenne said. “We have a lot of strong players that can fill a lot of spots on varsity. We’re about the same, maybe even better than last year.”
Besides consistency, Starr says team chemistry is another reason for Plymouth’s remarkable success the past two years.
“I believe the reason our golf team has been so successful over the past few years is because of our team unity,” she said. “We are all good friends. We hang out together besides and practice. We are like a family.”