Garaway's Fab 5 leaves its imprint beyond the course

Few things can equal the time spent growing up together, all working toward the same goals, putting in the time through countless hours dedicated to practicing a craft.

Those types of memories are the type of thing that creates lifelong friendships that in the end are far more important than final scores, titles, and wins and losses.

For the Garaway girls golf team, the five seniors that made up this year’s starting team had a heavy burden on their backs as the favorite to win the Division II state title on Gray Golf Course in Columbus Oct. 13-14.

The final result wasn’t what they had hoped for, with the Lady Pirates taking home a second straight runner-up title to two-time defending state champion Columbus Academy, but that will not diminish the high standard this team of seniors left for future generations of Lady Pirates to shoot for.

Prior to the state tournament, coach Angie Miller said she felt two scores of 320 might win a title. Her crew did things three strokes better, posting a two-day score of 637. The only problem was C.A. was simply better, firing a state-record score of 620.

On day one Garaway’s score of 311 was one shot off of the state record for a day-one score. That it trailed C.A. by four shots speaks volumes.

In addition, Garaway placed three players among the top 10, all of them honored as All-Ohioans.

Ashland University-bound Sammi Miller, who earned first-team honors last season by placing third, completed her award-winning career as perhaps Garaway’s greatest female player ever by finishing tied for fourth with a 153.

Brooklyn Numbers (155) and Sydni Prysi (156) placed seventh and tied for eighth overall to earn second-team All-Ohio honors.

Finishing their excellent careers for the Lady Pirates were Hannah Steiner (23rd overall, 173) and Olivia Immel (25th overall, 175).

“It’s bittersweet,” Miller said of seeing a career together come to an end. For a young woman whose family bleeds golf, the game will continue to hold a special place in her heart as she heads to Ashland University to play and study. “We do so much together and have been through so much together that we have created many memories we won’t ever forget.”

As for reaching the pinnacle of a second straight first-team All-Ohio honor, Miller said she sets personal goals but pushes those aside when she plays and just focuses on doing what she can do to help her team win.

“I’d trade all of that for a state title,” Miller said.

Prysi, who has been playing golf since sixth grade, said the closeness of this team is what she will remember, and she said that sense of unity has helped the team battle through whatever challenges they have faced.

"I know that if I play bad, I don’t have to worry about coming in and having everyone be mad at me," Prysi said. “Plus, I know that we’re so talented that someone probably picked me up with a good score.”

She said her favorite part of being a member of this team is being pushed by each other. She said the inner competition only serves to make them better, and in the end they don’t care who carried the team or who shot the best, only that they did their best.

Even at the state tournament, she said the free time is still most memorable.

“I love spending time together, just doing nothing at all,” Prysi said. “We’re a fun group.”

Numbers, who played extremely well at state, talked about the chemistry of this quintet of seniors.

“Coming from a small town and growing up together, we became very close early on,” Numbers said, noting three of the team members are related as well as coach Miller. “We started playing together in seventh grade as a team and stayed that way for six years. It’s always been us, together, forever, and we wouldn’t give that up for anything.”

Numbers said having the giant “X” on them as a favorite to win state only motivated them further, and they faced every challenge as a single unit.

Steiner said the time this group put into their craft was incredible, dedicating many hours of practice daily to becoming the most lauded team in school history.

She said balancing the work between school and golf is simply a matter of regrouping after each.

“This being the end is slowly hitting me, and this is the end of a chapter for us,” she said. “This was our last hurrah together.”

Olivia Immel said being part of this group that has torched the school record books is something each of them will cherish. The amazing scores, beating their own school records and pushing each other to excel were part of the joy of this experience.

She also said the school body and community played a critical role in the success story.

“It seems like everyone in the community knows someone on the team, and hearing them congratulate us or encourage us is always inspiring,” Immel said.

This group also serves as a catalyst for young Lady Pirates who will play in the future, and that is something of which they are all proud.

“Not long ago we were the young girls looking up at some great talent,” Miller said. “It’s fun to see the younger girls growing excited about seeing us play and getting excited about playing, and knowing they want to emulate us is an honor.”

For coach Miller, watching this team sail off into the sunset, knowing all of the records it set may never be challenged, is difficult but heartwarming, and she said her heart is overwhelmed with joy thinking about the bond this quintet has developed throughout those years.