CARLETON – It’s a sweep for the Jets.
Airport has captured both girls golf awards in voting by The Monroe News sports staff.
Sophie Bucki is the Player of the Year for the second straight season and Casey McDowell is the Coach of the Year.
BUCKI
It all started in the summer.
Sophie Bucki admits she felt a lot of pressure this summer after being named Monroe County Region Girls Golfer of the Year last season.
“I was super nervous,” she said. “Coming off a big win like that, I knew people would be gunning for me. Well, maybe not gunning for me, but wanting it just as much as me.”
Bucki did everything she could to prepare for her senior year at Airport.
“I worked at Sandy Creek (Golf Club) and I worked at the Metropark, so I could play all the Metropark course in Michigan for free,” she said. “I used that to good advantage to improve my game.
“I was playing almost every day in the summer.”
The work paid off.
Bucki was the champion in both the Huron League and Monroe County championship and has been named Region Girls Golfer of the Year for the second straight season.
She knew her plan was working late in the summer when she captured championships of the Sandy Creek Junior Tournament and the two-day La-Z-Boy Junior Open.
“Coming off two big tournament wins was a big advantage,” she said.
The wins taught her how to handle high expectations.
“I built off the pressure,” she said. “I took the pressure and grew with it. I knew what needed to be done.”
She accomplished many things during the season, but two tournaments stand out.
“My favorite has to be the Huron League jamboree or the Monroe County,” she said. “The jamboree I knew would be a tight race. It was the first tournament of the season and me winning really made me feel how the season would be going.”
Bucki said her shortest shots propelled her to a big season.
“I struggled with my putting at state last year,” she said. “I really locked in on putting this summer. It was one of the things I needed. I dropped so many strokes from my sophomore to my junior year. I knew if I was going to improve from a strong junior year to my senior year, I was going to have improve my putting.”
Bucki’s improvement helped the Jets soar.
“We had such a good season as a team,” she said. “Having the team win the county meet was really good right before the league meet.”
“We hadn’t won the Huron League since 2019 and the county meet the same year. To win both in one year has been what we’ve been working on since we were freshmen.”
The daughter of Danyel and Charles Bucki of South Rockwood is trying to pick a college with Grand Valley State, Oakland University and Wayne State among the top candidates.
Will golf be part of her college plan?
“I’ve been on and off about it for a while,” she said. “I am currently not leaning toward it because my career choice is pretty difficult. But I love tournament golf. We’ll see where the wind takes us.”
McDOWELL
Casey McDowell covers a lot of territory while coaching Airport’s girls golf team.
McDowell is all over the course encouraging her players and giving advice during matches.
“I just try to share my experience in golf,” she said. “A lot of times they are thinking, ‘What should I do here?’ I just tell them what I am thinking. I will give them an A or a B, but say, ‘This is what I think you should do.’ Especially when times are tough, they like to lean on me.”
McDowell did a great job of guiding her players through the tough times this season. The Jets went 7-1 in dual meets, won the Huron League title for the first time in four years and also took home the first-place in the Monroe County Championship.
She has been selected Monroe County Region Girls Golf Coach of the Year by The Monroe News.
“Our coach is as much into it as we are,” said Airport’s No. 1 player Sophie Bucki. “She puts as much into it as we do. She has such a passion for the game and wants us to excel.”
McDowell, a former Division 1 basketball player, migrated from the court to the course.
“When I finished playing at Bowling Green, (Airport) was looking for a new basketball coach and teacher,” she said. “I kind of always wanted a golf job. It’s my way to get away from basketball. In the summer it becomes my life.”
McDowell started coaching girls basketball at Airport, but left that sport after the 2009-10 season. This was her eighth season as the girls golf coach.
“It’s funny,” she said. “I tell people I like coaching golf so much more. I see some coaches who just kind of let the girls go. I have to go and see what they are doing on the course.
“Golf is so hard. It changes every single day, every single second. The conditions can change so much. They need that extra guidance.”
McDowell knew she had a good team this fall, but wasn’t sure her Jets were the best in the Huron League.
“I thought SMCC had so much returning and so much experience,” she said. “I had Sophie and Hannah (Roof) back for their fourth year, but they were returning mostly everyone. … I thought if we played decently at 3-4-5 we might have a shot. Liv Tilley and Raegan Budzios really pushed us over the edge.”
Bucki wound up as the medalist in both the Huron League and Monroe County championships. Roof also made first-team All-League and Tilley and Budzios were second team.
Tilley is a softball player who McDowell convinced to give golf a try.
“When Olivia came in, I could see she had great hand-eye coordination from softball,” McDowell said. “I knew she was a great athlete, so I figured we could make her play pretty decent golf.”
She also was helped this season, but having Ed Ready as an assistant coach.
“I really value his opinion,” McDowell said. “He helps with junior camps as Sandy Creek (Golf Club) and is a longtime employee there.
“So many of my girls have worked with him at Sandy Creek. He helps tremendously. He’s kind of like a grandpa to the girls. He is so kind.”
McDowell takes a lot of pride in adding to golf honors to the school trophy case.
“There are so many league and regional signs in the gym for softball, volleyball and basketball for girls,” she said. “It’s cool to get golf up there. I am happy and proud of the girls.”
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Airport’s Bucki, McDowell sweep Monroe County Region golf awards
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