'An opportunity like no other'

FOSTORIA — Claire Recker is a big-time golfer."She just lives and breathes golf," said Rhonda Nye, Recker's coach at Van Buren. "Loves it. She's even worked out at Fostoria Country Club as a job, this summer a little bit. She is just very focused, and a really great golfer for us, and a great sportsman."Recker also is an accomplished golfer. Last year, she helped Van Buren to the state tournament, where the Black Knights finished eighth. This summer, she was the girls' champion in her age group for the Findlay Area Golf Association.So, Recker is used to pressure and big tournaments. She'll be at another one Friday, when she and her teammates return to the Gray Course at Ohio State University for the Division II state golf tournament."It's an opportunity like no other," the junior said. "A lot of people don't get to go. The fact that we get to go is amazing."Van Buren is going because it won the sectionals at Moose Landing Sept. 28, and then took second at the district tournament. In each of those events, Joslyn Hunt was the Black Knights' top finisher. She shot an 85 at sectionals and an 80 at the district.Hunt gave credit to an offseason, indoor program."I practiced all through the winter in my garage," she said. "I had like, little practice greens down in the basement, and it was just repetition of my swing ... it was really just finding how to handle yourself in the big tournaments."Nye said Hunt has matured this season."She used to have a few bad holes and it seemed like she'd give up or struggle through the whole round," Nye said. "But this year, especially lately, she's been coming back off of those rough holes Like Recker, Hunt has played in the state tournament before. So has senior Ali Bishop. She was asked to talk about the difference between last year's squad and this one. Van Buren lost one of their best golfers on the 2020 team, Taylor Adams, to graduation, but Bishop said this year's group responded."Everyone got better," she said.That includes Bishop."Ali is just a true competitive spirit," Nye said. "She was a basketball coach's daughter, so she knows what it's like to be in competition and things like that. So, Ali has really matured also, as a great golfer."The Black Knights' No. 4 player is Maggie Weherle, a sophomore who shot 86 at the sectional tournament. Taylor Stewart is the No. 5 golfer.Nye said she liked the talent on the team from the beginning."I knew that we had a pretty talented and blessed team," Nye said. "I was kind of expecting them to do the best that they could, as long as everybody stayed healthy, wealthy and wise."The coach said the experience from last season should help the Black Knights this weekend."I think it will help them leaps and bounds, because, you know, they did get a chance to play that course three times," she said. "In the practice round last year, and then two times in the competition, so they know kind of what it's like.Hunt said she thinks the team can improve on last year's finish."Last year we were really trying to be there, just get to state," she said. "This year, I really want us to be able to compete and put up some really good scores.""Play stress free golf," Recker said, "and know that we can do what we put our minds to."The tournament starts Friday morning.