Progress was made. Improvement was, too. A veteran team transitioned to a younger one, all of which made the 2024 season successful for Cathedral High School girls golf. “I think it was a great season,” Nick Jamell said. The Irish indeed improved significantly throughout Jamell’s second season as girls golf coach, finishing a strong third in the 2024 City Tournament then advancing through the sectional round and into the regional round of the postseason. “I was really pleased to make it out of sectionals and have a good showing in the city,” he said. The Irish finished third in the Section 18 meet at Maple Creek Golf Course, shooting 407 and finishing behind Bishop Chatard (393) and Heritage Christian (399). Senior Katie Kehrer shot 96 in the sectional for the Irish to finish fourth, with senior Amelia Buhner and sophomore Maddy Turner shooting 103. Junior Katie Boggs shot 105 and sophomore Abby Mattingly shot 106. Addie Pantzer also was strong for the Irish in 2024. “A lot of young talent on the team contributed, then great leadership from our seniors and juniors,” Jamell said. “I was happy to see a lot of growth as well. We started off a little rocky, a little unconfident in our game, but throughout the season, we were able to hit a few good mile markers and show improvement all season long.” The Irish shot 357 at City at South Grove to finish third behind Heritage Christian (338) and Chatard (351). Buhner shot 85, with Turner shooting 88 followed by Kehrer (89), Mattingly (95) and Boggs (99). “There was definitely a lot of learning,” Jamell said. “We had a lot of young people who hadn't had as much opportunity playing. They did a good job responding to the circumstances and finding ways to get better throughout the season.” Buhner, who – like her two older sisters – played four seasons for the Irish, played No. 1 through the season and turned in a strong senior season. Jamell said her leadership and experience were critical throughout the season. “She really knows the program and was a great leader,” Jamell said. “She just knows the ritual, knows the routine, and kept all the girls focused.” The Irish finished 12th at the Region 4 Tournament at Edgewood Country Club with a team score of 385. Mattingly led the Irish with a 93 at regional. Turner shot 95 followed by Boggs at 98, Buhner at 99 and Kehrer at 118. The Irish played mostly seniors in 2023, with Buhner and Kehrer providing leadership in 2024 and underclassman turning in strong seasons. With younger players playing a key role, Jamell said the Irish navigated a tough early season schedule and improved as the season continued. “The girls did a great job,” he said. “They took it on and really knew what the challenge was. I tried to encourage them through a couple of early tournaments. Girls golf hits the ground running. It’s a bit of a shocker and a little intimidating. “A couple of those early tournaments were some hiccups, but we really found out what we needed to work on so we were playing our best golf at city and sectionals. We wanted to be playing our best golf at that point. They really took that to heart. They did a great job paying attention to where they needed to improve and making that happen.” Jamell said the 2024 season figures to provide a solid foundation for the future, with young golfers on the varsity and jayvee gaining experience – and entering the offseason focused on improving and moving forward. “We have a lot of sophomores and freshmen on the team,” Jamell said. “We had five or six sophomores and freshmen who were filling in, playing on our jayvee. When we could play eight to 10 girls to a weekday match, they were filling in and playing pretty well. “A lot of them are already telling me, ‘I've got plans in the offseason. I'm going to enter some of the offseason tournaments and work with a swing coach. Going forward, we have a lot of good people who have that competitive mindset, who are wanting to win, and really ready to put in the work to improve their game.”