NorthWood junior Mackenzie Weaver will be one of the golfers to watch as the Panthers open a wild start to its 2017 campaign. (Photo by Mike Deak)

NAPPANEE – There was an air of frustration in the NorthWood golf camp coming out of its 2016 campaign. Admittedly achieving nearly every one of its goals, the Lady Panthers fell short of its final target of a state berth. The golfers returning to the black and red are more than capable of keeping the NorthWood train on the tracks, but that regional weekend of a year ago has been fully addressed.

“Personally, I’m trying to lead by example,” said Mackenzie Weaver. “Playing everyday that I can. Going into tournaments. A lot of the younger girls are doing that, too. I can’t tell you the last time I have been in a tournament or on the course where I haven’t seen two or three others out there working. It’s been amazing. I think this might be the most participation and practice I’ve ever seen from our girls.”

Weaver, entering her third year on the varsity as a junior, kept up with the Joneses last season. Weaver was the medalist in seven of the nine-hole events for NorthWood, led the field at the Fort Wayne Canterbury Invite (a sizzling 73), was the sectional runner-up and third-place finisher at the Northern Lakes Conference meet. Her per round averages of 40.6 on nine holes had her place no worse than third and 81.4 on 18-hole tourneys saw her land in the top 10 six different times.

Weaver, along with seniors Madison Richner (46/93 on 9/18 averages) and Hope Cripe (53/110) and junior Abby Slabaugh (47/94), bring a wealth of varsity tournament and dual experience. That bitter ending at Cobblestone, however, where NorthWood finished in fourth place 10 strokes out of a state qualifier in the East Noble Regional, was a talking point in the offseason. The message was made clear.

“It’s just a process,” Weaver said. “You need to learn that all days aren’t going to be good and not all days are going to be bad. That’s the game. Sometimes you have it and sometimes you don’t. It’s kind of fun to say this could be it. And if it’s not, then you have to take it, learn from it, and make yourself better from it.”

Getting back to that point is still the high bar goal for the Panthers coming off an 11-0 season and its eighth regional appearance in nine years. NorthWood hasn’t lost an Northern Lakes Conference dual since 2011, now 36 wins in a row, and has had a hand in five straight NLC titles and has won two sectional titles in the past three years. In what has become quite a run the past decade, where names like Amy Thompson, Heidi Morganthaler, Linnzie Richner and Summer Stillson have left indelible marks on the program, coach Adam Yoder hasn’t needed to do much selling.

“It’s taken us four or five years, but it’s the expectation now,” noted Yoder, who pointed out Thompson, the first NorthWood golfer ever to place in the top 10 at state, had wished the program luck last week. “We have to keep doing what we’re doing and shoot for the record board. That’s what we’re gunning for. You play at that level, and you’re doing something right. We’ve had quality girls come through this program and establish NorthWood as a good program. The girls here now need to keep working and make this keep going in the right direction.”

NorthWood will begin its 2017 campaign today at the Lafayette Harrison Invite as part of a brutal beginning of the tour. NorthWood continues in Tippecanoe County Tuesday at Battle Ground for the Lafayette Jeff Invite, then moves to the Lake Central Invite Wednesday before moving across Indiana to greater Fort Wayne Thursday for the Leo Invite. Appearances Saturday for a regional preview at the East Noble Invite and another area test next Monday at the Canterbury Invite should have phone data plans pushing max and the bus tires needing air.

“We have to travel more and get in more tournaments because there just aren’t enough tournaments for us to get into around here,” said Yoder, whose team begins the season ranked No. 18 in the IHSGCA preseason poll. “The farther south you go, the better the teams are when you look at Indianapolis and the teams down there. Evansville North starts the year No. 1 and won the state title last year.

“We just feel like the more we play, the better we will be in the state tournament,” continued Yoder. “You can’t simulate tournament golf in practice. You just can’t. You can say whatever you want to them at a practice, but you can’t simulate tournament rounds other than being in tournament rounds.”

Around the area, Wawasee begins Tuesday, Warsaw and Tippecanoe Valley open Wednesday as does Triton.