CALEDONIA — Wednesday college signing news was dominated by football, but the Cavaliers saw another student-athlete gain an offer to take their game to the next level in golf. Evalynn Ward signed her letter of intent to join the program at Pearl River Community College next year after a strong year with Caledonia.
Ward finished the 2024 season ranked 12th in Class 4A individual rankings with an average score of 48.2 in nine-hole matches. She also finished 11th in the state with a 103.3 scoring average in 18-hole matches.
“This was my first year coaching the girls’ golf team here but I’ve known Eva for a while,” Cavs head coach Logan Suggs said. “I’ve had her in class before, she’s a great kid and she’s always going to do what she needs to get a job done. She’s played for a while but decided this year to focus on getting better. She practiced whenever she could, she wanted to be there and that makes a big difference when you’re striving for a goal.”
Ward posted the best performance for Caledonia at the state championships in October with a tie for 14th in the overall field. It earned the recognition of some scouts and the opportunity to sign presented itself.
“I was surprised by the fact that I was able to get interest from anywhere,” she said. “I had thought about it early in the season but I kind of gave up on it. Then they approached me at state and told me I had potential, and that they wanted me to play for them.”
Ward had only started playing golf as a sophomore, so part of her self-doubt came from her inexperience as a player, but as she continued to improve and compete she gained confidence and ambition to take her game to the next level.
“I would say my first year I didn’t take it that seriously, I just did it to have another activity, but I fell in love with the sport. I kept working and this year I got a coach who really worked with us and helped (us) develop.”
Though new to the position, for Suggs, seeing a player earn an opportunity to play at the next level validated the work the team and coaches put in, while recognizing Ward’s achievement.
“It’s a great thing going forward,” Suggs said. “We had a senior-heavy team for the girls and a couple of underclassmen, and for them to see her show up every day and work, try to get better, and now with her opportunity being recognized, it sets a precedent that we’re here to compete. We’re going to have fun, but at the end of the day if you want an opportunity you’re in a good place.”
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