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Peoria Times
SPORTS
November 18, 2021
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Liberty High School’s ‘Big 3’ leads team to title BY DEREK MOSKAL
Peoria Times Staff Writer
The Liberty High School girls golf team outlasted Xavier and Hamilton high schools to win the D1 State Championship. “It’s been an awesome ride watching these girls, especially on day two coming down the stretch,” said Kyle Pooler, who is in his second year as head coach. Prior to the 2020 season, Pooler had not coached golf, nor was he involved in the sport. “I swing a club at a ball, and I try to hit it closer to the hole every time I swing. That’s the extent of my golf expertise,” he said. Despite having minimal experience coaching golf, Pooler spent 24 years helming football teams. He carries this winning mentality in every sport he coaches. “I’m a high-expectation guy no matter what I coach,” he said. “If you’re trying to play a game or a sport, and you’re trying to play for second place, why are you playing?” That’s what he shared with the athletes’ parents who said they hope the team lands within the top three in the state. “I said we need to stop. Stop saying top three,” he said. “We are either going to try to win the state championship or we aren’t. If we keep saying the top three, we’ll be satisfied with it. So, I tried to get them to change that mindset into winning the state championship, and that’s where our mindset needs to be,” Pooler said. The players bought into Pooler and his style. “His job isn’t to adjust our game but more of teaching the team aspect of playing, getting us through that part, and making sure we are all good and have what we need,” senior Mattie Frick said.
doing,” Pooler said. “She’s super focused on doing everything the right way and being the best golfer and teammate she can be.” He noticed that about each of his Big 3. “Work ethic everywhere. The thing about these girls is that they would do anything and everything they can to get The team, from left, is Kea Kohatsu, Teaen Sweet, Kait- better,” he said. lyn Anderson, Mattison (Mattie) Frick, Brooke McGOther than the “Big lasson, Annika Saida and Mariela Bierberach. They are 3,” Pooler had to coached by Kyle Pooler, back. (Photo courtesy of the Liberty choose two others for High School girls golf team) state. Coming into the season, Pooler knew “It was a matter of getting the experihe had three girls who would carry ence we needed,” Pooler said. the team. They were Frick and juniors “My top three really didn’t need to Brooke McGlasson and Annika Saida. play a whole lot. They were going to go Pooler referred to them as the “Big 3.” in and do their thing for the team. So, it The defending state champion, Frick was the final two for me to figure out.” participated in the state championship They decided on junior Teaen Sweet all four years she’s been at Liberty. After and sophomore Kaitlin Anderson. With winning state last year, she placed sec- the five golfers in play, the team headed ond at the national tournament. Still, she down to the Tucson Omni National Golf wasn’t satisfied. Club with an underdog mentality. “I don’t necessarily look at myself as Throughout the first day, Frick had her someone who is going to win every tour- eye on team and individual titles. Hownament,” she said. “I still look at myself ever, when Hamilton High School’s as having a lot of work to do. I need to Jennifer Seo took a healthy lead, Frick work really hard to maintain where I am shifted strictly to a team mentality. and get better. I think I have the person“Middle of my round on the second ality to always improve and not be sat- day, I figured she’s playing great, so I let isfied.” my focus go more toward the team, help Pooler knew of her work ethic when my teammates, and take on the team viche started coaching. Already committed tory, which in the end is much better,” to play at the University of Illinois next Frick said. year, Frick had unfinished business at At the end of the first day, Liberty had Liberty. a slim 2-stroke lead over Xavier High “Anybody who can spend seven hours School with Hamilton High School a day out on the golf course when it’s close behind. 110 out is very dedicated to what she’s “At dinner that night we just talked
about, ‘Look, we may have the lead, but we still are the underdogs.’ I looked at some of them and said, ‘You can shoot better, you can shoot better.’ And they all agreed,” Poole said. Saida said she could play better. “When I ended up on the first day, my course management mistakes took over my score,” Saida said. “The next day I came back and told myself that I was ready and I wasn’t going to make silly mistakes. I know how the course is, and I know how to play.” Pooler told her to stop chasing birdies and shoot for pars, which is what he needed. However, she double bogeyed the first hole on the second day, seemingly erasing the lead that the team set on the first day. “I didn’t let that hole get to me. My mentality has gotten really good this season,” Saida said. “So, I just let it go and said that I can do this.” She finished the day with one of her best scores and placed 20th in the tournament. She was in one of the first groups that finished, so she watched her teammates and the scoreboard unfold for the remainder of the tournament. For personal reasons, McGlasson didn’t look at the scoreboard while she was playing. “Honestly, it was one of the hardest things I did other than play, because you want to know where you are. But at the same time, you just want to keep the focus,” she said. Pooler asked her to avoid stalking the scoreboard so she could stay focused. “All you can control is the best you can play,” McGlasson said. Heading into the tournament, she aspired to crack the top 10, and her eighth-place finish did exactly that. Finally, once she finished, she sat back and SEE BIG
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