KMAland story

KMA Sports continues to recap the fall sports season with the inaugural KMAland Missouri Girls Golfer of the Year. The first honor goes to East Atchison senior state champion Kelsea Kirwan.

Kirwan captivated the KMAland Missouri golf scene all year with strong performances, leading her to the Class 1 individual title and her team to the team title.

“I’m going to cherish everything,” Kirwan said. “Our team was great throughout the whole season. It was great how the year ended.”

Kirwan and her teammates entered the season with lofty expectations after last year’s trip to state.

“We knew it was possible,” Kirwan said. “But we never thought we would do it until we actually did. We knew what we needed to do individually. We liked to push each other because we love to compete. Those competitions helped us when we needed it.”

Kirwan and Alex Barnett paced the Lady Wolves’ talented lineup throughout the year. In hindsight, Kirwan credits Barnett with a large part of her success.

“We were always beside each other,” Kirwan said. “Being surrounded by her pushed me to do the best I could.”

Kirwan had many stellar performances, but she saved her best for last at the Class 1 State Tournament. She had a strong first day at state, carding a 95. Her score put her second in the clubhouse heading into the final day.

“The first day, I knew I had to play good just to be up there,” she said. “The second day, it hit me that it was possible to win.”

Kirwan carded a 94 on the second day to win the state title by five strokes. Her title paced East Atchison’s team to a title as the Wolves posted an 826 team score – 83 strokes ahead of the runner-up.

“I didn’t believe it at first,” she said. “It didn’t click until I turned in my scorecard and saw all the scores around me. You never think you can do something like that until you actually do it. I surprised myself. I like to be humble, but it was rewarding to come out on top.”

Kirwan feels she saved a few strokes with her precision around the greens.

“I had to work on chipping and putting because that’s where you lose strokes,” she said. “I knew I had to be better around the greens.”