Trible leading Jags golf team into postseason

The Spain Park High School girls golf team is preparing for another postseason push this spring.

Led by Taylor Trible, the Jaguars are aiming to make some noise as the season winds down and they believe the pieces are in place to do just that.

“This year, I’ve seen continuous improvement along the way,” Spain Park coach Kelly Holland said. “I like their approach to playing. I think that we’re in a really good position to see what we can do and see how far we can go.”

For a few years, Trible has been part of the support cast that made Spain Park such a strong team. She has played with the likes of Caroline Waldrop, who won the low medalist trophy at the state tournament in 2018. She has played with Marilyn Steed, who won a couple of  individual titles in her time at Spain Park. Both are now playing at UAB.

“They treated me just like I was everyone else, not like I was younger than them,” Trible said. “I felt like I was right there with them.”

Trible, a junior, has taken on the primary leadership role now and is excelling. She shot the low round (68) on the first day of the Hoover March Madness tournament in early March. She won low medalist honors at the Spain Park Invitational in mid-March. She made the all-tournament team at the Auburn Invitational in mid-April.

“It’s been really cool,” Holland said of Trible’s progress over the years. “I remember Taylor when she was in the eighth grade, and you talk about somebody getting experience and gaining confidence. She really is a tremendous leader for this team.”

Trible was set for a breakout campaign last season before COVID-19 shortened the high school season. But she began playing in Southeast Junior Golf Tour events last year and she said that has helped her gain plenty of experience and confidence as well.

“Playing in all the high school tournaments at such a young age helped me learn what it’s like in that environment and helped me learn what to do in different situations,” she said.

One thing Trible attributes to her continued improvement and success on the golf course is her experience as a competitive swimmer, something she began when she was 8 years old. But by the time she arrived at high school, it became apparent golf was going to be her main sport.

Both sports require plenty of mental toughness and discipline, since they are individual sports in many ways, relying on one’s time or score and nothing else.

Along with Trible, Courtney Johnson, Polly Kate McCrackin, Carmen Britt and Emma Fortier have been the top scorers for the team this year. Johnson and Fortier are freshmen, while McCrackin and Britt are still in middle school.

“These girls are young but they’re good,” Holland said, “and they just need to play with confidence and believe that they’re good enough to do it. I enjoy watching them play because they love to play so much.”

As of press time, the section tournament at Highland Park had yet to be played. Should the Jags advance, they would play in the North Sub-State tournament in Huntsville on May 3, followed by the state tournament in Mobile the following week.

“I’m excited to see what happens,” Trible said.