Arcadia’s Sonsalla cracks top 10, paces county golfers at prep opener
Arcadia senior Whitney Sonsalla putted during an invitational golf meet to open the 2022 girls' season last Friday morning at La Crosse Country Club. (Times photograph by Benjamin Pierce)
Whitney Sonsalla showed she has no plans of slowing down in her senior season of high school golf last Friday, cracking the top 10 in a loaded field at the season opener at the La Crosse Country Club in Onalaska.
But it could be just the beginning for a player who coach Mike Sobotta described as possibly the best ball striker he has ever seen from the tee boxes and returns from last year’s team that reached the state tournament.
“Whitney hits the heck out of the ball off the tee box. Her distance, it’s just amazing. If she can really get her short game going she’ll be unstoppable,” Sobotta said. “If she just works on that, she’ll be. … right there.”
Sonsalla paced all Trempealeau County golfers with a 10th place finish at the event, carding a 22-over-par 99. Tomah took home the top team score at the event behind the two lowest rounds of the day from Brin Neumann (75) and Amelia Zingler (79).
New Richmond (383), Hudson (390), Stevens Point (424) and Holmen (430) rounded out the top five teams on Friday.
Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau finished eighth as a team with a 498, also behind River Falls at 433 and Onalaska’s 476. Both Arcadia and G-E-T were scheduled to play in an invitational in Holmen on Tuesday before opening the Coulee Conference schedule on Wednesday in Viroqua.
The Red Hawks got a 105 from senior Maggie Bistodeau, a 124 from junior Alexis Murphy as well as a 133 from senior Caydence Kokott and a 136 from junior Chloe Applin. Coach Scott Hovell could not be reached for comment.
The Raiders only had three golfers at the event, not enough for a team score. Ahnna Bautch contributed a 113 and Ithzel Cossio shot a 116. Seniors Kylie Mullikin and Ainsley Marsolek will also play for the Raiders this season.
Sobotta conceded that 2022 is likely to be a different year than the Arcadia program has become accustomed to after years of highly competitive scores and state tournament aspirations. This year will be more about constant improvement and focusing on small victories hole to hole.
“They’re working very hard to start the season, they’re very coachable and they’re nice kids,” Sobotta said. “So that’s a good combination to have and we’re going to improve.”
