How the the Gilbert girls golf seniors plan to make the most of their final season

Giggling.

Chewing gum.

Browsing the internet.

Putting up with coach Grant Walker's flamboyant victory celebrations.

These are some of the things the four seniors on the defending Class 3A state champion Gilbert girls golf team do to pass the time when they are not focusing on the golf course.

“Of course we want to do well,” said Josie Dukes. “But we’re also trying to have a lot of fun.”

Dukes, Haley Loonan, Macy Underwood and Eden Lohrbach make up the group of seniors starting for Gilbert at the varsity level. They all have unique personality traits.

Dukes provides great levity during practices with her infectious laugh and good-natured spirit.

“Once I start laughing, I can’t hold my club anymore,” Dukes said.

Loonan is a competitive golfer who loves to chew gum. She is looking forward to one final season with her teammates.

“We all put in a lot of work in the offseason,” said Loonan. “I’m excited to see what the season holds for us.”

Underwood is the most vocal of the group. She is also the most inquisitive.

“I spend too much time online," said Underwood. "I like to know things. I’m pretty involved with political and world news. I keep an eye on that stuff.”

Lohrbach is the perfectionist on the team. The future Division I golfer with the Nebraska Cornhuskers is a two-time individual state champion and one-time runner-up in 3A.

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She is firmly dedicated to the sport and shows a great passion for the game. Lohrbach will always find time to work on her game, and she keeps everyone else on the team grounded.

“I just want to play well,” said Lohrbach. “I want to have all parts of my game work together, be mentally strong and see what score I can shoot.”

When the four seniors come together, it always means a good time.

“We have a great dynamic,” Lohrbach said. “It’s a lot of fun to go to meets.”

It also means a lot of victories. The Tiger seniors have not lost a dual meet since they started playing as freshmen.

Gilbert placed second as a team at the 3A state meet when they were freshmen, and again as sophomores. Last year as juniors, they broke through and led the Tigers to their first 3A team championship, beating Wahlert Catholic by 19 strokes for the title.

“I’m excited for what this year holds,” Underwood said. “We’re playing against some more difficult teams, so that will be good for us in preparation for state.”

Walker is anticipating a big final year from the seniors.

“I’ve known them all for a long time, even before high school golf,” said Walker. "Eden is the anchor, she’s been the No. 1 golfer in not just 3A, but probably the state of Iowa. Macy can shoot 75 (18 holes) on any given day, and Josie and Haley both are pretty consistent. As the season wears on, they’re going to get a little bit sharper and be those mid-low 80s and high 70s scores we can count on. I truly think we have six golfers that may shoot in the 70s at one point this year, and hopefully, they all do it on the same day. That will be incredible.”

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The other two varsity golfers for Gilbert are Eden's younger sisters, sophomore twins Ava and Ella Lohrbach.

Ella said she has enjoyed learning from the seniors.

“We’ve looked up to them,” said Ella Lohrbach. “We’ve been watching them for four years now, and it’s been fun playing with them.”

Ava appreciates the different personalities each senior brings to the table.

“They’re all amazing,” said Ava Lohrbach. “They all add so much to this team.”

Walker loves their competitive nature and the depth they provide the team.

“They push each other,” Walker said. “There is a lot of competition on this team. We played a meet yesterday and Eden only won by one stroke. Macy was right behind her. They bring a level of consistency that almost no team in the state is going to have.”

Gilbert opened the season Thursday by winning a triangular with Greene County and Des Moines Christian by 41 strokes over nine holes at the Hill Golf Course in Grand Junction. Even with the decisive victory, Walker said the girls were not pleased with how they played.

“They understand that everybody is going to give them their best shot,” Walker said. “They understand you’ve got to be locked in and ready every time you tee up.”

The seniors are looking forward to the challenge of staying up for every meet and gradually improving, so they can peak at the end of the season. They want to shoot a school-record score, break 300 as a team over 18 holes and remain undefeated in dual meets.

“How cool would it be if we got to say we never lost a regular season meet in our high school career?” Dukes said.

They also want to get the better of Walker at practice.

“During practice we do competitions,” Eden Lohrbach said. “A varsity and a JV person play together. Our JV is strong too, and we had one girl chip in during a competition to win. Grant was on her team, and he did a lap screaming.”

They do not want to lose to him again, even if he does amuse them with his celebrations.

"Grant likes to rub wins in our faces," Dukes said. "At practice when Grant is jumping around and celebrating, I can't not laugh."

But the real prize the seniors are striving for in their last go-around would be a repeat 3A state championship.

“I think we’re capable of a lot,” Eden Lohrbach said. “I’m just excited to see what we’re going to be able to do.”

Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Gilbert girls golf seniors are ready for a banner final season