WASHINGTON —

Quick, name the last area team to go to state in back-to-back seasons? Unless you said the Washington Lady Hatchet golf team, you would be wrong. And don’t be surprised if they aren’t there again this year. The Lady Hatchets return a veteran team this fall with high hopes, in spite the loss of graduated senior Claudia Padgett and coach Steve Kovaleski. Padgett, who had been a fixture at the top of area leader boards, has moved on to Butler University, while veteran Washington Catholic boys golf coach Morris Petty will be taking over the reins from Kovaleski, who resigned in the spring. However, the rest of last year’s state-bound squad return. The Lady Hatchets have won more than 100 matches in each of the last three years with the team setting a school record with 116 wins last season. They also picked up their third straight sectional title. This year Larren McDonald and Malina Padgett will take over the mantle of leadership as seniors and take over as captains. Blythe Wildridge, Mikala Barber and Katie Schmitt will provide more than just support from the junior class, as Wildridge and Barber were also medalists or co-medalist last season as sophomores. “Our goal will be to go back to state and do better than we did the last two years,” said McDonald. “I think we can do it. I think we’ll be very consistent this year and things will even out.” Padgett, who has been with the team since seventh grade believes they have created something special in the last four years. “Even when it was just Darrin (Pinnick) and Claudia and then Larren and I, we have worked hard to make a good name for ourselves and people want to be a part of that,” said Padgett. “I think our goal will be to have at least all five girls in the 80s this year. “Mikala is playing really well this summer,” added Padgett. “She hasn’t been playing as long as the rest of us, but is better at the same age.” “She is very dedicated,” added McDonald. This year, sophomore Kayla Mercer will return and incoming freshman Kasey Neff will also have a chance to help the team. “This will be good year for them because they get a year to develop. We will really need them this year,” said Padgett. They said that it will be different without Kovaleski, but they are looking forward to working with Petty. “He really wants us to work on our focus,” said Padgett. “They all strike the ball so well, but sometime get a little impatient chipping and putting,” added Petty. “They have a huge amount of physical talent. We want to work on course management and patience.” The girls come into the season after a strong summer of tournament golf and Petty thinks they will be ready right from the start. They have seven 18-hole tournaments in the first eight days of the season. “It is going to be a hectic start, but I’m looking forward to it” said Petty. “I think we will see matches where we have three or four in the 70s and one or two in the 80s. We are really solid.” WHS opens up at the Providence Invitational on Tuesday, travels to Eagle Valley on Wednesday, plays at Bloomington on Thursday, hosts the Washington Invitational on Friday, before going to Terre Haute on Saturday, all 18-hole matches. North Daviess The North Daviess Cougars will field a one-person team again this season with junior Darrah Holder as the lone participant. Holder qualified for regional last year at Eagle Valley and has made steady improvement over her first two seasons of varsity golf. “We are really looking for big things from Darrah,” said coach Brett Melton. “She has matured physical and is hitting the ball a lot farther. “I think she learned a lot at regional last year being around better players. I think she realizes she is one those better players now.”