As the Chillicothe High School boys’ golf season finally got underway this week, a 2-times state-tournament participant for last fall’s Lady Hornets is working on her game as she heads toward playing on the college level. Pending graduate Skyler Powers signed in mid-December to be part of North Central Missouri College’s girls’ golf program during the 2023-23 school year. Qualified to attend the Trenton-based community college through the A-Plus Program, Powers, who finished 25th with a 36-holes score of 194 in last October’s Class 1 state tournament at Bolivar after being 46th with a 205 at Columbia as a junior, noted she was approached by NCMC coach Nate Swann at practice during her senior season to gauge her interest in being part of the Lady Pirates and says she leapt at the chance. “It’s great,” she told the C-T. “I’m really excited.” Swann said there will be both fall and spring play for the NCMC golfers, who play 36-hole matches with 5-player lineups from a 6- or 7-member roster. “I believe she’s going to catch on pretty quick” to college competition, the NCMC coach predicts. “I think she will fill a really big role for us.” The daughter of Michael and Taylor Powers paced the CHS squad in scoring average both as a junior (50.8 per nine holes) and as a senior (47.9). Her senior-year coach, Kim Kieffer, commented, “You could see her dedication” to improving her game and simultaneously helping the CHS team. “She really had her focus on what she wanted to work on and her goals. She really wanted to return to state and play better there and she made it happen.” Kieffer also saluted the senior’s willingness to “take some of her time away from just working on her play” to share advice with the numerous, less-experienced, younger Lady Hornets. On hand for her formal signing, flanking her, were her parents, along with coach Swann (left). Other family members also were on hand. (PAUL STURM/C-T PHOTO)
