Prep athletes of the week: Ace boosts hot start for St. Croix Lutheran golfer

How well have things been going for Groom this spring? Not only has she been a perfect 6-for-6 in winning meets, last week she achieved a major milestone in every golfer's life: Her first hole in one.

"It was 148 yards out and it was a 7-iron," said Groom, the specifics already committed to memory for a lifetime of storytelling. "I hit a good, clean shot. It bounced just short of the hole and rolled right in. I was shocked. I tiptoed up to the hole to make sure it happened."

Groom, who will play at North Dakota State next year, cited a laundry list of reasons for her improved game this year, none more important than a mature mental approach.

"I had a round early this year where I had a really bad second hole, but I told myself to let it go. There was a bunch of golf to be played," she said. "I forgot about it, came back with three birdies and ended up just fine."

Now it's just a matter of continuing this solid stretch of play into the Class 2A state meet in June, where she plans on improving on 2014's 14th-place finish.

"I can't complain," she said. "I'm playing some pretty good golf right now. But I haven't quite reached my peak yet. I think there's still potential improvement."

MICHELLE GUTZMANN

The senior catcher enjoyed a very good week, going 7-for-15 with seven runs scored and 12 RBI. But it was one game that lifted her to rarely experienced heights: In a 17-4 victory over Brooklyn Center, she hit a state record-tying four home runs. "They were all no-doubters!" coach Dan Berthiaume said.

The Cardinals started the season 0-6. They moved Kehr, a freshman shortstop, to the leadoff spot in the lineup and are 8-4 since. Last week, Kehr, who leads the team in batting average, went 9-for-22 with seven RBI and six runs scored.

On Friday, the senior lefthander pitched a perfect game, striking out 14 of the 21 batters he faced in a 6-0 victory over Benilde-St. Margaret's. That followed an April 30 outing where he pitched a one-hitter in a 1-0 loss to Edina. This season, he has an ERA of 0.55.

The two-time defending Class 2A 200-meter dash champion looks to be in good shape to win a third title. At the Class 3A, Section 6 True Team meet last week, he won four events: the 100 meters, 200, 400 (in a school-record time of 49.15 seconds) and long jump.

In nine games, the junior goalkeeper has a state-leading .719 save percentage and a 7-2 record. That save percentage has been even better (.813) during the Bears' recent six-game winning streak. Last week he stopped 24 of 32 shots against Mahtomedi and Orono.

The junior tallied 11 goals in only a game and a half last week. She scored four goals in a 20-7 rout of Hopkins and scored seven goals in the first half against Holy Family. That game was halted at halftime due to lightning and will be resumed on May 18 with the Eagles ahead 10-4.

JIM PAULSEN