Entire varsity roster earns Academic All-State honors

In addition to a third consecutive WIAA Division 2 Girls Golf State Championship, the Prescott Cardinals are adding even more individual accolades to their already stacked resumes.

Outgoing Prescott senior Ava Salay, who claimed her second individual state championship this season at University Ridge, earned Wisconsin Co-Player of the Year honors. Salay joined senior teammates Rhi Stutz and Maddie Reiter and sophomores Jeanne Rohl and Gabbi Matzek in earning Academic All-State honors for the 2022 season.

Of course, the aforementioned Salay headlines the honors with her first Wisconsin Co-Player of the Year distinction. She shares the award with Kylie Walker of Westosha Central. Salay’s 2022 campaign was easily the best of her high school career.

Her nine-hole scoring average for the 2022 season was 35.8, marking the first es of 37.4 in 2021, 39.1 in time in Prescott history that 2020, and 39.7 in 2019 give a season average was under par. Salay’s season averag- See SALAY, Page B-4 her the four lowest averages in school history.

The Player of the Year award is not based on Division 1 or Division 2. Instead, it goes to the best golfer or two golfers in the entire state that season – whether they play for a small school like Prescott or a large school like Waunakee. Prescott head coach Chad Salay spoke about Ava’s recognition.

“It’s quite the honor. That was one of her big goals for the year was to win Player of the Year,” Chad Salay said. “You’ve got to be consistent the whole year. You can’t have any hang-ups. It’s always close because there is such a battle with the top players.”

Ava Salay leaves Prescott as easily the most decorated golfer in school history and as one of the most accomplished athletes in Cardinals history. She was also named the 2022 Middle Border Conference Player of the Year, won a second individual state championship, and set three course records and four event records in her senior campaign.

Ava Salay was part of an original crop of athletes that helped transform Prescott from a middling golf program into a three-time state championship team that resides at the pinnacle of high school golf in Wisconsin. She will continue her athletic and academic career at the University of Wisconsin in Madison where she will play women’s golf for the Badgers.

While Salay had unprecedented success individually, her teammates were right there too. In addition to Salay, the aforementioned Stutz earned MBC First-Team All-Conference honors and so did Rohl. Matzek and Reiter both earned Second-Team All-Conference accolades. All five of the varsity starters also earned that Academic All-State distinction.

To receive Academic All-State honors, the player must have at least a 3.25 GPA and have competed in 75% of the varsity matches throughout the 2022 golf season. Coach Chad Salay spoke about his roster’s success on the course and in the classroom.

“It just shows that they’re just really well-rounded kids,” Prescott head coach Chad Salay said of the academic honors. “They take pride in pretty much everything they do. Just being around them it’s easy to see they’re going to work hard at whatever they do. It’s another feather in their cap.”

The roster’s success on the course propelled Prescott to its third consecutive Division 2 State Championship, making it the fifth high school in Wisconsin golf history to win three titles in a row. Coach Salay spoke about the 2022 and how it ended with a sudden-death victory against the Prairie School for the state title.

“It was exciting the way it finished. We rolled through the year as we anticipated, but to have that finish, that’s something I’ll always reflect on,” Chad Salay said. “I think about the dinners I’ll have with this championship team. There will be so many fun stories to tell. It was a great year and another good bunch of kids.”

While the years have started to blend together for Chad Salay, the importance of his core group of girls that started it all doesn’t fade away. Former players Liz Rohl and Jessica Heinsch, as well as current players and soon-to-be graduates Ava Salay, Rhi Stutz, and Maddie Reiter, who served as the building blocks for what has become a top program in the state.

While great golf talent was certainly required for the success that Prescott sustained, coach Salay stated that camaraderie among the players – who grew up as best friends – was the secret ingredient that put the program over the top.

“I never really knew how important team cohesivity was in golf until I saw it with this group,” Chad Salay said. “I just don’t know if it will ever be matched. They just have a connection and push each other to get better. They have certain aspects that most teams don’t have the advantage of having.”

Salay spoke about how the chemistry between his coaching staff and the entire roster was organic, it was happenstance based on friendships the girls made when they were still in elementary school. That’s something that can’t be faked and has to develop naturally among players and friends.

“We’ve naturally had that since the time they were eight years old,” Chad Salay said. “Darren (Reiter) and I just had two daughters (Ava Salay and Maddie Reiter) that knew all these girls that were great athletes that turned into great golfers. It was a meant-to-be kind of thing that we fell into this awesome group.”

After losing Liz Rohl and Heinsch to graduation last season, and now Ava Salay, Stutz and Maddie Reiter this May, all of the original building blocks of the first state championship team are gone.

While there are unquestionably young bright spots to take the reins and lead the program in Jeanne Rohl and Gabbi Matzek, it’s the end of an era – the original era – of Prescott girls’ golf. Coach Salay spoke about that feeling and moving forward.

“I think it definitely feels like the end of an era. It’s the end of this three-in-a-row run,” Chad Salay said. “We’re going to be defending champs next year, but the three core pieces of three state championship teams are all gone. It’s a fresh start. It’s exciting for me as a coach now to have that challenge too. It’s going to be emotional to see those players move on.”

Prescott senior Ava Salay hits a tee shot during the WIAA Division 2 Regional Championship earlier this season. Salay earned Wisconsin Co-Player of the Year honors for her outstanding success in her senior season, which included both individual and team state championships.Photo by Reagan Hoverman