While hard work is important, Jessica Diley says that there are other things that can be just as important.

“Throughout my journey with golf, I have realized the key to my success is to not take things too seriously,” she said. “Yes, caring about the game is extremely important to performance, but the moment I start having fun is when the magic happens.

Diley is a senior at Elgin High School and member of the Owls golf team. Outside of athletics, she is involved in numerous activities.

“I am a member of the National Honors Society, Student Council, and Multicultural Club,” she said. “I am the founder and president of the International Thespian Society Troupe 10173, which is an honors society for students interested in pursuing a career in theatre arts. I’ve participated in every Drama and Musical Theatre opportunity Elgin h&s provided.”

Throughout her time on the Elgin golf team, Jessica has been fortunate enough to have made some great memories on and off the course.

“My favorite experience was this past season when the entire team had the opportunity to go to state,” she said. “Previously, during my entire high school golf career, I went to state only as an individual and not with the team. It was incredible to be able to share that experience of state with the entire team.”

Diley competes against a number of competitors whenever she is on the course, but she has on player that she tries to beat every time she plays.

“The opponent I enjoy beating the most is myself,” she said. “I love challenging myself to shoot better than the last round I played. Or if the day is not going as planned, I love to focus on overcoming the voice inside my head that tells me I am not enough or not capable of having a good round.”