Elk City senior golfer Brett Barnett is looking for a “much higher” finish at state this spring.

Barnett, then a junior, tied for 18th at the 4A girls golf state championship in Cushing last May. As a team, the Elkettes finished 12th.

“After my junior season, I felt like I saw a lot of success. It was a result of hard work and practice,” Barnett says. “It made me want to strive to work harder during my senior year and try to make all-state. . . I hope to be in the top five, at least.”

Barnett says the weather made for tough conditions at state last year. This year, the tournament will be hosted at Prairie West Golf Course in Weatherford. Barnett expects the close proximity to home will play in her favor as she “will get to go see the course a lot more often.”

“The greatest thing I learned from last year was to enjoy every moment of my season,” Barnett says. “There is no guarantee how far the team will go, so we need to work together and try as hard as we can to encourage each other. Every stroke counts.”

“You can win by one or lose by one as well if we give up.”

Elk City head girls golf coach Rachel Poole says Barnett is not only her most talented returning golfer, but her work ethic and experience will add value to the team this spring.

“She (Barnett) is a player to watch this Spring as I feel she will be in contention at all tournaments,” Poole says.

“This offseason has been a lot of hard work and chilly practices. I’ve worked with coach Poole through the tough shots to get it all fixed for the season,” Barnett says.