Morgan McCluskey Wirtz gained respect at North Harford as a major contributing member of the golf team for four years. Upon graduation, Wirtz continues to putt away her competition as a member of the Stevenson University women’s golf team.
So far, Wirtz placed second individually at her first collegiate tournament, the Dickinson Invitational. As a freshman, she is already a contributing member of the team.
“No holes in one yet, but I did have my first ever chip in the other day,” Wirtz joked.
The most difficult part of being a student-athlete has been time management. While there is more free time, there is also a bigger workload and practice schedule to work around.
“High school was so much easier. The classes were instructed so that you understood the material while in the classroom. In college, the professors are there for the basics. You have to put the real time and effort in on your own,” says Wirtz. “They also understand when you have to miss class. Some will give you a hard time, but they realize the student athletes are there for academics first.”
While balancing and managing the course load, the golfers also have to find time to practice as a team. If they can’t make it to team practices, they are expected to get it in on their own time.
“Due to my schedule, there are some days when I can practice with the team, and others when I can’t practice on the course. It’s difficult when we can’t practice together, but each and every member of the team is so enthusiastic and I love it,” said Wirtz.
Teammates include 2012 graduate Alicia Greene who made the switch from soccer to golf at Stevenson.
“All of us are so competitive and we want to be better than the others. Sometimes we see that we aren’t at the same level as our teammates, so we try to be just as good and that improves the program overall. It really helps bring the team together too,” said Wirtz.
Wirtz is also improving with the help of her new coaches.
“Our coaches work so hard to make us a better team. They’ve taught me to think before each shot, analyze all the possible options, fix my mechanics, and help me manage the course much better overall,” says Wirtz.