Athlete of the Week - Piper Heady

Making an impression early in her high school career, freshman Piper Heady has quickly become a major part of the White County High School golf team.

Heady placed first, shooting an even-par of 72 helped lead the Warriorettes golf team to win districts with a combined score of 148.

Being a freshman competing in a district match against girls who are likely juniors or seniors could bring a lot of pressure, but Heady did not let this affect her game.

“Yes, it makes me a little nervous, but not really because I know that I am good or even better than them,” Heady said.

Throughout the entire season, Heady remained consistent, which was one quality that strongly stood out to coach Eric Mitchell. 

“Her consistency, and she also doesn’t get herself in trouble on the golf course by hitting it too far, hitting it right, hitting it left,” Mitchell said. “She’s just pretty consistent down the middle and good around the green.”

For many people, winning something like a district tournament sets expectations high, and for Heady it did just that.

“Having a district win impacts my expectations for when I’m a senior by raising the bar to win state and keep getting better,” Heady said.

Mitchell also holds high expectations for Piper and the rest of the Warriorettes moving forward with advancing to state being the main goal.

“[A] State championship is our goal for the next four years,” Mitchell said. “All three girls have been up and played the course that we play state on, and that was good for them. It gives them a little confidence going in. Last year, Lenzie made it as a freshman, and it was kind of overwhelming, but it won't be this year because we’ve all gone up there and played the course a couple times this summer."

Mitchell has seen many talented golfers come and go over the years, even having four girls go on to play Division I. He believes that Heady’s consistency is one of the qualities that separates her from other golfers he has coached.

“I’ve had four girls play Division I golf, and they were really good too, as a freshman, just not as consistent as Piper,” Mitchell said. “They’re basically all the same on the golf team with Lenzie, Piper, and Ava. They’re all the same. I think their averages were 74, 75, and 75 for the year. They’re just all very consistent at a young age.”

Alongside Heady's individual success, the Warriorettes have a strong chemistry which they believe has played an important role in the team’s success. 

 “Having such a strong chemistry helps improve team scores because when one of us has a bad day, we pick each other up and post good scores,” Heady said.

Heady and the Warriorettes will continue their postseason run as they advance to the region tournament on Monday, September 28, with the goal of advancing to the state championship.