Clovis East golfer redefines her game

Hannah Sodersten

Hannah Sodersten could have left well enough alone.

After all, Sodersten has been one of the Central Section’s best girls golfers since arriving at Clovis East High in 2008.

She had one of the most dominant seasons in section history as a junior last year, averaging 69.3 strokes per 18 holes, including a Tri-River Athletic Conference scoring record with a 66 at Madera Municipal Golf Course.

But Sodersten enters today’s Central Section Individual Championships at Bakersfield’s Rio Bravo Country Club as much a work in progress as polished senior when the 46-girl tournament starts at 11 a.m.

“It’s hard to play right now, considering I’m working on all these changes, but I know it will be better for me in the long run,” said Sodersten, who is averaging a slightly over-par 36.6 per nine holes this season after making several tweaks to her game in anticipation of teeing it up for Fresno State next fall.

“I’ve been pretty good through the years, but I need to better myself to compete at the collegiate level.”

So Sodersten — who placed sixth, second and eighth in this tournament the previous three years — has put her game under the microscope, trying to perfect her posture, positioning and angle of her swing. She has also incorporated weightlifting into her training and recently changed putters.

“I’ve really wanted to win it in past years because I’ve had a shot,” Sodersten said. “And it’s tough because I did want to win it this year, but if I don’t, it’s no big deal because I know there is more in my future beyond high school.”

Sodersten tees off at 11:40 a.m. in a group that includes Bullard’s Erin Falge and Hanford West’s Hannah Fachini.

Other top contenders include Yosemite’s Jordan Keyser, Clovis North’s Alanna Loyd, Clovis West’s Camille Orito, Stockdale’s Kaley In, Frontier’s Meghan Shain, Mission Oak’s Ava Lourenco, Redwood’s Christina Trujillo, Bakersfield’s Kendall Huser and Hanford’s Paulette Maskarino.

Up to 12 golfers will advance to the Southern California Regional on Nov. 10 at Golf Club Rancho California.

By Nick Giannandrea