Athlete of the Week — Maggie Runyon

West Ashley High School freshman golfer Maggie Runyon was proud when she found out that she was selected as this week’s Athlete of the Week. Although this is just her second year on the team, Runyon has already managed to impress her coach. “Maggie has really stepped up for the Girls Golf team,” says Girls Golf Coach Jennifer Taylor. “Maggie is competitive, determined and has a positive attitude that is very much needed in the game of golf.”
Runyon’s performance has been incredible this season and she continually works to improve her game. “At the beginning of the season, she played the majority of our matches at the #3 position, but in the match against Berkeley she played #1,” says Taylor. “The average of her scores continues to drop, as she works hard in practice and is very focused on the golf course.” In this same match, Runyon shot her personal best and was the Medalist, or the golfer with the lowest score of the match.
Even though she has had a great season, Runyon believes it could have been better. “I could have done better in the beginning of the season,” says Runyon. “I realized that it comes with practice, so next year I will focus more in the beginning.” Even at the end of the season, this dedicated golfer is still looking for ways to improve her game.
One coaching strategy Taylor uses is goal setting. She teaches her golfers to set weekly goals and season goals in order help them improve their game. Runyon says this coaching strategy has definitely helped lower her scores. Her goals for the season are to try and shoot under fifty and have fun. Her goals for this week are to focus on strategy and to increase distance per stroke.
Her teammates and coaches have taught her many important lessons throughout the season. Runyon has learned about sportsmanship, how to be independent, and how to be a leader. According to Runyon, “poor sportsmanship and not being honest”are two things that negatively affect her game. She recently had to handle a situation on the golf course where her opponent miscalculated the score. Runyon addressed the matter in a polite but effective manner. “She was also thanked by an opposing coach for handling [the] situation with excellent integrity and composure,” says Taylor.
Runyon’s positive attitude and problem solving skills come in handy off the golf course too. She is involved in Student Government, works with her church’s concession stand during basketball games, and she volunteers to help supply food to those in need. In addition to golf, Runyon also plays basketball and runs track. In her spare time she enjoys hanging out with friends and shopping.
After high school Runyon hopes to play golf for either the College of Charleston or the University of South Carolina. She plans to major in speech therapy just like her aunt who is already pursing the career. “She talks about how fun her job is,” says Runyon. She is already looking into job shadowing and looking to take classes that will help prepare her for this career.