It’s a muggy, dreary, brisk day at Bittersweet Golf Course in Gurnee. The flagpoles are whistling in the wind, as coaches and onlookers have their hands in their pockets, trying to keep warm in the raw conditions. Golfers have taken to their respective tees; all warmed up and stretched out, they hope to earn a final spot at the downstate tournament. As the IHSA Sectional finally gets underway after the previous day’s postponement, LHS sophomore Simone Mikaelian gets ready to try to advance to the State finals, where she can improve on her overall score of 167 from the previous year. As Mikaelian approaches her first tee shot, she is locked in and focused on reaching the next round.
“It was pouring to where we couldn’t see,” stated Mikaelian. “Since I really don’t like playing with a jacket, I had to wear our team shirt, so it was super cold.”
At the end of the tournament, Mikaelian finished by shooting 11 over par the first day, followed by a 10 over par the next day, finishing with a two-day total of 165, an improvement of two strokes from last year’s State appearance.
“It was a great experience because I actually got the chance to go down with my teammate, as well as other teammates watching me. It was a fun time bonding with my teammates,” stated Mikaelian. Senior Jessica Lovinger also made it to the state tournament after tying Mikaelian’s sectional score of an 81.
According to senior Reilly Burnetti, the best part of Mikaelian’s game is her positive mentality toward the sport. “Simone is always focused during her matches. You’ll always see her in her same routine and ready to play,” stated Burnetti.
Mikaelian has been on varsity girls golf for her first two years of high school. As a younger kid, she did not get involved in the sport until her middle school years because her father influenced her into competing in the sport. He would take her out to the golf course, and she just fell in love with the sport. She competed in IJGA (Illinois Junior Golf Association) tournaments to help her prepare for high school level competition. According to Mikaelian, the tournaments had a similar format to high school competitions, as the number of holes and types of awards were the same.
As she grew older, she started playing more challenging courses in the area. Courses like Pine Meadow, Countryside and Knollwood posed challenges to Mikaelian, yet she persevered and kept playing because of her true love for the game.
This preparation has showed off tremendously in high school, as some of Mikaelian’s best scores include shooting an 80 after sinking seven pars on holes seven to 17 at the North Suburban Conference tournament to advance to Regionals. She also started the year off with a bang, as she took third at the Barrington Invite by shooting an impressive 73 over 18 holes.
“There might be some natural talent [in Mikaelian], but that is overshadowed by how much time she spends and how much effort she puts into her game,” stated head coach Mr. Greg Pedersen. “Not everybody could be a State qualifier for golf. But then again, a lot of talented golfers aren’t State qualifiers.”
Mikaelian attributes much of her success to her teammates and coaches because as experienced as she is, she still takes as many helpful tips and advice from her coaches to learn more and more every day. Mr. Pedersen noted that Mikaelian is a committed individual and deserves all of the credit given to her by her peers.
“[The coaches] have helped a ton,” Mikaelian stated. “They are on the course giving helpful tips and have really turned me into a better golfer.”
In addition to competing on the golf course, Mikaelian also applies her athletic abilities to the basketball court, where she is currently playing for the JV Libertyville girls basketball team. Basketball is not her number one sport, yet she still enjoys playing because many of her closest friends are on the team. On the freshmen A team, Mikaelian played the role of “team player” by dishing out 45 assists and adding 28 steals in 20 games started.
In the spring, the Golf and Sports Center in Buffalo Grove is where Mikaelian can be found. The complex is made up of two sand bunkers, a putting green and a driving range for golfers of all ages. To stay fresh in the offseason, Mikaelian uses the complex to practice a variety of shots to help prepare her for the next season.
“We’re excited for next season. We have Simone at number one, better than most other schools’ number ones and have talented players coming up,” stated Pedersen.
Mikaelian has aspirations for after Libertyville, as she noted that it would be honor to play her favorite sport in college. She is still uncertain to where life after Libertyville may take her, yet she is keeping her options open.
“Not a whole lot of people get the chance to play in college,” stated Mikaelian. “It would be a great opportunity for me.”
