Allison Applequist didn’t start playing high school golf until her junior year when she was looking to try something new.
Since then, Applequist has rapidly grown from a golfing novice to a college signee.
The Thomas More Prep-Marian senior signed her letter of intent Friday with Bethany College to continue her golf career.
“I had played volleyball. I just decided I needed a change and I wanted to do something new,” Applequist said of her decision to take up the sport. “The second I stepped on the course, I knew it was the right decision. I kind of found my place within my school and my teammates, and it’s been a great experience.”
Applequist said she attended some junior golf camps when she was younger and knew the basics, but “realized there was so much more I had to learn” once she joined the Monarch golf team.
She proved to be a quick learner.
After getting re-acquainted with the game during her junior season, Applequist made major strides during her senior season.
“By the end of my junior year, I think I had my skill set pretty fundamentalized,” she said. “I had a great structure. And then senior year, I just built up on that.”
Applequist earned second-team Class 3-2-1A honors last fall. She placed ninth at regionals with a 98 and was 25th at the state tournament with a two-day total of 199.
“In those two years she played at TMP, she really grew,” TMP coach Jeremy Coulter said. “She put in a ton of work. And the results showed by her senior year with a lot of great accomplishments in a lot of tournaments. Just very proud of Allison and I looked forward to watching her continue career as a golfer and a Swede.”
After the solid senior season, Applequist soon realized that playing at the next level would be an option. College plans came together quickly once Bethany coach Oliver Rubenstien reached out to recruit her.
“It’s kind of surreal,” she said. “It all just kind of happened in one week. I got a text from him, I got a call, I had a visit. Everything happened so fast but it felt like the right decision. It’s been great.
“Right after that phone call, I told my dad, ’This is the right decision.’ [Rubenstien is] a great guy and I feel like he has my best interest at heart, and I feel like the whole school does. There’s just a lot of support waiting for me there.”
Applequist will be double-majoring in business administration and visual arts administration at Bethany, located in Lindsborg.
She said the strong end to her senior season will give her confidence as she moves on to the next level.
“I think that’s kind of what set the tone for me going to college to play golf,” Applequist said. “I’m just kind of ready to see how my skill set can build over the summer.
“I think for me, consistency will be key, just kind of getting all my shots in the right place. I have the skill set I need for college golf, but just more of the experience and time is kind of what I need to build up.”