OSWEGO — Iola High School senior Briley Prather made a strong first impression after opening the season with a first-place trophy at the Labette County Invitational Tuesday in Oswego. Although small, the Iola High School golf team made the most of its numbers with two top-15 finishers including junior Brooklyn Holloway, whose score locked her in a three-way tie for 14th place.
“Briley had a really good round. She stayed composed,” Iola coach Jeremy Sellman said. “Her exact words were, ‘I just hit the ball and I just went up and hit it again.’ I’m pretty excited about it. We have room for improvement in places, but I think it will be a successful year.”
Looking to pick up where she left off in 2024, where she and Holloway came just short of punching their tickets to the state tournament, Prather carded a 55 while making a lap around the par 36 course. For Sellman, who took over the program in the second year of its revival, he did not have much advice to give on Tuesday. Instead, he let Pather and Holloway rely on their instincts and talent to carry them through.
“The greens were slow, and it took them a couple of holes to adjust to the putting,” Sellman said. “The fairway conditions were in pretty good shape but the rough was pretty rough. Whenever they were over there they had to focus and adjust a few things. That was the first time I ever saw that course, so I didn’t have a lot of advice for them.”
Holloway, meanwhile, carded a 68. As a three-sport athlete, Holloway has athletic intangibles not common in golf. If Holloway can combine her athleticism with an experienced golf game, Sellman believes she has the potential for more than one state bid.
“They spent a lot of time in the offseason working on their game and trying to get better,” Sellman said.
“They’ve bought into the deal. Brooklyn is an athlete. She was in the top 10 the first three holes, then just had some bad luck. That girl has a ton of potential. We just have to get her to realize she can maximize it by having a little more mental toughness.”
The IHS golf team returns to the links Sept. 11 for the Pittsburg Invitational at Crestwood Country Club. Sellman said Crestwood will expose Prather and Holloway’s weaknesses and allow him a better view of where they can improve before the postseason.
“Crestwood is a tough course, so that will be a challenge for them,” Sellman said. “Just having two girls out, it puts a lot more on me as a coach.
“We have a lot more one-on-one time and can focus on certain aspects of the game. After seeing them play Tuesday, that gave me a good idea of what we need to work on to make them better.”
