Senior Johnson Leads 1st Full W-H-A Girls’ Golf Team in Decade to State

10 years is hardly a lifetime ago, but to a majority of the golfers on Walker-Hackensack-Akeley’s girls golf team, it might as well be.

This season, the lady Wolves fielded their first full team in nearly a decade, comprised of three seventh graders, two eighth graders, and one senior. And in their first season back as a team, they won the Section 7A tournament, punching their ticket to state.

Kianna Johnson, the team’s lone senior and a five-time individual section champ, has been a lone wolf at the state tourney the past four years and is glad for the company this time around.

“I’m stoked because I want to be able to share that same experience with them, especially at their young age,” said Johnson. “I want them to be able to see what it’s like, and so being able to share that experience means that, the world to me.”

“It feels great,” said seventh grader Addisyn Lissick. “I mean, I never thought we would actually get here. And [in] seventh grade? I mean, it’s crazy.”

“I’m looking forward to just having fun, playing with my team, and getting better,” she added.

Johnson’s experience has been rubbing off on the young team all season long, and her time spent at state tournament has proved invaluable for giving them advice on how to handle the big stage.

“Just go out there, play your game, have fun, make new friends. I mean, that’s all it is, is just having fun,” Johnson stated. “Of course you want to play good, but at the end of the day, I’m like, ‘I want you guys to make lifelong friends that you can play with throughout the following years to come.”

“She’s just worked us through all of our tournaments, and before tournaments just help us stay calm,” said seventh grader Haylie Brock. “It’s been very cool because, we’re pretty young and we’ve got a great future.”

Perhaps a lot more state tournaments in this group’s future, but it’s for sure the last one for Johnson, who will have one final shot at winning that elusive state title. The girls’ Class A state tournament starts Tuesday, June 10th at Pebble Creek Golf Club in Becker, MN with the first golfers teeing off at 7:30 a.m.