Mayor Katie Hemmer to continue leading Jamestown golf team

Aug. 17—JAMESTOWN — Katie Hemmer is a mother who holds a full-time job and a political office. What's another part-time job on top of all of that? "I really like coaching the golf team," Hemmer said. "It is really fun. It is really fun to watch these athletes have the opportunity to grow. That is the goal of all of our high school athletics teams. That is why we support high school athletics. Not only is it something to do, it really is part of building good people. "You learn so much about yourself," she said. "You can do hard things. You can overcome obstacles and you can learn new skills. Those are things you can apply to the rest of your life." Hemmer is entering her fourth year as the Blue Jays' head golf coach. She was elected Jamestown's mayor in June and still acts as the Jamestown Regional Airport director. Her daughter, Kaia, will be entering her freshman year at Jamestown High School this fall. "It does look like all of this is going to be possible," Hemmer said. "I delegate and ask for help when I need it. That's how I get things done but it's a fairly intense calendar. I use color-coding so it's like a big rainbow which makes things kind of fun." The golf team's schedule is also rather intense. Hemmer and the Jamestown High School girls golf team began practices on Aug. 10. The team's first competition is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 14, at Rolla Country Club. The next week on Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 17-18, the Blue Jays will host its annual East-West Classic. Every Class A golf team in the state will participate in the tournament. The golfers will play 18 holes at Hillcrest Golf Course and 18 holes at the Jamestown Country Club. The Blue Jays will play in eight tournaments between Aug. 21 and Sept. 22. The West Region Meet is scheduled for Sept. 28 and the State Tournament will be played Oct. 5-6. "The golf season in the fall is just like getting shot out of a cannon," Hemmer said. "It's the way you have to do it with our weather restrictions and it is so fun. We want the kids out playing — I wouldn't sacrifice any tournaments for more practice time or anything like that. The schedule — the way it is set up — gives us the most chance to participate the best we can." Hemmer said she is looking at the possibility of adding an assistant coach to help lighten her workload. "That's not just necessary because I have more obligations than I've had in previous seasons but also because I have a lot of beginner golfers," Hemmer said. "In the past I've given them the opportunity to play a round at a different course during a tournament. I cannot be in two places at once so it'd be hard for me to take golfers to those meets unless someone else is there supervising." As of Thursday, Aug. 6, Hemmer was expecting 10 girls to come out for the season. "We knew coming into this season that we were going to be a little light on golfers on the roster," Hemmer said. "We have some rebuilding to do, but I am really excited because we do have some seventh graders coming out and some others who are just kind of new to the game of golf. That's kind of exciting for building the future of the program." Sophomore Braelyn Wiese will be the most experienced golfer on the Blue Jays' roster this fall. Wiese has been a member of the Jamestown High School varsity golf team since her eighth grade year. Wiese qualified to the NDHSAA State Golf Championships last season, finishing the two-day event with a score of 188. "I anticipate Braelynn to play our No. 1 spot this year," Hemmer said. "She's been playing a lot of golf this summer so I am hoping she can carry that through the season and really perform well as an individual." In June, Wiese attended Medora's girls golf camp and played in the Rough Rider Girls Golf Classic in Medora, North Dakota. She finished third overall in tournament play and also won the camp's chipping competition. She qualified for the Drive, Chip and Putt finals held on June 8. Wiese's ending score was a 45 in Medora. Medora's Rough Rider Girls Golf Classic is a part of the Dakota Junior Golf Association (DJGA). Wiese is a member of the DJGA. Wiese participated in several other DJGA tournaments throughout the summer. "She has a really nice swing and she hits the ball a really long ways," Hemmer said of Wiese. "Even though she's not a very big person she generates a lot of club-head speed, which is really key at getting the golf ball to go a long ways. "Also, she has a really positive attitude and a lot of emotional maturity," she said. "She has shown that since she was a seventh grader. That control of your emotions is really important for how you perform in the golf course. ... There is a lot of emotional reaction to every shot so to keep yourself level-headed in the game and physically and mentally focused — that's a really good skill for golfers to have. (Wiese) has a natural ability to take care of that." There is one senior on the Jays' roster this season. "Ivy Cordell came out first as a junior last year and had some golf experience but not a lot and she made some great improvements during the season last year," Hemmer said. "She's going to step into a pretty big leadership role this year as our senior on the team and playing at the varsity spot. It will be fun to watch her step up in only her second year on the team. "I'm excited for the year," she said. "I think it will be a lot of fun."