By Morgan Taylor, Reporter
HILLDALE, Oklahoma – Hilldale high school golfers and sisters Addesen and Emersen Glass are no strangers to hitting the greens and winning big. The two are citizens of the Muscogee nation and came back from a COVID year to take state.
The sisters are daughters of Suzanne and Dennis (Jake) Glass and the granddaughters of MCN National Council Representative Mary Jones-Crawford.
Addesen, 15, finished her sophomore year and Emersen, 17, graduated in May. Both have been on the golf course since they were about ten years old. It was their father, Jake, who got them started.
“Jake started taking them to the golf course with him around that time,” Suzanne said. “He enrolled them to take lessons and play with the U.S. Golf kids team, and with that, they would play tournaments on the weekends.”
The duo played for the Hilldale Golf team throughout their athletic careers since middle school at Hilldale. Last year due to COVID, the pair was not able to compete.
According to Suzanne, the girls continued to practice and play during that year on their own time.
“They were on track to win state last year, but due to the pandemic, they didn’t have a season,” Suzanne said.
Coming back this year, the Hilldale Golf Team was “coming up short in each tournament,” the mother said.
“They were placing second every time and coming so close.”
At the State Championship, the golf God’s delivered.
“There was a tie with Kingfisher which led to a two-hole playoff,” Suzanne said. “The team ended up winning the state championship by the two-hole playoff.”
Emersen claims these moments require a lot of mental control.
“It is very intense and really nerve-racking,” Emersen said. “I just knew that we had to stay focused and go get it because we wanted this for so long.”
Golf has given Emersen lessons she will carry with her throughout her life.
“I like working as a team. It was an overall good experience that made us closer as a team,” Emersen said. “It has taught me to stay strong mentally because golf is a mental game, and you can’t give up when your down or you have a bad game.”
Emersen plans to attend Connor’s State College, where she will study nursing. Though she will not be playing golf competitively anymore, she will continue to play as a recreational sport.
“I will miss it, but I technically won’t be quitting. I will continue to play for fun.”
