During her freshman year Jackie Schram was forced to make a tough decision. She loved both soccer and golf, but unfortunately for her they were played at the same time in high school. She had to choose one.
Schram went with golf and looking back at it now, she made the right decision. Schram finished 10th at the Division 1 state finals on June 3 and earned a scholarship to Lindenwood University in Missouri.
‘I had to choose and I realized if I kept playing golf I could go somewhere in life, so I choose golf,? Schram said.
Schram had only been playing golf seriously for a few months when she made the decision. She originally started playing golf with her father, who was a member at Indianwood.
‘We would play around,? Schram said. ‘I never thought anything of it. One day my dad told me I had good hand-eye coordination and I was really good. I started playing tournaments after that.?
Just over a year later she helped the Clarkston girls golf team qualify for the state finals as a sophomore and finished in the top 25 that year.
The Wolves failed to make the state finals her junior year, but Schram was determined to get back her senior year. She took it upon herself to set up work outs and times to hit balls with the team in the offseason.
‘Most people think you don’t have to be in shape for golf, but you really need to,? Schram said. ‘We worked out twice a week and hit balls once a week. Once the season got closer we hit balls twice a week and worked out once a week. It all paid off when we made it to states.?
It was a good thing Schram set up the workouts with her teammates because she did not play her best at the Mt. Pleasant regional because of the tough weather conditions.
‘Personally I played terrible at regionals,? Schram said. ‘I had a really bad day and I was upset because I wanted that second chance at states. My team came through and they all played really well. It was a great feeling to be able to go back to states. My sophomore year was the first time we went in 27 years, so for us to go again my senior year was awesome.?
After regionals Schram decided to sign with Lindenwood. She said the process of choosing a college was stressful and might have affected her golf game during the season. She was glad when it was over.
‘My parents were excited when I signed,? Schram said. ‘It was a stressful process. They wanted to make sure I made the best choice for me. I didn’t know what school I wanted to go to, but I knew I wanted to go play golf. It’s hard to make a decision after one visit to a school.
‘The whole season has been stressful because I was trying to play well so the colleges would want me. I finally made my decision right before the state tournament so maybe that’s why I played well there.?
She said she choose Lindenwood because it’s in a warm weather area and she liked the college atmosphere. As far as next season goes she is setting some high goals for herself and the team. Just like she did in high school.
‘My goal is for us to make it to the national championships and for me to do well there,? Schram said. ‘I’m excited to be going there. It’s going to be something new and I’m going there with an open mind.?