The following is a recent article pasted from the Herald Tribune yesterday. Way to go Adrienne
GIRLS PREP GOLF
Twinem takes last shot
Senior finishes her career in region event Monday after failing to qualify for theClass 2A state tournament.
BY ALAN DELL
CORRESPONDENT
EAST MANATEE -- Adrienne Twinem believes golf is a microcosm of life.
It's one reason she is so much in love with the game.
The Lakewood Ranch senior was a steadying influence for the Lady Mustangs' young girls golf team this season. She was the leading scorer and provided the incentive for a team that had only two seniors and no juniors.
Twinem finished her high school career on a disappointing note at the Class 2A-5 region tournament when she failed to qualify for the state tournament. But there was nothing disappointing about her four-year career. She was an inspiration to others, says Lakewood Ranch girls head coach Greg McGrew.
"Adrienne has so much determination. She is a neat kid and type of person that makes you want to coach," McGrew said. "She is not the biggest kid, but she has a great swing that she has really developed. I am very proud of her. It was so enjoyable to watch her progress the past two years."
The 17-year-old got a late start in golf. She didn't begin taking the game seriously until she was about 14 years old. But once Twinem decided to dedicate herself to the sport, her game grew by leaps and bounds.
"It's awesome how golf can teach you so many things. It mirrors life in so many ways," Twinem said. "It teaches you the value of dedication and discipline. I like golf because it's hard and you can never be satisfied with it. You can always improve."
Twinem played her first two years of high school golf at Southeast High where she was the team's MVP her freshman and sophomore seasons. She attended the school because of its International Baccalaureate program, but lived in the Lakewood Ranch district and decided to switch schools for her junior year.
In her first season with the Lady Mustangs last year, Twinem had to get used to being No. 2 on the team.
She settled in easily and this year took back her role as team leader. McGrew believes she was a perfect fit for such a young team in need of senior leadership.
"The mental aspect of the game is so important. I've gotten better at it because I take the attitude that if I have a bad hole I just move on," Twinem said. "I've learned to play golf for every shot, not for every hole. You have a bad shot, you have to get over it quickly."
Twinem feels golf should be fun. It's what got her into the game in the first place and what has kept her going.
"The only reason I play golf is because I love it and think it's fun," Twinem said.
One of the highlights of Twinem's career came as a freshman when she qualified for the region tournament and was able to compete against her older sister, Amelia, a junior at Lakewood Ranch at the time.
She wants to join her sister at Florida Southern College in Lakeland next year and would like to play golf, although Amelia is not a member of the school's women's golf team.
"I want to attend either Florida Southern or Flagler College. I like both of those schools because they are small and close to home," Twinem said.
When Twinem looks back at her high school years, she will see a career that saw her make regionals three times and be a team MVP three out of four years. It proved to her that hard work does pay off.
