Since sisters Alex and Nathaly Munnicha picked up golf clubs at the age of 5, they both quickly fell in love with the sport.
Growing up, the Munnichas spent a lot of time playing rounds of golf together after school. As one of the biggest driving forces for the Columbus North girls golf team the past two seasons, the duo have accomplished a lot of goals and even set a record along the way.
This season, Alex tied her former Bull Dog teammate Aubrey Smith with a nine-hole school record by shooting a 32. Ironically, it was at the exact same golf course that Smith shot her school record, Southern Dunes in Indianapolis.
Alex, a senior, had a bit of a feeling at the time that she was about to make history.
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"I really wasn’t keeping track of my score that day but I know I hit some pretty lucky shots," she recalled. "On the last hole, I made a really long putt for birdie to get that 32, and I didn’t even realize it until my dad and the coaches were saying, ‘Yes!.’ It was pretty cool to tie the school record."
Nathaly, a sophomore, shot a 3-under 69 — the second-best 18-hole score in school history — in the Zionsville Invitational at Golf Club of Indiana. She finished with seven birdies, a bogey and a triple-bogey on her scorecard. She was 6-under heading into the final hole and then posted a triple-bogey.
"I was playing my game one hole after another and didn’t even think about it until the last hole," Nathaly said. "I started thinking, then it got to me and it kind of showed but I’ll learn from it. I was happy with the way I played that day."
The fifth-ranked Bull Dogs won the Greensburg Sectional two weeks ago with a 322. Nathaly was the individual champion with a 75, while Alex placed third with a 79.
In Saturday’s Lapel Regional, North won with a 333. Nathaly shot a 76, and Alex finished with a 79.
Alex is a four-year varsity player and will be making her fourth straight trip to the state finals, while Nathaly is making her second trip.
"Alex has provided us with a lot of good scores and a lot of good golf for us. She has provided a lot of good leadership this year. She scores in every match, and we count on her every single time we play," North coach Scott Seavers said. "Nathaly is a very seasoned golfer. She is as steady as they come and is a very good competitor. She is one of the elite golfers in the state of Indiana, so they both mean a lot to the program."
Being the only senior on the team, a lot of the players turned to Alex for advice and guidance.
"It’s not natural for her to be a boisterous leader, but she has become a good example," Seavers said. "All of the other girls look up to her, and she is the perfect example of what we want on our golf team and who we want representing our golf program."
Alex and Nathaly are focused on the state finals that will begin on Friday and conclude Saturday at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel.
This likely is Alex’s last two days of playing golf competitively. She has decided not to pursue golf at the college level. With the college golf season being mostly year-round, she wanted to be more focused on her academics.
"We are going to keep a positive mind — having positive thoughts all-around and to not let any negative get to us," Alex said. "I’m going to enjoy these last two days and see what happens."
After Saturday’s final round concludes, it will be a bittersweet moment for Nathaly since it will be the final time she will be teammates with her sister.
"It’s been great because I always know my sister has my back and is always there to support me," Nathaly said. "It’s sad that my sister is not going to be my teammate anymore, but I know that she is still going to be there for me."
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What: Girls Golf State Finals
When: 8:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Columbus North will tee off from 10:27 to 11:03 a.m. Friday. Saturday’s tee times will be determined after Friday’s opening round is completed.
Where: Prairie View Golf Club, 7000 Longest Dr., Carmel
Who: 15 teams, including Columbus North, and 25 individuals
Admission: $12 (good for both days)
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