Two-time Nebraska state champ Kaitlyn Hanna ready for next level
OMAHA, Neb. (BVM) — Two-time NSAA golf state champion Kaitlyn Hanna鈥檚 first experience with golf was when she was just three years old.聽
She would go to a local golf tournament where her dad helped and she would watch professionals dominate the course. This exposure to the sport inspired young Hanna to start her own golf career.聽
鈥�It was cool to be around golf at such a young age and my mom and dad did such a great job at introducing me to the sport,鈥� Hanna said.聽
Hanna started out participating in golf clinics and then in golf tournaments throughout Nebraska before playing for her high school, Omaha Westside in Lincoln, Nebraska. At Omaha Westside she had many accomplishments, including being a two-time NSAA state champion, two-time state runner-up, and three-time Omaha Metro Champion. She鈥檚 also played basketball all throughout high school.聽
One her most notable accomplishments was winning state her freshman year, becoming the first girl from Omaha Westside to win state. Although she was a contender for the title, it still came as somewhat of a surprise.聽
鈥淚 wasn’t at the level I am at now, but looking at the scoring average it was my highest,鈥� Hanna said. 鈥淭he weather the first day was horrible, but I held on from day one and didn’t know I won till the very end. It was very memorable.鈥澛�
Hanna also won state her sophomore year but placed second her junior year.聽
鈥淭o keep winning is hard because you always have people going after you, you have to step up,鈥� Hanna said. 鈥淏ut I am still happy with how I played that year.鈥澛�
However, going into her junior year, Hanna suffered a knee injury from basketball. Luckily, it was right before COVID-19, so she was able to use that time to recover.聽
鈥淥ver that two to three months of recovery I had to do something different but COVID helped give me recovery time,鈥� Hanna said. 鈥淚t was hard going to golf tournaments, I wanted to get my name out there, so that was a setback but after that I had a successful summer and now I’m good as new.鈥�
Hanna came back to place second at the state tournament as a senior.
鈥淚t’s crazy that I won’t be playing high school golf, but I am overall proud of how I represented Westside and the golfing community in Omaha,鈥� Hanna said.
Besides her many golf accolades at Omaha Westside, she also made her mark by starting a golf camp for girls called the Warriors Golf Camp.聽
鈥淚 started a golf camp when I was a freshman and have introduced the game to a couple 100 girls over the past four years or so,鈥� Hanna said. 鈥淟ooking back I was super young and going to the golf clinics so my camp is my way of giving back to the game.鈥�
The camp usually attracts 60-70 girls a year but was lower with COVID-19. Still, it is continuing to increase each year.聽
Hanna has committed to playing at the University of Iowa in college and looks forward to taking her talent to the collegiate level.
鈥淚 always wanted to play golf in the Midwest, and stay close to family,鈥� Hanna said. 鈥淚 fell in love with the campus, there are great coaches and facilities, and overall it’s such a great fit and I look forward to going there next fall.鈥澛犅�
Although she will be moving on to college next fall, Hanna will always be thankful for the place where she found her love and talent for golf.聽
鈥淲estside has always had my back,鈥� Hanna said. 鈥淢y dad went to Westside so I grew up knowing the red and black. The whole community is behind me, and always supporting me and I can鈥檛 thank them enough for where I am today.鈥澛�
