NEW MARKET — It’s no secret that Southmont’s Addison Meadows is the most accomplished golfer to come through the program. Three seasons and three trips to the IHSAA Girls Golf State Finals, two of which have resulted in her being named First-Team All-State. Now Meadows has a new chapter to look forward to as on Wednesday the Mountie junior officially put pen to paper and signed with Indiana Wesleyan University to continue her golf career.
The Wildcats are a Top 10 program at the NAIA level and according to Meadows and their head coach Kyle Bloom they’ve kept and eye on Meadows ever since she broke onto the scene her freshman season. Playing at the collegiate level is something that has been a dream of Meadows since she began playing the sport and now she’s seen all of her hard work pay off.
“I do want to thank all of my friends and family for supporting me every step of the way,” Meadows said. “I couldn’t have asked for better coaches along the way with Coach Williamson and Coach Whalen and then to have a great coach like Coach Bloom, I’ve been truly blessed with great people every single step of the way.”
Southmont coach Bill Whalen spoke to the crowd that gathered at Meadows signing and hardly talked about Meadows golf game, because everyone knows about that. Whalen instead chose to talk about how proud he is of Meadows and the person she’s become off the course and the leader she’s turned into for the Mounties.
“She’s become a tremendous teammate, leader and all-around great person and that’s what I’m most proud of,” Whalen said. “Golf will carry far in life but the way she is as person will carry her even further. I haven’t coached a player that puts in more work than Addison. She deserves every single accolade and achievement that she’s gotten in her career but to see her grow into the person she is now from the time she was a freshman means more than anything.”
As stated earlier, the Wildcats began keeping an eye on Meadows her freshman season. While she was going through the decision process, the fact that the IWU had been there from the beginning played a big factor in her decision.
“It made me feel special that Coach Bloom and the program viewed me that way,” Meadows said. “They’ve watched me grow these last three years and it was a blessing when he sent me a letter saying they were interested in me and that he wanted to sit down and talk with me. It felt like God was giving me a sign that I should go here and I couldn’t ask for a better person to guide me to IWU.”
As is typical when anyone makes the transition from high school to the collegiate level, the competition will be better. Whalen and Meadows know that, but as is the case for what’s been a stellar high school career so far, Meadows isn’t going to back down from the next challenge that awaits her when she gets to college.
“We’ve never had to question her work ethic and the time that she puts into this game,” Whalen said. “When she goes off to play in college she knows the courses will be longer than any that she’s seen in high school. That’s probably the biggest thing that our other golfers who have went on to play at the next level have mentioned is that the overall distance is much greater. The thing with Addison is she can kill the ball off the tee so won’t have to worry about that too much.”
The internal motivation that Meadows possesses to be great is something that also stands out. She talked about when she went up to IWU for an interview and they asked the question of “What if you don’t get to play right away?”. Meadows had the perfect response to that question.
“I told them if I don’t get to play right away or make the top five my freshman year, then I’m going to work my butt off until I get there,” she said. “I simply don’t quit when things don’t go my way. It’s really hard to go in as a freshman and make the top five. I want everyone there to push me to continue get better.”
Meadows still has one final season with the Mounties left next fall as she looks to guide them to compete for a county, conference and sectional title on her way to what many expect is a another trip to Prairie View Golf Club and the State Finals.
