Former Panther teammates will reunite on Pacific Lutheran golf team

Anna Babbitt is going to the state golf tournament for Sumner High School and her friend, Desirae Haselwood, will be there representing Bonney Lake High School.

Editor’s note: The WIAA state tournament for girls and boys golf began Tuesday, May 21, and will conclude Wednesday.

A Spartan and a Panther walk into state.

What sounds like a bad joke is actually a very exciting reality for two friends. Anna Babbitt is going to the state golf tournament for Sumner High School and her friend, Desirae Haselwood, will be there representing Bonney Lake High School.

Babbitt started playing golf at the age of 8, but didn’t start competing until her freshman year of high school. She lettered in golf three years, qualified for state three times and made the first all-league team.

Soccer is another passion of Babbitt’s; she played for 15 years. She’s currently teaching herself how to play the ukulele and enjoys leadership class at Sumner.

Babbitt wasn’t always a Spartan; she transferred to Sumner at the beginning of her senior year. Haselwood became friends with Babbitt their sophomore year when they played Panther golf. Both girls have qualified for the state tournament this year, Haselwood in 3A and Babbitt in 2A.

The Rock at Bonney Lake is a place for sports teams and clubs to decorate and show school spirit. Babbitt and Haselwood decided to decorate it when they qualified for state last year.

“Golf barely gets recognized in schools … we were proud (of ourselves) and hoped our school would be too,” said Babbitt.

Fall 2013 will bring a reunion for the former teammates. They will join forces again at Pacific Lutheran University, where they will play under Coach Mike Fosnick.