Since starting golf at 4 years old, Slicker has received many awards throughout her golf career. However, the 2024 Junior Golf Student-Athlete award was the highest in recognition.
An award given to only two students — one girl and one boy — the Midwest Pro Golf Association describes the award as a token of the students’ dedication, passion and impact on the game.
“I was really surprised and happy because it’s out of all the Midwest states,” Slicker said. “So I had no clue that I would actually get it.”
According to Slicker, this award is out of only two states, Kansas and Missouri, however it is still a much bigger deal due to the many candidates considered. Award winners will attend a ceremony in Nebraska on April 1, where they receive their plaque.
After forgetting to read the email sent by the director of PGA Midwest, Slicker first learned about the award when it was posted on her club coach, Dave Hanson’s, instagram.
“I was actually walking on the treadmill, and my Indian Hills Country Club Coach, Dave Hanson, posted on Instagram, so that’s how I found out,” Slicker said. “I didn’t know until my feed refreshed, and it was the top post.”
SM East girls golf coach and history teacher Ben Hendricks said he was elated to hear she’d won the award after her motivation to work hard in the fall season, putting in the extra practice hours and working with her teammates.
“Her dad texted me about it,” Hendricks said. “I was really happy and relieved that she got the award because she worked very hard. She definitely was a top player this season.”
The whole Midwest PGA committee chooses the players that receive the award since there are so many across the midwest region. Slicker’s award is from 2024, however they don’t announce those winners until the end of spring season the following year.
Slicker says she knows three golfers who now play at colleges across the nation that have won the award in the past and felt very honored to receive it herself. There’s no application for the prestigious award, so it came as a surprise to her and many of her friends and family members.
“Everyone was just very happy for me,” Slicker said. “A lot of my friends didn’t really know what it was, but once I told them, they were really excited for me.”
Golf has become Slicker’s primary sport and focus in life, so she tries to make every tournament count. Practicing up to three hours a day during competition season, her hard work doesn’t go unrecognized.
“She practices harder than anybody, so she inspires a lot of the girls,” Hendricks said. “Not a lot of people have the patience to practice five hours a day, because golf is really tedious. It takes a strong will to do that and be so good like she is.”
After a great season this year, Hendricks says he’s very proud of the work Slicker put forth, even in times of rough practices and tournaments. Setting the record for lowest score — getting the ball into the hole in as few strokes as possible — in school history, Hendricks notes that this year has been one of her best performances and is overjoyed she is attending Colorado State University to continue her golf career.
“I think Ella is gonna have a great senior year, and I think she’s gonna have a great college career,” Hendricks said.
Related
Leave a Reply