BY LISA VALENTINE
Lake Orion Review Staff Writer
Lake Orion High School has had its share of standout athletes, but not many of them have come from the school’s varsity golf program, until now.
Senior Ashley Hamilton has raised the program to a new level, earning a full-ride scholarship to study at the University of Detroit-Mercy and play for the inaugural team in the school’s new golf program.
Hamilton, who lives in Lake Orion, transferred to Lake Orion High School for her sophomore year from Notre Dame Prep. She has played on the LOHS varsity golf team for three years.
‘I just decided to switch schools,? she said. ‘I was a freshman at Notre Dame Prep, but they had no (golf) team then. They had a team at Lake Orion.?
Hamilton comes from a family of golfers, including her parents and younger sister Britney, a freshmen on the varsity team this year.
Asked if she thought she had inspired her sister to join the team, Ashley said ‘Maybe her wanting to beat me…but our swings are so different, I don’t think I can help her.?
Hamilton said her aunts, uncles and grandparents also play golf.
‘I’ve been on the golf course since I was little,? she said. ‘I started second grade, and I was playing in two-hole tournaments.?
Hamilton plans to study business at U-D Mercy next year, but is unsure exactly what career path she will take. She plays golf year round, traveling to tournaments in the Carolinas in the winter.
‘I’m proudest of my finish in the state competition my sophomore year…I was ninth,? she said.
Hamilton looks up to Kim Benedict, who played golf at the University of Michigan. Hamilton and Benedict both golfed at Indianwood.
‘I won’t go pro,? Hamilton said, adding that she does plan to continue to play golf recreationally after she finishes college. She plans to live at home for her first year at U-D Mercy, then get an apartment.
‘They just started the new (golf) program there,? she said.
‘I’m really excited because you have an opportunity to make their history, and start traditions…you get to set the standards,? said Hamilton.
Hamilton’s coach at LOHS, Monty Gallaher, said Hamilton had been the team captain the past two years, and serves as an excellent role model for young golfers, both on and off the course.
‘She’s a leader by the way she plays, as an athlete and a student,? he said. ‘She has like a 3.9 GPA. She’s very spirited. The first time I met her, she had green and white ribbons in her hair.?
Gallaher calls Hamilton an ‘excellent ambassador for the sport,? and said her receiving the scholarship to U-D Mercy reflects well on the program at LOHS.
‘It’s her life,? he said. ‘Getting the scholarship is tremendous. It brings our golf program recognition. It shows what Lake Orion has to offer to anyone.?
Gallaher said it will also spark an interest in the program for potential golfers at LOHS.
‘The program has already grown this year,? he said.
When she’s not playing golf for the team, with her family, or working out, Hamilton said she enjoys baking and studying Spanish, her favorite subject in school.
‘I like to bake, any kind of dessert,? she said.