RAEGEN ESSEX

Muskogee High School 

Grasping her golf clubs with an understanding that golf is not a game of perfect, Raegen Essex has moved to the top of the leaderboard. After qualifying for the state tournament last spring, the Muskogee junior continues to prove the values of commitment and leadership resulting in not only winning individual medalist honors in the first two tournaments this spring but also setting the standard for the Muskogee girls as simultaneously the Roughers captured team championship awards.

Essex, also a standout volleyball player at Muskogee, credits her success on the links to her practice routine and a determined mental approach to every shot. “I’ve spent a lot of time practicing by short game and putting this season that have lowered my scores,” said Raegen. “I also try to keep a positive mindset no matter the conditions or difficulty of the course. If I do hit a bad shot, just move on to make the next one better and don’t dwell on it.”

Her coach had words of praise for the number-1 bag on this year’s girls squad. “Raegen does a fantastic job of leading by example. She has the personality that the girls on the team gravitate to,” said Ryan Dvorak. “She does a great job of working hard on her game while always encouraging and helping her teammates.” Essex also makes the most of her opportunities in the classroom by maintaining a 4.1 GPA.