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‘Championship mindset’: Warren’s father-daughter duo ready for state

By Jordan Holland 4 min read

VINCENT -- When Maggie Evans arrives at NCR Country Club for a practice round at noon Sunday, it'll be the Warren sophomore's first taste of the OHSAA state golf tournament.

Her father, Nathan Evans, on the other hand, is no stranger to the experience. The 19-year Warren golf coach is making his sixth trip to state, but his first with his daughter as a qualifier.

"It's a great experience," the coach said. "It's just as exciting as it was the first time."

Coach Evans' first trip was in 2015 with state qualifier Nick Ward. The following year, Evans guided the entire Warren boys team to a state berth. In 2019, both Seth Dennis and Hannah Jankauskas advanced to state, and most recently Edward Kehl made it in 2022.

"Our first time there, it was pretty intimidating," Coach Evans said. "They treat you kind of like a PGA Tour event. When your kids get to experience that, it's really neat. OHSAA does a great job taking care of you."

Maggie Evans earned her spot at state by claiming medalist honors at last week's district tournament at Crystal Springs. She turned in a score of 74, edging out Peyton Beaumariage of Minerva, which qualified for state as a team. The next best individual was Marietta's Jillian Elliott, who carded an 81.

"I started out pretty good on the front nine," Maggie Evans said. "I knew the back nine was going to be close with me and Peyton being tied. I knew I really had to step it up."

Maggie solidified her spot at state when she made birdie on hole No. 17.

"The feeling was something I don't know if I can even describe," she said. "It was just awesome getting to share that with my teammates and family."

The Warriors ended up placing fourth as a team at districts.

"Maggie was playing with a great group," Coach Evans said. "Her, Peyton and Jillian have played a lot of golf together. They're a great group to watch. It was a lot of fun watching those final five or six holes when it was really close. We talk in our program about having a championship mindset, about having grit and toughness. It was really cool to see Maggie dig down those last few holes and get the job done."

Watching Maggie achieve such a special accomplishment filled him with pride, not just as a coach, but as a dad. He's seen first-hand the level of determination it's taken to get to this point.

"She's put in a lot of hard work," Coach Evans said. "She's played golf since she was tiny, tiny, tiny. With me being her dad, it's been a cool experience. I've got to see her grow and put the effort in to become the player she is."

Maggie's heard all about what the state tournament has to offer and is ready to experience it for herself.

"I'm definitely super excited," she said. "It sounds like it's going to be an insanely awesome experience."

For many golfers, the state tournament can present different kinds of challenges that can catch you off guard if you’ve never been there. That's when having a coach and father who's been there before comes in handy.

"She's worked on a lot of putting and worked on different shots," Coach Evans said. "We've gone to different courses. (NCR) will play a little longer than what we usually see, and the greens are a lot quicker than what we're used to. We're preparing for it."

During the season, Maggie was fitted for a new driver which helped her improve her distance off the tees. She also gave a lot of credit to her swing coach, Kelly Morrow. At state, Maggie's aiming for a top 10 finish, which would put her in All-Ohio territory.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity," she said. "I've been practicing a lot. I'm super thankful for my dad, my coaches and my teammates for helping me get where I am."

Coach Evans feels the skill level of golfers in Washington County has continued to grow, which has pushed area players to keep getting better.

"We've played a lot of the girls teams here in Washington County, and it's been really good," he said. "Any time you get to play against the Raeleigh Wardens or Khoen Coursons of Fort Frye, or Jillian Elliott at Marietta, it's good competition and they've created great friendships. It's good to see it grow. I'd like to give a shout out to all the coaches and players in our county."

Contact Jordan Holland at jholland@mariettatimes.com.

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