- The Fresno Bee
Friday, Dec. 23, 2011 | 10:01 PM
School: Clovis North
Grade: Senior
She's qualified because: Shot the best round of the day with a 1-over 74 while leading the Broncos to their second straight Central Section Division II championship. Having made an oral commitment to Cal State Northridge, she also won the Tri-River Athletic Conference Tournament and tied for second at the section individual tournament.
School: Clovis East
Grade: Senior
She's qualified because: Her career ranks with the finest in Central Section history, highlighted as four-time Bee All-Star, four-time All-Tri-River Athletic Conference pick, four-time top-six finisher at the section individual tournament, TRAC record-breaking season as a junior, two Len Ross Amateur titles, one Fresno City Amateur crown and qualifications for the USGA Junior Amateur and USGA Women's Amateur tournaments.
Alanna Loyd two years ago faced a decision unusual for a high school sophomore.
An emerging Clovis North golf star at the time, she was also active in cheerleading as the flyer -- the girl who gets launched into the air from a base of teammates.
And a couple falls were taking a toll.
She dislocated a shoulder.
She pulled an ankle tendon.
"Huge setbacks," she says.
So the call: "My parents decided being on the ground hitting golf balls was a lot safer."
Concentrating then exclusively on golf, she would lead the Broncos to consecutive Central Section Division II championships as a junior and senior.
Her 1-over 74 in this season's section team championship at Sunnyside Country Club was the day's best round and a leverage point as The Bee's co-Player of the Year with Clovis East's Hannah Sodersten.
Loyd also shot a 2-under 69-73--142 to win the Tri-River Athletic Conference Tournament in the section's strongest league, and tied for second in the section individual final with a 77 at Bakersfield Rio Bravo Country Club.
This all goes back to seventh grade, when she and classmate Sydnie Guzman "made a deal" because they wanted to do something different. So they attended a school golf meeting and were introduced to a sport they would play together for six years.
Now Loyd, aspiring physical therapist, is moving on to Cal State Northridge: "That's where the golf is, Southern California. Perfect weather, and I'm excited for that."
Loyd will take with her a game etiquette that's admired by her peers and coaches.
"I can't do her justice in trying to explain it," says Ron Ramos, who coached the first five years of Loyd's career. "She was determined on improving, but not at the cost of character or friendships. She's just been so consistent with her behavior and conduct. That's legitimate, not a show or contrived at all."
Loyd's sportsmanship is partly a result of her participation in The First Tee, a world-wide program -- Girl Scouts of golf, if you will -- that teaches life-enhancing values and promotes healthy choices through the sport.
Supported by several major golf organizations, including the PGA Tour, it allowed Loyd to be paired with Australian pro Peter Senior in the First Tee Open at Pebble Beach last summer.
"That honestly was the highlight of my golf career," says Loyd, who shot a 77.
A graduate of The First Tee program, Loyd is now teaching classes to girls ages 6 to 14.
"Just life skills in general on how to be respectful and act on the golf course," she says. "It's the most fun I've ever had."
It all began nine years ago, when David Sodersten threw up a net in the backyard of his Clovis home and asked his daughter, Hannah, to whack a golf ball into it.
The swing was impressive for an 8-year-old.
Two years later, in a tournament at Hank's Swank Par 3 Golf Course, she parred her first hole, placed second overall, won a putting contest and was second for longest drive.
"I was real happy with that, continued to play golf as my main sport and have really liked it ever since."
Today, the Clovis East High senior is The Bee's co-Player of the Year while being recognized largely for a body of work that ranks with the best in Central Section history.
"I've immensely enjoyed watching her going about her game," Timberwolves coach Omar Hemaidan says. "Clovis East golf was important to her, and being a leader was important to her. It's been awesome having someone with that much talent who other girls look up to."
Sodersten, headed to Fresno State on a full scholarship, shares the POY award with Clovis North's Alanna Loyd.
Sodersten's four-year highlights at Clovis East:
-- Four-year Bee All-Star.
-- Four-time All-Tri River Athletic Conference, including MVP as a junior.
-- Four-time top-six finisher at the Central Section individual tournament championship, including second as a sophomore.
-- Set the Madera Municipal Golf Course record for a female prep that still stands with a 66, and averaged a TRAC-record 69.3 per 18 holes.
-- Len Ross Amateur 12-14 age group champion in 2009 and overall winner in 2011.
-- Fresno City Amateur champion in 2010.
-- The only section female golfer to qualify for both the USGA Junior Amateur Championships and the USGA Women's Amateur.
This year, Sodersten rolled the dice and began gearing her swing for college.
She still averaged a TRAC second-best 36.8 per nine holes, placed seventh at the section individual tournament and tied Clovis West's Camille Orito for the section's best representation with a 78 despite horrendous weather and course conditions at the Southern California Championships at The Golf Club at Rancho California in Murrieta.
"It was a risk," Sodersten says regarding her swing adjustments. "But I'm happy with the results in my game and I mentally know this is going to get me to the next level. I had to sacrifice and I'm glad I did it."
Carrying a 3.76 grade-point average, she will also continue to play badminton this spring at Clovis East, where she was a Bee All-Star as a junior and has helped lead the Timberwolves to two section titles.
