INVERNESS - Citrus girls coach Michelle Connor lets out a loud laugh after the reporter's question.
"How do you top a 21-0 season?" Connor rhetorically repeats. "You do it again and you shoot better."
The second-year coach has a knack for getting girls to come together, no matter the sport, tennis or golf, but it also helps to have a dedicated No. 1 like Briana Carlson, who led the 'Canes as a freshman last year. Known for her ability to drive the ball 260 yards, Carlson changed her back swing this summer to improve her short game.
Her swing is more compact and consistent. Her shoulders rotate more, and her lower body less. Now she swings faster. Her long game has suffered slightly, as she now drives the ball 250 yards. But giving up a little distance has reaped big rewards. In Tuesday's nine-hole match against Nature Coast and Crystal River, Carlson shot 38. The next closest competitor was one of her teammates, who shot 40.
"It's changed my game dramatically," Carlson said. "I'm hitting the ball closer. I'm getting more putts in."
She already is dangerous enough. Lecanto coach Doug Warren knows first hand. His team dominated the area, until Carlson.
"For our girls, it's her reputation," Warren said. "They know she'll put up a good score. That just puts pressure on everybody to stay up there."
Both Connor and Warren agree No. 1 golfers typically "cancel each other out" by having similar stroke play. With an athlete like Carlson, who is many strokes ahead, it takes the pressure off her teammates and makes it more difficult for opponents.
"When you play a team that has that," Warren said. "Your other players have to have their best day to make up the other strokes. Nobody can have a bad day."
What makes Citrus unique, Connor said, is the depth of the team. The entire starting lineup from last season - senior Christine Bang, junior Jordan Connor, sophomores Ashton Connor and Lauren Bomke return. It was this group that finished 15th in the Class A championship last year and was district and region runnerup only to perennial private powerhouse Saddlebrook Prep.
"A lot of times you'll face teams that have a really strong No. 1 but then there isn't a close crowd to go with them," Connor said. "To have a whole team that can score in any given match, in the mid to low 40s is pretty rare."
Carlson's dedication helps set her apart. She practices daily, typically for two or three hours. During the summer she averaged 75.57 in seven 18-hole North Suncoast Junior Golf Association tournaments. She won all but one and was named NSJGA's overall girls player of the year. Despite constantly being on the golf course, Carlson said she does worry about burning out.
"I enjoy it," she said. "I love doing it and if you love doing something, you're going to keep doing it."
