Dreams do come true.
Four years ago, Lyndsay Blum, then a freshman on Independence’s brand new girls’ golf team, and her teammates set a goal to win the state championship as seniors. Fast forward to the fall of 2017 and the Blue Devils did just that by beating second-place Shelby by 11 strokes.
“Winning the state title was truly a dream come true for me,” Blum said. “I remember four years ago as a freshman, we were a brand new team and set a goal of winning the state title in four years. Ending my high school career with two of my best rounds ever and bringing home a state championship was incredible beyond words for me.”
Blum’s performance at the state tournament caught the attention of the Otterbein University coaching staff and she recently committed to continue her education and playing career at the school.
“They first started recruiting me at the state tournament in the fall and I first visited the campus to meet with the coaches soon after that,” Blum said. “Coach Brian Booher and assistant coaches Bailey Pontius and Ann Jobko were very welcoming and eager to have me on the team. Throughout my searching process, they were all very helpful and encouraging. They did everything they could to make me feel at home at Otterbein and I am very excited to be able to play for them.”
While Blum is undecided on a major, she will certainly prove valuable to the Otterbein golf program.
“Lyndsay Blum is one of the hardest working athletes I have ever coached,” said Independence coach Karl Schuld. “She has the respect of her teammates, coaching staff and teachers alike. Otterbein is very lucky to add a person of Lyndsay’s quality to their golf program. I wish her the best of luck.”
Blum is eager to begin her career at Otterbein and she plans to approach both her studies and golf game with the same intensity she did during her four years at Independence.
“I am very excited to be continuing my education and golfing career into college,” she said. “I am looking forward to playing for a fun and competitive team to continue to pursue my love for golf while also getting a good education at Otterbein.”
She’s also very confident she’ll fit in just fine with her new golf family.
“I chose Otterbein because it felt like the right place for me when I visited,” Blum said. “There are so many things I love about the school and the surrounding area of Westerville and Columbus. Also, the girls on the team, coaches, and other students in the school were very welcoming and friendly when I was there. I wanted to make sure I found a school that I loved that also had a strong golf program and Otterbein was my perfect fit.”
