Gabe Stark
Reporter

The Trenton High School girls golf team will enter the 2026 season with a young roster, strong team chemistry and a returning core that head coach Travis Mullenix hopes can help the Bulldogs steadily improve throughout the fall.

Last season, Trenton finished 4-6 in dual matches and placed fourth in the Grand River Conference Tournament. The Bulldogs lost two varsity golfers to graduation in Kinsley Otto and Ali Cox, with Otto earning all-conference honors during her senior season.

Despite those losses, Trenton returns several golfers with varsity experience. Junior Bailey Williams and sophomores Kenlie McCall and Paige Little return to the lineup, while sophomore Adaline Anderson also competed in several varsity matches and tournaments last season.

This season marks Mullenix’s 10th consecutive year leading the Trenton girls golf program. He is also entering his 19th season as Trenton’s boys golf coach.

Mullenix said the returning group will be important as the Bulldogs work to replace the experience lost from last year’s team.

“We will lean pretty heavily on those three for our team score this year,” the coach said of Williams, McCall and Little.

Behind that returning group, Trenton will have several golfers continuing to develop and compete for opportunities throughout the season. Junior Lucy Gottman joins the program with some previous golf experience, while junior Violet Breitenbucher and freshman Anne Lasley are new to the game. Anderson is also expected to take another step after gaining experience last season.

With several players still learning and developing, Mullenix said improvement throughout the season will be an important part of the Bulldogs’ approach.

“Golf has a pretty steep learning curve so they will be improving weekly, and I’m looking forward to helping them become better golfers this season,” he said.

While Trenton may be young in terms of experience, Mullenix believes the way the golfers work together could help the team as the season progresses.

“We have great team chemistry, and the girls are very supportive of one another,” he said. “We’ll be a young team with regard to experience, but I have high hopes for this season.”

Rather than placing the focus solely on early-season results, the Bulldogs will look to build toward their biggest tournaments later in the fall. The Gallatin Tournament and Grand River Conference Tournament will be among the key events on the schedule before Trenton moves into district competition.

“Hopefully, we can continue to improve throughout the season and play well come the first part of October,” Mullenix said.

Trenton will open its season Sept. 1 in a triangular with Marceline and Brookfield before competing in the Chillicothe Quad on Sept. 8. The two early events will give the Bulldogs an opportunity to gain experience and see where the young lineup stands as the team begins working toward the conference and district portions of the season.