Maddy Alamillo of Battle Ground could not be stopped in the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League this spring. She won her second consecutive district tournament title, and this year she won it by 19 strokes.
Unfortunately for Alamillo, for the second year in a row, she had a tough day in the opening round at the state tournament, failing to make the cut. But one bad day cannot erase a season’s worth of excellence. Alamillo, a junior, led the region in scoring average, and became a two-time district champion. That gave her the nod over some strong competition for The Columbian’s All-Region girls golfer of the year.
Thoughts on being selected the player of the year: “It’s pretty cool. I’m pretty happy. Last year, I was excited about being part of the (All-Region) team. This year, being player of the year, it’s awesome. This is a great achievement, and I’m really hoping Oregon State sees this and they want me on their team. And I’m just really happy to represent Battle Ground. That’s the biggest thing.”
What does it mean to play for Battle Ground, to represent the Tigers? “Of all the schools in the country, I wouldn’t want to play for any one more than Battle Ground. I love my school. I love being a Tiger, the colors, the mascot. Every time I hear the fight song, I get pumped up. Oh my gosh, I just love my school.”
What happened at state? “I just had a bad day. I swear, I’m cursed,” she said, referring to solid practice rounds the past two years only to follow up with struggles when it counted. “My driver would not work for my life. My driver failed me.”
What’s the plan for next year? “Make it to the second day of state. I’m not jinxing myself by saying I’ll be in the top 10 or anything. I just want to be proud of my game next year.”
What does golf mean to you? “I love golf so much. I can’t go a day without thinking about it. Every decision I make revolves around it. I’m always reading Golf Magazine and watching The Golf Channel.”
What is a goal, associated with your sport, that you would like to accomplish in the next few years? “I want to play golf for a Division I school. It doesn’t have to be right out of high school. If I have to go to a junior college and then go to a D-I school, that’s fine.”
What is a goal, away from your sport, that you would like to accomplish in the next few years? “I want to be a nutritionist, or a dietician, or a therapist. Anything that has to do with helping people (especially through proper diet and exercise).”
Alamillo started playing golf when she was 11. How did she get interested in the game? “My mom (Lisa Haney) and her boyfriend (Randy Benns) got me into golf. He always says I never give him credit for that. So this is for him: ‘Randy, you got me into golf.’ He wanted to get me off the couch.”
Advice to a younger golfer: “Not to overdo it. Make sure when you golf, you want to golf. Don’t force it on yourself. Do it for fun because you want to do it.”
What is one thing many people do not understand about your sport? “I could go on a rant here. Everybody thinks that only fat, old men do this sport. Or business men. I feel like people stereotype. Look at Lorena Ochoa, Michelle Wie, Natalie Gulbis. Golf is for everybody. The younger you do it, the better, because it’s a sport you can do forever.”
Most influential coach: “I can name five right now.” Battle Ground coach Eric Liljedahl — “He has my back. He’s going to get me into college. I know he cares. And he always knows the right thing to say to me.” Swing coach Tony Madrigal — “He’s the funniest guy I’ve ever been around. He plays head games with me, to put the pressure on, to make me better. Him dogging me, over the years, has made me play better.” First Tee of Portland coaches Quincy Heard and Robert Clark, she said, were instrumental in her development. And then there is Steve Alamillo — “My dad is my most inspiring person of all time.”
Most embarrassing moment in your sport: Around the practice green, a teammate said something funny. Alamillo said she slaps her knee when she laughs, and this particular time as she was slapping her knee she also tripped over her golf bag. “I rolled over it and fell to the ground in front of my golf team and in front of about 10 boys from Hockinson. Not graceful, like a stumble. It was a crash.”
Favorite teacher: “Miss (Heather) Smithline. She’s the funniest teacher ever. She makes English fun. The only reason I’m taking poetry next year is because of her.”
Have you met any famous people? As a volunteer at the Safeway Classic, an LPGA event, Alamillo worked with several of the professional athletes. At a clinic, LPGA professional Vicky Hurst “touched my putter.”
Do you play other sports: “I bowl for Battle Ground, the best team ever. I love my bowling team.”
Hobbies: “I love to eat. I like to cook. If I were a better cook, I’d go into the food industry. There’s not a food I have met that I do not like, except for peanut butter. I hate peanut butter. . . . I also play video games. ‘Rock Band.’ I love singing. I’m terrible at it. My mom limits me to a couple of songs a day.” (“It’s torture,” her mom said.) . . . I like hanging out with my pug, ‘Tommy.’ And I love action movies.”
What will you remember most about this season? “My team. I have a really great team, personality-wise. Everybody has a nickname, and it fits them. (The nicknames came from Tony Madrigal, the swing coach. “I’m either Madonna, because I like money. He says I’m the Material Girl. Or he calls me Giraffe because I’m a foot taller than him.” Alamillo is 5-11.
