After three years in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) Addison Kartusch will be heading south to Bowling Green State University (BGSU) to continue her education and join the women’s golf team.
Kartusch played 81 CSSHL games for St. Mary’s Academy Female U18 Prep team tallying 16 goals and 18 assists, all while balancing a golf game that has made her one Canada’s up-and-comers.
Despite the fact her dad is a PGA of Canada Class ‘A’ professional, she didn’t start golfing until she was 11. Even with the late start Kartusch has a tournament best two under par 70, and her lowest score ever is a five under par 67.
This summer the Winnipeg, MB product won the Golf Manitoba Women’s Matchplay Championship, Golf Manitoba Women’s Amateur Championship, Golf Manitoba Junior Girl’s Championship. She would finish T-3 in the Golf Canada Canadian Junior Championship held at Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver, and T-48 in the Golf Canada Canadian Amateur Championship at Royal Colwood Golf Club in Victoria, BC.
Her impressive golf game has landed her a spot at Bowling Green where she will enroll in the Schmidthorst College of Business and hope to major in either accounting or finance.
Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, BGSU is a college town, with a campus that took Kartusch’s breath away. That combined with the girls on the team and Coach Erin Fahey and her passion for the women’s golf team made the decision to attend and play for BGSU the obvious choice.
Kartusch currently plays and practice’s out of St. Charles Country Club in Winnipeg. In the summer she plays around seven tournaments starting from the middle of May until early August.
While the majority of her practicing is done on her own or with her dad, Kartusch noted the impact hockey and her training with St. Mary’s teammates has had on developing her game.
“Training for hockey has helped me in golf as well. Lifting weights often and understanding how to transfer my weight helps me have lots of power in my swing, allowing me to carry the ball far,” added Kartusch. “And playing golf helped me improve the mental side of my hockey game by having discipline, focus, accountability, and being able to stay in the present moment, taking each shift one at a time like in golf, focusing on one shot at a time.”
And while Kartusch admitted balancing elite-level hockey and golf all while focusing on her academics was not an easy task, she feels playing in the CSSHL has prepared her for the next step on her journey.
“All the travel was such a great experience and I believe it has prepared me so well for my college golf career because I now know what to expect when I get to go to tournaments in different states. I know what I need to do to prepare properly and not feel like my mind is in a million different places,” said Kartusch. “I had the greatest time playing in the CSSHL. To be able to play hockey in high school at the highest level is something I had always wanted to achieve even though I am not going to college for hockey. Playing in the league has helped me learn how to really be a student-athlete. Balancing all the schoolwork and then making sure I was prepared for each game has taught me time management, discipline, stamina, independence, proper recovery, and especially many leadership skills.”
Kartusch would like to thank Coach Larry Bumstead, Coach Rob Friesen, Ms. Carol-Ann Swayzie and Coach Kennedy Frank for helping her with her St. Mary’s Hockey career. “They have taught me so many lessons and created so many memories that I will bring with me wherever my path in life takes me.”
