You wouldn’t think so, but Winfield-Mount Union freshman Kaleb Hagge and Washington freshman Sarah Nacos actually have a lot in common. Outside of being apart of the Class of 2018, both first year high school students won individual golf titles this spring on the same golf course.

On Marshalltown’s American Legion Course, Hagge won the Class 1A individual title on May 30, while Nacos won the Class 4A individual title on June 2. Their championships helped the two received KCII’s Hedge Above Lawncare Athlete of the Week honor back-to-back weeks. The final thing linking these two Southeast Iowa teenagers is the influence their fathers had in getting them started in the game of golf.

Hagge, our Hedge Above Lawncare Athlete of the Week on June 3, says he was days old when he was on the course with his father, Jason, for the first time, “My dad started taking me out not even a month after I was born,” Hagge said, “He just strapped me in the golf cart and let me watch him play.”

Nacos, our Athlete of the Week from June 10, says her father, David, is one of her biggest fans and is as committed to her golf game as she is, “He is always pushing me to do better,” Nacos said, “He has helped me in pretty much every sport I have done. There will be times where my shot is completely off and I tell my dad I don’t know what I am doing. He will sit down with me and ask me if I have been through all my check points, he always preaches going back to fundamentals, and there are even times when we look up videos on Youtube on how to shoot the ball better.”

You can hear full Athlete of the Week interviews with Hagge and Nacos On Demand at KCIIRadio.com.