Elaine Engle — Athletic Official/Coach

Willmar High School’s girls’ golf program began in 1972 under the leadership of Coach Elaine Engle. A member of that group of women who cleared the hurdles that lay in the path of implementing Title IX, she also coached track for 3 years, gymnastics for Twenty-nine, and has officiated at swimming meets since 1968 to the present time. But golf became her passion.

When she put together her 1st team in 1972, only Eleven schools in the state offered golf for girls. She had to initiate competitions with other coaches, which in time led to regularly scheduled conference, invitational, section, and state meets.

In state tournament competition, the Willmar girls brought honor and pride to their school and their community, representing them Twenty-one  times in Thirty-two years at the state golf tournament with either a team or an individual competing. They won 3 runners-up trophies, a 3rd place finish, a 5th, and a 7th. In 1985 they became the 1st of only 2 Willmar teams to win a state championship. These victories followed 8 Section 2AA tournament wins, 7 Central Lakes Conference titles and 52 first- or 2nd place invitational finishes.

Coach Engle became the 1st female inductee to the Hall of Fame of the Minnesota State High School Golf Coaches Association and the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association (MSHSCA) She also was the 1st female to become a life member of the MSHSCA, and twice was awarded the association’s Girls’ Golf Coach of the Year Award. She recently was inducted into the Willmar High School Hall of Fame along with 4 members of her 1985 state championship girls’ golf team.