Kaiserslautern's Asia Andrews chips on the 18th hole at Woodlawn Golf Course during the second day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 13, 2023, on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Andrews collected her second consecutive crown and the Raiders' third straight individual title. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – Following the second day of the DODEA European golf championships Friday at Woodlawn Golf Course, three Kaiserslautern Raiders decided to recreate a 3-year-old photo.

Senior Shaelee Moneymaker-Donachie put herself in the bridge position on the 18th green, while junior Asia Andrews laid down underneath her. Then senior Reigen Pezel picked up the pin in one hand and placed her foot on Moneymaker-Donachie.

The poses harkened back to 2021, the start of a dominating run by the Kaiserslautern girls golf team. The Raiders earned their third-straight team and individual titles, with Andrews taking the individual crown with 50 points and the team totaling 157 to run away from second-place Ramstein with 62 points using the Modified Stableford scoring system.

“When I look back at three years ago, I almost don’t recognize myself,” Andrews said. “The person I was, I really don’t resonate with that anymore, but I feel like this team for sure has helped me grow a lot.”

The team has expanded over those years. The Raiders qualified four players for the European championships with the aforementioned trio and freshman Dallas Wassum, who tied for seventh with 25 points over the two rounds.

Pezel took runner-up honors with 45 points, while Moneymaker-Donachie came in sixth with 28 points.

Andrews, Pezel and Moneymaker-Donachie all saw improvements over their scores from last year’s final in Wiesbaden. Andrews nearly equaled her 2022 total in the first round with 30 points, eventually beating that mark by 25 points. Pezel improved her total by 35 points, while Moneymaker-Donachie did so by 13 points.

These improvements didn’t surprise coach Andrew Dager, who credited the Raiders’ work ethic for leading to this dynasty.

“It’s their focus and their ability to sit and try to keep playing better every year,” Dager said. “If you look at their scores from year to year, they improve by six to eight strokes. That’s about practice, that’s about spending time on the course and when you put in that work, you get better.”

Kaiserslautern senior Reigen Pezel chips out of the rough on Woodlawn Golf Course's 11th hole during the second round of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 13, 2023, on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Pezel took runner-up honors. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Kaiserslautern junior Asia Andrews putts on the 12th green during the second day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 13, 2023, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Watching, at right, is Ramstein’s Nora Hacker. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

For the second straight year, Andrews entered the second day with a sizable lead, this time by 11 over Ramstein freshman Nora Hacker – who skipped eighth grade about a month ago and started competing for the Royal golf team.

The Kaiserslautern junior didn’t rest on her laurels, though. Andrews parred three par-4s in the fourth, 12th and 13th holes. Her 29-point performance increased her advantage by the end of the round.

“I wanted to make sure I wasn’t too comfortable,” Andrews said. “It aided me in taking it slow and being calm, and that allowed me to play my best.”

The only player who came close to keeping pace with Andrews was her teammate, Pezel.

The senior, who won the individual European crown in 2021, posted pars on the fifth, 12th and 18th holes and finished with 27 points on the day.

The effort saw her pass Hacker into second place by eight points.

“Reigen had a lot going on and just wanted to play well,” Dager said. “Reigen was as steady as a clock, and to lose those seniors, Shaelee and Reigen, it’s going to be rough.”

The players themselves remarked on the impending losses of the two seniors, who have helped build the Kaiserslautern program into the dominant force it has been since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andrews described the team as a family, while Pezel admitted it will be tough to go.

“It’s going to be really sad leaving them,” Pezel said. “It hasn’t lasted that long, got really close.”

Wiesbaden's Alyssa Shewell drives off the 11th tee during the second round of the DODEA European golf championships at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein freshman Nora Hacker putts on the 12th green of Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, during the second day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 13, 2023. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

DODEA European championships

Second Round

Friday at Ramstein Air Base

Kaiserslautern 157, Ramstein 62, Wiesbaden 32

1. Asia Andrews (Kais) 30-29_59, 2. Reigen Pezel (Kais) 18-27_55, 3. Nora Hacker (Ram) 19-18_37, 4. Alyssa Shewell (Wies) 14-18_32, 5. Morgan Johnson (Nap) 13_18_31, 6. Shaelee Moneymaker-Donasche (Kais) 11-17_28, T7. Myra Boynton (Ram) 10-15_25, T7. Dallas Wassum (Kais) 15-10_25, 9. Lillian Davis (Lake) 10-6_16.