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Logan A Model Of Excellence

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By CLIFF GILL

Tribune correspondent

Published: September 14, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - In sports, there are certain achievements that separate the good from the outstanding. In track, it's the 4-minute mile. In Major League Baseball, it's 3,000 hits. In girls high-school golf, it's shooting better than 40 for nine holes.

On Aug. 28, Gulf High's Bailey Logan shot 39 against rival Pasco at the Fox Hollow Golf Club. Making the feat more improbable is she did it without hitting her driver.

"Bailey consistently hits 200-plus yards off the tee with a 3-wood, which keeps her drives even with her opponents," said her coach, Bret Wiest.

As a freshman and sophomore, Logan earned second-team all-conference honors. Last year, she finished in the top five in district play, qualified for regional play and was selected first-team all-conference. Wiest also selected her as the team MVP.

At a recent practice, Logan demonstrated her abilities. Starting on the putting green, she sank 80 percent from 10 or more feet away. Within 6 feet, every putt fell. On the driving range, her steady swing crushed ball after ball down the middle. As she walked toward the chipping green, her ever-present smile widened.

"Chipping is one of my strengths," Logan said. "It's all about feel. My goal is to chip within 5 feet."

Her first four chips stopped within 3 feet. Focusing intently, her next shot dropped into the cup.

According to Wiest, the strongest part of Logan's game is her course management.

"Even if she hits a bad drive, she's often putting for par. She's always thinking ahead," he said.
Logan has been a positive influence on her younger teammates.

"Bailey has helped me with the timing and tempo of my swing," said sophomore Morgan Winkler. "She also reminds me not to let one bad shot ruin my entire round."

In 2006, on the day after Father's Day, Logan shot a hole-in-one. After walking onto the green to confirm her accomplishment, she did more than jump for joy.

"I called my mom on my cell phone in one hand and cartwheeled around the green on the other hand," she said.

In addition to golf, Logan is a second-degree black belt in Kung Jung Mu Sul Korean-style martial arts and plays coed baseball for The Knights of Columbus.

Logan's focus on excellence carries over to the classroom. Her current GPA is 4.4333. This year, her courses in the International Baccalaureate Program include History of the Americas, English 4, Theory of Knowledge, Chemistry 3, Spanish 5 and IB Calculus. She scored 33 on the ACT and 1,390 on the SAT.

"Bailey's golf game matches her academics, character, integrity, etc. She is a well-balanced student in all dimensions of her life. She far exceeds her peers and will continue to open avenues of fresh thinking and action," said Deborah Lepley, Gulf High's IB coordinator and assistant principal.
Logan is the president of the Spanish Honor Society and helps organize car washes and other fundraisers. She is a Christmas Carol vocalist, rings bells for the Salvation Army and helps build homecoming parade floats every year. She is a member of the Math Honor Society, the National English Honor Society and the National Honor Society.

In addition to having multiple honor roll certificates and being a National Merit Scholarship finalist, Logan has won the 4-H Tropicana speech competition numerous times on the school and county levels. She has received sobresaliente (outstanding) marks in the Florida State Spanish competition in the categories of poetry, impromptu and dramatic performance. She has won several writing contests in high school, including the district short story, short poem, mixed genre and This I Believe contests.

Last year, Logan was paired with a young girl in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Every week, she traveled to the girl's school to help her with homework and to mentor her about issues regarding home and school.
Logan also volunteers for two hours each week in the children's section of the library, helping students who need help with their math homework, projects or studying. As part of the Spanish Honor Society, she and other club members visit local assisted-living homes, singing Christmas songs in Spanish.
Logan has been accepted to the University of Central Florida, but she has applied to several other colleges. She plans to major in broadcast journalism.

"I've always been comfortable in front of a camera," she said. "I've never had stage fright."

Teachers or coaches: If you would like to nominate an outstanding student-athlete to be featured in an upcoming In The Community article, contact Cliff Gill at reportercliffgill@yahoo.com or (727) 860-4903.

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