Lick voted ACDGC Player of the Month for September

Only club member in September to improve strokes-per-hole average each week
Davis 2nd, Langan 3rd, Troutman 4th in voting

* June Player of the Month: Luke Spradlin-Vogelsang
* July Player of the Month: Ethan Barney
* August Player of the Month: Scott Mallery
* Allegany County Disc Golf Club on Facebook
* Allegany County Disc Golf Club – website
* Fall Doubles League begins Oct. 23
* Winter Doubles League begins Jan. 1

MOUNT SAVAGE — There’s something to be said about a player such as Lily Lick. The 9-year-old Cumberland resident and fourth-grader approached each and every Allegany County Disc Golf Club Youth League week with a positive attitude and an infectious smile.

There’s also something to be said for the desire to get better. And Lily has that, too.

Submitted photo
Lily Lick shows off her loot gained at the end-of-season awards with the Allegany County Disc Golf Club’s Youth League. Lily was named Player of the Month for September and all players shared sugar cookies with the ACDGC logo.

Lick, in fact, was the only player in the month of September to improve on the number of strokes per hole each of the four weeks of Youth League competition last month. The combination of positivity and competitiveness helped Lick earn all three first-place votes and win the club’s Player of the Month award for September.

Lick is the fourth monthly award winner and first female winner for club, which was founded in May 2022. She earned a prize pack that included an MVP disc golf bag, a mini Judge and an MVP Envy putter — her first name brand disc of her personal collection.

As the only female in the field, Lick dominated the Girls’ Division each week as no competition dared step on the course with her. She was the only club member in the month of September to lower her average strokes per hole in four consecutive weeks: from 7.67 in Week 1, to 6.57 in Week 2, to 6.4 in Week 3 and 6.25 in Week 4.

Lick didn’t reveal her technical secrets but admitted two core factors of her success: “I just kept trying,” she said. “I practiced at my house.”

Lick is a relative newcomer to the sport, though the sport is seemingly everywhere in her family as her dad (and doubles partner on Saturday) Sam plays alongside his brothers on a regular basis.

Prior to the start of Youth League in September, “I had thrown discs but I didn’t really keep score,” she said.

All four players considered for Player of the Month had perfect attendance for Youth League last month. Lick finished first in voting with 12 points, while Noah Davis, 8, of Frostburg, received all three second-place votes from panelists for a ranked-choice score of eight points. Baylen Langan, 8, of Corriganville, collected one vote apiece for second, third and vote to finish third overall with six points. Chance Troutman, 13, of Corriganville, earned one third-place vote to finish fourth with four points. For having perfect attendance, Davis, Langan, Troutman and Luke Spradlin-Vogelsang, 9, of Frostburg, were each awarded a disc from the club. Davis and Spradlin-Vogelsang were each given a mid-range disc, as they already had received putters from the club for attending one or both youth clinics over the summer. Langan and Troutman each received a new putter.

After Saturday’s Youth League finale, Lick and others celebrated with sugar cookies from a local bakery that included edible images of the Allegany County Disc Golf Club logo.

All this praise is not to suggest Lick is perfect; instead, it’s that she simply might save her best for the disc golf course. Does she maintain a picture-perfect attitude at home?

“Not always,” she acknowledged, whole holding an honestly mischievous grin.