MIDDLETON, Wis. — These days, Glenna Sanderson spends a lot of time golfing. For the Middleton High School Senior, it's still a relatively new game.

“I didn't like it at first,” Sanderson said. “But I learned to like it a lot.”

Sanderson started golfing as a Freshman. When she started then, she didn't know how long she would stick with it.

“I really didn't even know if I'd play golf my whole high school career,” Sanderson said. “It just wasn't something that I loved at first.”

Sanderson family friend Paul Callahan remembers her freshman year tryout. New golfers had the option of playing nine holes or a full 18. He encouraged her to shoot 18, with the established golfers, regardless of what score she would get. Sanderson impressed.

“She continued to surprise people on her capability,” Callahan said. “What her potential could be from her freshman year on.”

Sanderson made the team and continued working on her game. Middleton was state runner up in her sophomore year. They won the state title her junior year.

Sanderson had the ninth best score in the state championship.

“It was just like a lot of excitement,” Sanderson said. “Overwhelming I guess.”

Her coaches were impressed to see her become so good after starting the game so late.

“You definitely don't see that very much anymore,” said Becky Halverson, Glenna's coach at Middleton. “A lot of these girls that start on the high school team have already started golfing at least five to 10 years prior.”

Sanderson impressed her parents as they watched her work at golf.

“She works hard for it,” said Amy Sanderson, Glenna's mom. “You couldn't ask for a harder working person, it's not something that she just kind of lets happen.”

Brian Sanderson, Glenna's dad, echoed Amy's sentiments.

“She has a great dedication to the game,” Brian said. “I think she's learning a lot.”

The whole time glenna got near straight A's, maintaining a 3.99 GPA even with a course load full of honors and AP classes.

“She was just a really responsible student,” said Wendy Coyne, a favorite former teacher of Glenna's who taught her in the fourth grade. “I'm not surprised that she's doing as well as she is.”

Coyne recalled Glenna as an empathetic leader, remembering how Glenna went out of her way to befriend and include kids with special needs in her class.

“She's just so big hearted and that kind of rubbed off on the other kids as well,” Coyne said.

Another thing to make her parents proud.

“Whether it was at church or at school or in the community she just knows how to carry herself and make others feel wanted,” Amy said. “We're really proud of her in that way.”

Glenna and her mom volunteer together too through an organization called National Charity League. They work at food pantries, animal shelters, in Special Olympics among a lot of other things.

“All those things make us closer because we look at how we can be a bigger part of the community,” Amy said.

For Glenna, the volunteering experience has made an impact.

“It's nice to see what you're doing has an impact on other people and that you're helping other people in a way that you may not understand yourself,” Glenna said.

Her skills with people have only helped her team.

“She really helped to get those nerves down for all of the girls on the team,” Halverson said. “Especially during the postseason when the nerves were the highest she was able to help the team and calm them a little bit.”

Her senior season was postponed to the Spring because of the pandemic. Even with a shorter time span her coach says the team is happy to have one last season with her.

“It's definitely going to be hard to see her go, but I think the main thing is we're going to make it fun,” Halverson said.

Whatever happens in her final few months of high school and after, people who know her are confident she'll excel.

“She's really a focused individual,” Callahan said. “She has high expectations of herself, and she'll put the work in to make sure that she succeeds.”

Glenna is still deciding where she'll go to college, but she says when he gets there she'll probably focus on academics and keep golf as a hobby. She plans to go into the medical science field.

“I just really enjoy helping people,” Sanderson said.

Wherever she goes, it's a safe bet that her parents will continue to be proud.

“I'm very proud of what she's turned into,” Brian said.