SPEARFISH - Dani Bellet has somehow managed to watch her scores on the golf course drop despite the fact that her time on the course has been limited due to some nasty spring weather.

The Lead-Deadwood senior has registered the best scores of her career - 36 for nine holes and a 77 over 18 - at last week's Region 4A championship at Rocky Knolls Golf Course in Custer.

For that effort Bellet has been named the Rapid City Journal Athlete of the Week.

"I think just taking advantage of every day of practice that we do get is big," Bellet said. "And then having a day break here and there is probably good. That's something I've never done in the past, but you get so stressed out in golf that it's just good to take a day off here and there."

That Bellet has been able to routinely score so well, despite the lack of good weather, comes as no surprise to her coach, Joan Rachetto. Playing in bad weather is something you better get used to if you suit up for the 'Diggers.

"I always tell them to get out and practice no matter what the weather is like," Rachetto said. "Out here for regional tournaments and state tournaments the conditions are not always ideal, so the more practice you get in bad weather, the better. It's a mindset, being able to play in the cold and wind and rain. It's something that you practice so that it becomes routine. She loves the game so it's not too hard for her to get out and practice."

With the state tournament coming up next week in Spearfish, Bellet and the Golddiggers feel that they have an advantage - and a little pressure - in trying to defend their state championship. Lead-Deadwood has won four straight Class A state titles.

"I think there's some of both," Bellet said of playing on her team's home course. "It's a big advantage because there are a lot of lay-ups on this course and we know exactly what clubs to use. But there's also a lot of pressure because everybody is always saying, 'You guys are going to do so good because it's your home course' and then if you do bad it's kind of like, whoops."

Bellet also gets a little help from her boyfriend, former Golddigger Tyler Evenson. Evenson is a freshman at Dakota Wesleyan, the same school that Bellet, a salutatorian with a 4.1 grade point average, will be attending next year. Evenson likes to show her things that she can do better.

"It's good because he helps me out a lot, and shows me stuff," Bellet said. "But it can also be annoying because when I'm playing he's like, 'You should have done this on this hole and that on that hole.'"

Bellet would love to close her high school career with a fifth team championship - she started playing for the 'Diggers as an eighth-grader - and also is looking to improve on her tie for fifth place individually from last season.

"I didn't play very well last year," Bellet said. "It was windy the first day and I shot a 90, which was my worst score of the year. I don't want to do that again."

The smooth swinging left-hander doesn't sound like she's too worried about a poor first round at home, though.

"I'm doing a lot better this year than I was last year, so I'm just not going to worry about it," she said. "I've thought about that I guess, but I just hope it doesn't happen. I hope I shoot a good score that first day."

If the season so far is any indication, that doesn't look like it's going to be a problem - rain or shine.