During her time as a Mustang, Madi Blanc was a key part of the Oakdale High School girls golf team. Blanc played golf all four years and set a record at Oakdale Golf and Country Club with a 68 through 18 holes in her junior year. Blanc and the Lady Mustangs won the Valley Oak League all four years and Blanc was a Masters qualifier all four years as well. Oakdale won the CIF Section Championship three times during her days as a Mustang.
Blanc’s senior season was cut short as she was one of the many graduates who were part of the historic class of 2020.
“What an experience,” recalled Blanc of finishing high school amidst distance learning due to the pandemic. “I remember that it was early March when they canceled school. It was shocking and confusing. I swim in the spring and was very excited to start my senior year. I swam my freshman and sophomore year. I did not swim my junior year but returned for my senior year. We got about two meets into the season and it was over.”
Blanc did want to acknowledge her coaches for her different sports at Oakdale High School: Russ Van Cleave, Jeremy Fields and Lee McGhee. She also wanted to thank her youth golf coach, Kary Arnold Blayne.
Post high school, Blanc first attended school in Indiana. Her plan was to become a nurse. She continued to play golf and one day she was competing in a tournament in Michigan.
“When you play in college you play all over and meet lots of people. And sometimes, if you’re fortunate enough, you become friends with these people. When you play in a tournament you are on a golf course for roughly four hours with this person,” Blanc explained. “While playing me and my opponent got to talking and we started in about our majors. She told me she wanted to be a speech therapist. I was intrigued by it and to say the least it perked my interest. I still wanted to become a nurse so I could help people. However, speech therapy helps lots of people, too.”
In 2024, Blanc graduated from CSU Monterey Bay with her Masters. However, she is currently enrolled at University of the Pacific in her continuing quest to become a speech therapist.
“I am excited each day after class. I look forward to tests and the work,” she said.
To this day she is still active in golf, by giving back to the youth golf program at Oakdale Golf and Country Club.
“I assist with the youth golf program and it is so cool when the kids find out that I played at Oakdale High School as well as in college,” she said. “Then they find out that I started where they started and they get really excited.”
The advice she would give to any young student-athlete is to “Take the opportunity when it is presented to you. It does not have to be sports-related, it can be a career opportunity as well. You will regret it if you do not.”
“Memorable Mustangs” is a series that highlights former Oakdale High School student-athletes and where they are now. If you are or if you know of a student-athlete who graduated from OHS from 2010-2024 and would like to be featured in the series, email Dennis D. Cruz at ddcruzsports@gmail.com.
