Girls’ golf (3-3) won against Laguna Hills High with a total score of 202-311 in a home match taking place at Rancho San Joaquin on Sept. 20. The next match is scheduled for Sept. 28 against Woodbridge High.
Since losing two freshman starters at the beginning of the season to a school transfer and homeschooling, the team had been in a rough patch, according to girls’ head golf coach and social studies teacher Wind Ralston. Despite this setback, the players rallied together and managed to perform well even in competitive golf environments, Ralston said.
“This season, it’s probably not gonna be as good as last season, but we’re still having fun,” junior Emmie Ding said. “I think that’s the most important thing.”
Due to the relaxed nature of the game, more players who had been alternate starters in previous games stepped up as main starters this time around, according to Ralston. Freshmen Sherry Shen and Kaili Lin were among the top picks for main starters, replacing junior Naaya Patel, who was the alternate starter for this game. All three performed well, but one player stood out on the team: Ding, who achieved one under par at the second and sixth holes, scoring at par overall. She ultimately earned the lowest score, 36, on her team and contributed to their victory.
“Emmie Ding played pretty well. [She met] my expectations,” Ralston said. “Golf is a bunch of scores, so I have a pretty good idea of what they should shoot every round. They exceed my expectations if they come in under par.”
Co-captain and junior Zoe Wynn, who has been on the team since freshman year, said she hopes for the team to obtain a league championship this season, as they were able to do so last year, and to break 200 strokes with the combined efforts of her fellow players. Wynn is also mindful of the necessity of pre-game routines, such as basic warm ups and putting, especially if the team has plenty of free time on their hands.
“We’ve been practicing all week because we only had one match last week,” Wynn said. “I make sure that I go through my routine for golf [before our matches], so I kind of have an order of what I practice. I also have some mental exercises to calm myself.”
As for the rest of the season, Ralston said that girls’ golf plans to work on rebuilding their team spirit and winning second place in the annual CIF competition through team bonding activities and extra practice.
