The girls golf team is ready to swing into a new season after a promising 2021 season. Last year, the team earned an overall record of 6-4 and a third place finish in the Peninsula Athletic League.
“We were a young team … [so] last year, I was mainly playing my sophomore[s] and freshmen,” said head coach Mike Loy.
This year, the team is made up of two seniors, one junior, five sophomores, and six freshmen. The team looks to have an even more successful season after gaining experience from last year.
“I think we’re [going to] be a lot better this year,” said junior Grace Tao. “We have … a couple of freshmen [who are] … super good. So I think [our goal is] lowering our scores and then hopefully being able to play in … [Central Coast Section] and get up there with the really good teams like Hillsdale.”
Despite the team’s drive to win, the results aren’t everything to Loy. Only six players from the fourteen on the squad get to play on gameday, and Loy is devoted to giving each player an opportunity at some point in the season.
“I want everybody to get involved,” Loy said. “I’m not one of those teams that just plays their number one players all the time. [We’re] going to try to have a winning record but have every player play.”
A big part of the team’s success comes from the supportive environment and strong bonds that the players share.
“We had [a] team builder … at Pinstripes … [and] you can’t tell which one’s a freshman and which one’s a senior,” Loy said. “They were all having fun together … at a bowling alley.”
The team environment is especially important for the freshmen joining the team.
“We’re very encouraging … [and] we always want the best for each other,” Tao said. “We work a lot on team bonding … and because there’s so many freshmen, we want to look to … guide them and then we want to work on improving all of our scores.”
“Hillsdale [lost] … a lot of their seniors last year, so we have a better chance [of] beating them this year”
With many of the other teams in their league losing key upperclassmen and Aragon having an almost identical team, Loy is excited to see how the young Aragon team competes.
“I think practically all of them [are good games],” Loy said. “[It will] be interesting because … every team has changed their dynamics and the personnel and we’re the only ones that have the same team. Plus with the six freshmen … that are coming in, … I’d like to see how well we … against the other teams. I think we’ll do pretty [well].”
Two particularly exciting games this season are against Hillsdale and Menlo-Atherton, who placed first and second respectively last season.
“I would say Hillsdale [is a game to look forward to] because they did lose a lot of their seniors last year, so we have a better chance at beating them this year,” said sophomore Layla Adle. “And [Menlo-Atherton] because the same goes for them.”
The team’s next meet is at Poplar Creek Golf Course against Carlmont on Sept. 6 at 3:15 p.m.
