girls’ golf built mid-season momentum
Catherine Aguilar / Contributer
The girls’ golf team stands together at Rancho golf course. Coach Jay Pond is on the left and team captain Frances Aguilar (‘26) stands in the middle, leading her team.
While their overall record reflects challenges, two notable wins this season signal the girls’ golf team’s commitment to maximize their performance. On Oct. 7 and 9, the girls faced West Torrance, resulting in scores of 244-198 and 247-225. On Oct. 15, they sealed the win against El Segundo, coming to a score of 215-227 for their final game of the season.
According to co-captain Ophelia Harvey (’27), this is the first time she has seen the team achieve two wins in a single season. Harvey expressed her aspirations for the team’s future, focusing on embracing team unity and advancing the skills of each player. She emphasized the progress already made in these areas. While acknowledging the challenges of conducting team gatherings with a large roster of over 20 players, Harvey remains committed to organizing more activities for the girls in the future.
The encouragement from the team was something co-captain Tully Pond (’27) paid attention to. Pond highlighted the importance of the team’s supportive energy, explaining that their camaraderie was a defining component of their performance on the course. Both co-captains agree that maintaining team harmony and fostering mutual upliftment are their highest priorities.
Team captain Frances Aguilar (’26), played her last season with the team. The bittersweet moment of the season ending put into perspective what she hopes the team continues to do in the future.
“Teamwork, compassion, work ethic, kindness. As a team, sure, you want to win. But if you don’t like your teammates and you aren’t having a good time, there’s no point in being there. So, as long as they continue having fun [playing], that’s all I could hope for them,” Aguilar said.
Aguilar’s passion for the sport especially stands out when she explains that going to CIF qualifiers again was less about winning and more about the opportunity to play with other girls who love golf and have a good time while doing it. Aguilar didn’t make it through the qualifying round, but that wasn’t a problem for her.
“I don’t think I played my best, but honestly, it was just a fun experience. I got to play with the same kind of girls I was playing with during league, which is always really fun. Just being able to be out there and play with people whom I enjoy being with is just a gift in itself. It really didn’t matter that I didn’t qualify,” Aguilar said.
This season, the team welcomed a new coach, who happens to be the father of two team members. Jay Pond carried out his first coaching experience with the Samo girls’ golf team, saying that he treats them all like family. As far as motivation goes, Coach Jay said that the girls have it within themselves already to perform to the best of their abilities.
“[Having two daughters on the team] makes me feel closer to the team for sure. I treat them all like my daughters in a funny way. I care for them in that capacity. I want them all to excel,” Coach Jay said.