Girls’ golf swings into action for promising season
Samo Girls’ golf is kicking off once again with their season starting on Sept. 16. and their first game coming to a loss. This year, they are ready for another season of fun whilst continuing to strive for improvement and elevation within their performance.
Last season was a learning experience for the girls, facing schools with more resources provided for their golf teams. The golf team operates without funding from Samo and unlike many other sports teams, the golf team’s activities are solely supported through their fundraising initiatives. In the past, the team has made an effort to obtain a classroom to set up golf simulations since there isn’t a course at Samo, but it has never been put into motion.
Co-captain Ophelia Harvey (’27) shared that being a co-captain has a big impact on her life, giving her a leadership role and a chance to create a positive team environment. For co-captain Tully Pond (’27), the team’s continuous improvement is the true measure of success. They both share a satisfaction in the team’s development while prioritizing a supporting and trusting atmosphere.
Captain Frances Aguilar (’26) achieved a personal goal while gaining valuable tournament experience. The girl’s captain secured a spot in the CIF, an organization that only allows five athletes to qualify. CIF organizes competitive athletic events across California, allowing an opportunity to win a state championship. Golf is team-based, but once accepted, it’s an individual organization that leads you to play on your own. To reach her goal, Aguilar practiced on her own and showed her commitment on the course. Despite there being a pool of 20 girls competing for one of the five spots, Aguilar’s hard work paid off, resulting in her coach choosing her and one other player to play in the CIF qualifiers. Aguilar made it through the qualifying round, but did not end up making it past the first official round.
Apart from that, the team had their first and only win last year against Redondo Beach which allowed them to see the hard work they had put into the season.
“I got to play there [CIF]. It was such an amazing experience and I’m really proud of that,” Aguilar said. “And last year [for the team], the highlight would be our win against Redondo. It was a really, really nice day. Everyone was really focused and very in tune of what they needed to do to get rid of distractions.”
Samo girls’ golf began their season Sept. 16 at Penmar Park in Santa Monica. That week, the team went against North Torrence girls’ golf twice. Samo lost both times ending with a scores of 249-194 and 263-212. For their third game and first win of the season, the girls went against El Segundo at Westchester Golf Course, ending in a close game with a score of 232-233. Their fourth and fifth games were against Redondo Beach and the girls’ finished with scores of 230-204 and 255-221.
Jay Pond / Contributer
[From right to left] Mia Johnson (‘29), Charlize Rivas (27’), Frances Aguilar (‘26), Ophelia Harvey (‘27), Tully Pond (‘27), Lyra Searles (‘28), and Aubrielle Parker (‘28)