Local ESL girls golfers show improvement
Lindsay High School’s girls golf team moved past Strathmore to take second place in Monday’s East Sequoia League mini tournament at Porterville Municipal Golf Course hosted by the Spartans.
Lindsay High School’s girls golf team moved past Strathmore to take second place in Monday’s East Sequoia League 9-hole mini tournament at Porterville Municipal Golf Course hosted by the Spartans.
Undefeated Sierra Pacific won the match with a team score of 249, followed by Lindsay (308), Strathmore (319) and Granite Hills (341). After taking third in the last two tournaments, this was the first time the Cardinals had edged out the Spartans.
“The second, third, fourth teams are kind of neck-andneck, real close to each other,” said SHS head coach Norm Campbell. “Sierra Pacific is way out front, they’ve got a really good squad.”
The Golden Bears’ No. 1 Amanda Jorgensen was the low medalist of the match after carding a 48.
It was an impressive finish for the young Lindsay team made up of five sophomores and just one freshman, No. 1 Natalie Felix.
Felix led the Cardinals with a low score of 55 followed by No. 4 Paulina Lopez (60), No. 2 Melanie See (61), No. 3 Lizeth Garcia (64), No. 5 Klaryssa Perez (68) and No. 6 Ariana Uribe (72).
Last season the Cardinals were the ESL champions but after graduating five out of six players, their lineup is full of players that have never played the sport before said LHS head coach Lance Cheatwood.
“We’re just working on getting better,” Cheatwood said. “Working on the fundamentals and how to navigate the course to score the best that we can.”
Both Lindsay and Granite Hills have a majority of new players, while Strathmore has a few returners. Campbell, and GHHS head coach Richard Boyd, echoed Cheatwood’s sentiment that they’re also focusing on fundamentals down as well as just improving.
“We’re looking better,” said Campbell. “I have three girls that have never played before [and] two that have some to pretty good experience. They’re hitting really, very well.”
Strathmore’s No. 1 Anushka Larson carded a 52 followed closely by No. 2 Teresa Alcantar with a 54. No. 3 Sarah Totty (72), No. 4 Vanessa Chapa (69) and No. 5 Gabriela Ceballos (72) also contributed to the Spartans’ score. Playing with a double-par pick up rule, Monday was the first time Totty, Chapa and Ceballos didn’t have pick-ups on every hole.
“Today, two of my rookies [Chapa and Ceballos] hit their best rounds,” said Campbell. “Sarah’s trying to find her clubs. We had clubs before that were too small but now
we think we have the right ones. They’re all improving.”
For Granite Hills, both No. 1 Addie Leon and No. 3 Leslie Carrazo carded a 67 while No. 2 Anna Serrano shot a 68. No. 4 Mariela Andrade shot a 69 followed by No. 5 Christina Gonzalez (70) and No. 6 Daniela Ceja (72). Boyd said five of his players shot better in Monday’s match than they had in the previous one.
“It’s been a learning experience,” said Boyd. “They’re all new and nobody has ever played before. But they have great attitudes.”
The teams have one more ESL mini tournament, an 18-hole match, at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at Valley Oaks Golf Course in Visalia.