Northwood girls’ golf swung their way to becoming two-time league champions, placing fifth at the CIF Southern California Golf Association Team Qualifier.
Individual qualifiers—senior Bridget Chantharath, junior Jio Yoo and sophomore Angel Song—have earned spots to advance to the State Regional Individual competition.
“The team outperformed on the field, especially as we’re recuperating from some of our losses from last year’s seniors,” Chantharath said. “Since this is Coach Halop’s last year coaching, we wanted to make this season memorable by continuing our winning streak.”
The team finished the regular season with a 5-1 record, setting a new low of 170 to break their previous scoring record. Yoo delivered key performances that powered the team’s victories, especially during the league finals.
Despite the sport’s individual nature, players attribute their success to a healthy team culture that encourages members to push each other to reach their potential.
“Even if some of us aren’t playing in the matches, we all inspire each other and provide support when someone is having an off day,” senior Shivali Shrivastava said.
In addition to long hours of off-campus training at local golf courses, the team faced a challenge with the loss of high-performing seniors from last year’s team. Adjustments were made to incorporate newer players like freshman Lily Yagi into the team.
“Seeing other players who have been on the team for much longer was really inspiring, and I think it really encouraged me to keep setting my best record every game,” Yagi said.
With a more integrated practice schedule and a smaller team this season, athletes had the opportunity to closely observe each other’s games. This heightened awareness translated onto the field during matches, where everyone knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
“Our team has a really strong relationship because even during someone’s bad days, we all support each other,” senior Annabelle Wong said. “Whether we were doing really well or bad, we encouraged each other, and that’s what made us better as a team.”
Though the team did not qualify for the CIF Championship this year, they are still proud that they made it to state regionals two years in a row, breaking the school record.
“We’re proud of how we played and how our team continues to progress, breaking new records every year,” Chantharath said. “Even though it’s my last year on the team, I’m confident our new players will continue to carry on our legacy.”
