Northwood girls golf swung their way to victory, placing third at the Team Divisional Championship tournament yesterday which sent them to the Individual and CIF Southern California Golf Association Team Qualifier.
Individual qualifiers junior Bridget Chantharath and sophomore Jio Yoo were joined by four other teammates, making it the highest number of players sent to CIF in Northwood girls golf team history. Chantharath, Yoo and senior Jia An also made 1st-Team All-league.
“The team is extremely excited to represent Northwood in CIF,” senior Shreya Srinivasan said. “We are very happy to be competing in Division 1 in CIF this year and hopefully make it all the way to the state championships.”
The undefeated-in-regular season team finished with a record of 14-0, beating their scoring record with a new low of 175. Players attribute their success to a healthy team culture that has members pushing each other to meet their potential. The presence of teammates is often overlooked as a component of success, especially due to the individual nature of the sport.
“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,” Srinivasan said.
On top of long hours of off-campus training at local golf courses, the team faced a challenge in the loss of high-performing seniors from last year’s team. Adjustments were made to incorporate newer players like Yoo, Song and sophomore Jian Shin into the team. Yoo paved the way for the team’s victories throughout the season with key performances during league finals
“As a transfer student, I thought the environment change would be a lot, but I was able to adjust thanks to my team,” Yoo said. “There were three seniors that helped me a lot, with not only golf, but school stuff as well.”
The Team and Individual Qualifiers take place on Thursday. The results will then determine the team’s eligibility for State Championships which is scheduled for Nov. 15. Keep updated through the CIF-SS website.
