Courtesy of Generations School Photography
Freshman No. 1 player Julie Hu watches her ball after swinging at the Saratoga Country Club on Sept. 9.Senior No. 3 player Millie Wang shot par 37 against Gunn High at Bay Lands Course on Oct. 1 as the girls’ golf team triumphed against Gunn 209-218 and stayed unbeaten in league play.
Wang, who is committed to Division 3 golf at NYU, is a key contributor to the team’s 7-0-0 record, but she is not alone as three out of the six top players are new to the team. Those new members are No. 1 player Julie Hu, a freshman; No. 2 player Sanjna Aswani, also a freshman; and No. 7 player Ruiyan Zhu, a senior.
“The team chemistry is good; there is still some warming up to do with the new players that are not in the top six since we don’t get a chance to bond much, but we will [bond] in time,” said the team’s No. 6 player, junior Jacqueline Chico.
The team, however, is having to overcome an unexpected challenge: Head coach Dave Gragnolan resigned midway into the girls’ golf team’s season on Sept. 22. Gragnola stepped down after 15 years of coaching the team due to personal reasons. Since then, there has been a shift in team dynamics.
“He is the glue that brings the team together, he is always supportive and encouraging and takes the time to get to know the players, building a better bond with all of the members on the team,” Chico said. “The players on the team who knew him for longer are having a hard time moving forward without him.”
While the team adjusts, assistant coach Louise Hall — who served as the assistant coach for 14 seasons prior to this season — has stepped up as the team’s head coach, keeping practice formats the same as prior to Gragnola’s resignation.
Despite the change, the team has been adjusting. At the 11th Annual Helen Lengfeld Tournament on Sept. 16, the team placed fifth out of 27 teams. Hu placed first in the entire tournament — shooting four under par for 18, while Wang placed fourth.
As the season progresses, the team looks forward to continuing team bonding events and having the players focus on self-improvement and building their skills through practices.
“We are still undefeated for the season, so [we are] looking forward to a strong finish to the season and hopefully going to CCS, and possibly beyond, as a team,” Hall said.
