Team finishes strong, secures third place in BVAL

Sophomore Sachi Verma approached her ball at the edge of the water hazard and took a shot. The ball sailed cleanly through the air, but was knocked off course by a tree. Verma, literally knocked off her feet by surprise, fell backward into the creek with a splash.

“It was such a nice shot, too!” Verma said. “I couldn’t believe I fell in in front of Coach [Dave Gragnola], my teammates, and the other team. It was so embarrassing.”

Coach Gragnola, on the other hand, definitely enjoyed the spectacle. According to several eyewitness accounts, he turned away laughing before joining junior Samika Kumar in helping Verma out of the water.

“I’m proud of her for getting back on her feet and continuing to play a good round,” Gragnola said.

Despite Verma’s mishap in the creek, the team managed to beat Leland by 7 strokes on Sept. 22 and advance to the next round in the Blossom Valley Athletic League. Saratoga’s top six players were sent to La Rinconada Golf Course on Oct. 17, where they secured third place in the BVALs this season after their 10-stroke victory over Los Gatos.

“Not everyone was having a good day,” junior Sanjna Verma said. “We were down by 14 after the top four had played, so it was up to our five and six.”

The players in question, freshman Vivian Roan and junior Sara Pettersson, were incredibly nervous.
Fortunately, they managed to keep clear heads and shot well enough to win the match.

“We made a furious comeback to beat them by five,” Gragnola said. “I’m extremely proud of the team.”

The same six players will represent Saratoga High at the BVAL final at the Santa Teresa Golf Course on October 26. In order to advance to CCS, players need to shoot below a 92 for 18 holes.

Players said the 2011 golf season has been a success, with each player improving her game by five to 10 strokes. The team’s win-loss record was 7-5, a marked improvement from last year.

“We have the most depth in the league, and almost all of our players are returning next year,” Gragnola said. “As one of the other coaches remarked, ‘Saratoga is the favorite in 2012.’”