By Brendan Connelly, Online News Editor
// For the first time in ten years, the women’s golf team qualified for the North Coast Section (NCS) championships, scoring their second highest result in Acalanes High School women’s golf history.
After finishing their league season with a record of 4-4, the women’s golf team competed at the NCS championships at the Diablo Creek Golf Course on Nov. 1 where they placed ninth out of 21 teams.
The team placed third at the Diablo Athletic League (DAL) tournament on Oct. 15 to finish out their regular season, solidifying their winning record and qualification for NCS. The team attributes their success to a season of hard work.
“Our team worked very hard to get into NCS this year. We had practices three to four times a week, and the majority of us practiced outside those set practices. We did so in order to better prepare ourselves for each match we had as well as for the tournament,” women’s golf captain and junior Makena Chelemedos said.
This year, social studies teacher Cass Mulholland and math teacher Kenneth Lorge stepped in as the new golf coaches.
“I think we learned a lot from them, and one of the things I think that they helped with a lot is team bonding. I feel like we really all kind of got connected and together this year which definitely made us stronger,” women’s golf captain and junior Kendal Geddes said.
The athletes appreciated the experience of playing at NCS and were proud of their performance.
“Our experience at NCS was both exciting and enjoyable. It was great to have the opportunity to play in the tournament and experience what large types of tournaments are like,” Chelemedos said. “As a whole, our team did quite well. We finished ninth out of the 21 different schools represented. This year, we are holding the second best Acalanes NCS score since 2000 or longer. This is quite an accomplishment for us.”
Overall, the team hopes that their perseverance and dedication will lead to future successes and recognition on campus.
“The team and I do have many high hopes for the next season. We hope to make it through the season and to again qualify for NCS. I am hoping to personally make it to the state championship next year as well,” Chelemedos said. “For seasons to come, I hope that the team will continue to carry on and work hard to become even more successful. Gaining more recognition for girls golf is one of the major goals for both next year and beyond.”