Iron Girls

Carondelet golf takes aim at second at another postseason run to the state tournament

  Story By MIKE WOOD | Photos by PHILLIP WALTON

  Carondelet-Concord hit lofty heights in high school girls golf in 2015. That included an undefeated regular season, the North Coast Section team championship and the tournament’s medalist, tying for second at the Northern California finals and finishing fifth at the state championships

  Flash to the present. As many champions learn, retaining that high echelon of success often is tougher than reaching it the first time.

  “It makes you work even harder, because you know what it is like,” said junior Annika Borrelli about the challenge of repeating. “Our goal at NCS is to get first. We want to go out there and play our game.”

  The Cougars are focused on defending their team title Monday, Oct. 31, at the NCS Division I Tournament of Champions at Chardonnay Golf Club in Napa. Once again they have put together a stellar season.

  But this time, Dougherty Valley-San Ramon stands firmly in Carondelet’s way.

  The Wildcats, who with Dublin joined the East Bay Athletic League this fall, have gotten the best of the Cougars in all three of their meetings this year. In league head-to-head competition, Dougherty Valley earned wins of 190-195 and 192-201, then edged Carondelet by four strokes for the EBAL title on Oct. 17 at Chardonnay.

  “We have been playing really well,” Borrelli said. “We are still shooting exceptional scores. It’s all about getting rid of our mistakes.”

  Coach Rick Eisenhour zeroes in one aspect of Carondelet’s game that needs work.

  “We haven’t been that effective on the putting green,” said Eisenhour. “From tee-to-green, we are doing fine. We need to avoid the three-putts, make the birdies we should make and eliminate the short misses.”

  Those losses to the Wildcats are the only times Carondelet (16-2) have tasted defeat this season. Playing a double round robin format against all nine league foes in the expanded EBAL didn’t allow room for scheduling a preseason tournament, Eisenhour said.

  The last time the Cougars gained the upper hand against Dougherty Valley was at the 2015 NCS TOC, taking the team title by a 394-408 margin at Boundary Oak in Walnut Creek, the Cougars’ home course, as Carondelet’s Angela Bagasbas won medalist honors with a 72.

  In many ways the Cougars have upped their game from last year. Take the league tournament.

  “In the EBAL finals they went from 390 at San Ramon Golf Club in 2015, to a 366 this year at Chardonnay,” Eisenhour said. “We skipped the 380s and 370s altogether.”

  The Cougars again are a model of consistency with low scores, with 10 matches totaling a 200 or under in the competitive EBAL, known for its challenging courses and steep competition.

  Carondelet’s consistency is rooted in having its core cast back from last season. And aside from Isabel Minton being sidelined with a wrist injury, they are healthy. They boast senior Alexis Browne, juniors Borrelli and Bagasbas and sophomores Yealimi Noh and Courtney Gaoiran. And there’s freshman Carissa Wu, who shot a 2-under at the EBAL finals at Chardonnay.

  Having played together for quite some time leads to forming strong bonds, both on the course and in the classroom.

  “It allows our friendships to be ongoing,” Borrelli said.  “We try to motivate each other and help someone who might be having a bad day. We have each other’s back.”

  Competing and traveling in an American Junior Golf Association league was a positive for the players.

  “They really bonded well and it taught them how to score and to eliminate some nervousness,” Eisenhour said. “It shored up their confidence.”

  To make an NCS double, they will have to conquer the nuances of Chardonnay.

  “It’s undulating to say the least,” Eisenhour said. “The holes are up and down and all over the place.”

  Should the Cougars make it thru NCS and NorCals, again there is the goal of heading to the state championships again, set for Nov. 15 at Red Hill Country Club in Rancho Cucamonga.

  There’s one motivator in getting there that has little to do with golf. Borrelli summed it up in one word: “Disneyland!”

  The Road to Red Hill
  Following are the key dates and tournaments for 2016 girls golf postseason, which concludes with the CIF State Championships at Red Hill Country Club in Rancho Cucamonga.
  NCS DIV. I CHAMPIONSHIP
  • When: Monday, Oct. 31; shotgun start, 9 a.m.
  • Where: Chardonnay Golf Club, 2555 Jameson Canyon Rd., Napa
  • Defending Champ: Carondelet
  CIF/NCGA NORCAL CHAMPIONSHIP
  • When: Monday, Nov. 7, first tee times (Holes No. 1 and 10) at 8 a.m.
  • Where: The Club at Crazy Horse Ranch, 475 San Juan Grade Rd., Salinas
  • Defending Champ: St. Francis-Mountain View
  CIF STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
  • When: Monday, Nov. 14, first tee time (Hole No. 1 only) at 7:30 a.m.
  • Where: Red Hill Country Club, 8358 Red Hill Country Club Dr., Rancho Cucamonga
  • Defending Champ: Mira Costa