Girls’ Golf Preview: Crescenta Valley, Flintridge Sacred Heart turn to experience to reach goals
With their first matches around the corner, the Crescenta Valley High and Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy girls’ golf teams have outlined their goals.
The Falcons qualified for the CIF playoffs last season after finishing fourth in the Pacific League. Crescenta Valley placed 13th at the CIF Southern Section Northern Team Divisional. The Tologs came up short in their bid to qualify after finishing fifth in the Mission League.
Though Crescenta Valley lost All-Area honorees Gloria Namkung and Emily Redecker to graduation, it returns senior Michaela Labellarte and juniors Vienna Bebla and Cathlyn Junio to anchor the lineup.
“They are our three most consistent players,” Crescenta Valley coach Grant Clark said. “We will be a little bit inexperienced at the bottom of the lineup, so there’s some opportunity for others to step up and grab a spot.
“It’s a chance to see how they can handle competing at the varsity level.”
The Pacific League will look considerably different following the departure of San Marino, which won the league championship last season and will be a freelance team.
Arcadia took second in league last season, followed by Burroughs.
“With San Marino not being in league anymore, I can see the league being a little bit more wide open,” Clark said. “Arcadia will be tough and will bring back some of its key players. Burroughs lost a lot of its top players. We have a chance to move up in league and that’s one of the main goals.”
Flintridge Sacred Heart showed signs of improvement last season after finishing last in league in 2015.
Under third-year coach Ric Moore, the Tologs will seek continued improvement with a squad featuring six seniors.
“Having so many seniors, I think, will help us because they are all battle-tested and they are comfortable with the way they’ve been playing,” said Moore, a former head professional at Chevy Chase Country Club in Glendale. “They have become more comfortable with the schools we are playing in league and the courses.
“We feel like we can move up to third or fourth in league, so we’ll shoot for that. It’s just about staying relaxed and focused. If you can do that, then your performance will improve.”
The lineup will likely feature seniors Chloe Walters, Skye Henry, Shanley Galanto, Darcy Michero, Genesis Li and Reese Bauer.
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
