The weather may have been gloomy Sept. 20, but the St. Charles East Girls Golf Team shined. Varsity placed third at the Dukane County Conference Tournament at Phillips Park, and JV placed first, making them conference champions.
Sisters Manuela (junior) and Paula Ramirez (freshman) led the two teams in scoring. Manuela Ramirez led the varsity team with a score of 80, followed by Charlotte Tassone (sophomore) with a score of 87 on Phillips Park Golf Course, an 18-hole golf course.
“Going into the Conference we all practiced really hard in the days before because we had the goal of placing in the top three, which we did,” Tassone said. “I am happy with my round because I shot 15 strokes better than last year which is great. Even though I had a lot of silly mistakes today, I know how to fix those which will help me be better next year,” said Tassone.
Other players on the varsity team include Emma Jones (90), Olivia Vosburgh (91), Avery Andelman (94), Ivana Virden (97), Mia Martin (97) and Emily Geurts (99).
Sophomore Mia Martin, a varsity player who scored a 97 at conference, said, “This season has been more successful than last year, we have created better connections and bonds which helps us when we play. To prepare for the Conference, I took my time to practice a little bit more on the weekend and got my head in the right mindset. While playing, I did not let much distract me.”
For the JV team, Freshman Paula Ramirez shot a 99 with senior Catie Haggerty and junior Mia Scialo just one shot behind (100).
“We played in the rain, so I learned some new things about how to adapt to it!” Ava Hisel said after the match.
Peyton Beckman, a junior who plays for East’s golf team, scored 109 at Conference, “After playing in Conference for three years now it is a great experience. I have been able to meet so many new people and have great interactions when being with the same group for four hours.” Beckman added, “ It’s always my favorite when I look over at the next hole to see my teammates, and we do our classic hand movements signaling if we are doing good or not. We always try to lift each other up and care for each other, and that’s why we’re a great team!”
Regarding the match, Coach Gutesha said, “The conditions were cold and rainy the entire day. We were prepared with the proper gear for the weather and I didnt hear a single complaint the entire day. When the awards were finished, the team wanted to stick around to take pictures and were laughing and having a great time celebrating our successes,” said Gutesha.” The rain kept coming down, but we were the last team to leave the parking lot. First-In and Last-Out! That’s our motto!”
Following up, the varsity team participated in their regional tournament at Bloomingdale Golf Club on Sept. 28, placing 6th with an overall team score of 356. Manuela Ramirez led the team with a score of 76 and participated in Sectionals at Whisper Creek on Oct. 2.
Ending the season off on a good note, Manuela finished off at sectionals with a score of 83. Regarding the end of the season, JV Coach Ullman said, “While we are sad that this season is over and our two seniors are leaving us, we’re excited to have such a young team with so many returning players. We’re excited for next year and hope it’s a great season!”
