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Westlake golfers continue to make big strides
Last spring, Gibson stepped into the batter's box in her first softball game for the Warriors, looked in at the opposing pitcher and took a mighty swing. Only it wasn't a baseball swing; it was a golf swing. It was a precursor of things to come. The way Gibson and the Warriors girls' golf team have been playing recently, the rest of the Marmonte League probably wishes she'd stayed with softball. Coming off three Marmonte League titles in a row, the Warriors have started out with a bang in '07 by posting a 10-1 overall record while going 7-0 in league play. During the Warriors' outstanding early-season run, it's not just teams that are falling like flies, its team records. So far, the Warriors have played eight different courses this season, and in seven of those courses the team has posted new low scores for the school. "In the 10 years I've been here, this is the best team I've ever coached," Westlake head coach Dave Costley said. "We have a lot of depth, and all the kids are very enthusiastic about playing." Leading the team is Gibson, who recently gave up playing softball to concentrate on golf. "When I first started playing golf, I wasn't sure if I would like it," Gibson said. "My mom sent me to a golf camp at Westlake, and I immediately liked playing the sport. I love how even though it's a team sport in high school, it's very independent and focuses more on the individual." In the offseason Gibson competed in many tournaments, including one at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, which will host the U.S. Open in 2008. "Playing at Torrey Pines was a lot of fun," Gibson said. "Playing on a course like that- away from the usual courses I play on in the area- was very good for me; it helped me control my nerves and just have fun. "Now I don't get as nervous before matches, and I'm more confident in myself." Costley said he was impressed with how much Gibson has improved since her first year at WHS. "She's an extremely hard worker," Costley said. "She has been taking a lot of lessons over the summer, and her game has improved by eight or nine strokes this season because of it." Westlake's top five golfers are Gibson, juniors Liz Cornelison, Tiffany Uichanco, Kate Gatena and Kayla Picciano. Although Costley said Gibson is the team's No. 1 player, he said three or four golfers could become the No. 1 on any day. "Kate (Gatena) started the year as our No. 5 golfer, and the other day she shot an even-par 34 to lead us," Costley said. "That same game Kayla (Picciano) shot a 45, and we had to throw it out because we only keep our top five scores. "She's a great competitor and was upset her score was thrown out, but I just told her, 'Hey, if we are throwing out a 45 that's nothing to necessarily be ashamed of. It means as a team we played very, very well that day.'" Gatena said prior to shooting a 34, she made some changes to her game. "I changed my swing a little, and I think I did a better job really focusing on every single shot," she said. Besides Westlake's record, Costley has many reasons to smile. WHS has nobody graduating on the team this year, which means they could potentially be an even bigger threat next season. Knowing that this team was going to be together for a while, Cornelison and Uichanco held a team meeting at the start of the season. "Liz and Tiffany got the team together, and they made a statement saying that this was going to be a team that got along very well," Costley said. "They were going to root for each other and never get on anyone when they made a bad shot. Since then there has been great team chemistry." Other players that could make a contribution to the Warriors this season are sophomores Morganne Pace, Stephanie Sue and Vivian Shi. Junior Seoyeon Chang, who was the team's No. 4 golfer earlier in the year, is no longer with the squad after moving back with her family to Korea a week ago. |
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