Girls’ golf team rebuilds after losing several key players
Alee Balanon preparing to swing her golf club during a match.
August 1, 2013
Well it’s about that time of year again where fall sports to are ready begin their seasons after hard training sessions. The girls golf team has been working hard and is ready to start out its season strong.
Tracy High junior Alee Balanon is excited for her third season on the golf team. She is also really under a lot of pressure because she is one of the three captains who will try and lead their team.
“Golf is really important to me,” Balanon said. “It’s a sport where I can play all throughout my life with my family.”
Balanon’s goals for this season are to get good grades and to improve her golf game. Her personal goals and expectations are to make sections for golf.
“My goals for the team are to place high in league,” Balanon said. “I want us as a team to improve each match we play and together we will be better each time.”
Last year, Balanon personally went to league championship and missed the cut by just one stroke.
“I felt disappointed that I missed my shot,” Balanon said. “If I would’ve made my one putt I would’ve have gone further.”
After last year, Balanon wants to improve her game by not getting cut and in the league championships and practicing more.
“I practiced a little bit over the summer ,but not much,” Balanon said. “I will practice more this year because I want to improve my golf game.”
Balanon loves golf, but she also enjoys the camaraderie of her team. She shares a close bond with her fellow golfers.
“The girls I play golf with are family,” Balanon said. “I get really connected with people I never thought I would.”
But Balanon is not the only one excited for this season to start, her coach Derek Solano is ready for this season to start.
Solano’s goals and expectations for this season are to qualify for the playoffs and hopefully have most of girls as possible to make a long run in the playoffs and keep improving.
“We are going to be a little younger,” Solano said. “Hopefully if the season progresses if we reach the goals by the end of the year, then we will have gotten better.”
Solano has five returning players on his roster. He has a couple of freshman that have also stepped up to play golf.
“We have one senior who made it this year, Brooke Davis,” Solano said. “Our two freshmen are Kylie Mantor and Gabrielle Burns have been working really hard.”
Solano chose three captains to take charge and lead the lady bulldogs to the playoffs. The captains are Amanda Vasquez, Lindsay Raaker, and Alee Balanon. He chose these three girls to be the captains because Amanda Vasquez and Lindsay Raaker are the returning seniors and third ranked player on the roster is Alee Balanon.
The Lady Bulldogs league record last year was 6-4. Solano plans to improve from last year by getting his entire team into playoffs. Last year he only had individuals qualify.
Solano is worried about two teams in league this year.
“Lodi is going to be really good,” Solano said.
Last year, the girl’s golf team had lost a few key players. This roster is mostly made up with new players.
“They are good girls,” Solano said. “They are working hard and have been taking lessons over the summer, so it will be interesting to see how much better we get.”
Solano believes that with all the hard work he is seeing from the girls, there is no doubt in his mind that his team will go far this season.
