When asked about his team’s performance overall this season,
Gilroy girls golf coach Eric Kuwada said simply,
”
It’s like night and day.
”
SALINAS – When asked about his team’s performance overall this season, Gilroy girls golf coach Eric Kuwada said simply, “It’s like night and day.”
Although the Lady Mustangs failed to reach the qualifying mark as a team Monday at the Tri-County Athletic League Finals, Kuwada seemed pleased with his team’s noticeable improvement from one year ago.
Compiling a 491 over 18 holes on the par-72 Salinas Golf and Country Club, Gilroy finish ninth at TCALs but missed the cut of 390, a score that would have sent them to the Central Coast Section Finals. But with just one senior in Katie Kishimura, the Mustangs seem poised to progress once again.
“These past two years that I’ve been on the team, they’ve really improved,” said Kishimura, who finished her career at GHS with a team-low 111. The lone senior said she could have played a lot better, but it was her short game that held her back.
“I think next year, it’s gonna get a lot better,” Kishimura added of her Gilroy team. “They’re improving so much. By the time next year comes, they’ll do really well.”
Jam Vilairantana earned medalist honors by shooting a 2-under 70 Monday as she paced her Stevenson team, which finished first with a 327. Santa Catalina (346) and Salinas (361) were the only other teams to make the CCS cut, while Pacific Grove’s Haley Andreas (74) and Monte Vista Christian’s Caroline Belmont (85) were the only two individual golfers to make the section cut of 97.
Gilroy’s Megan Donahue carded a 115, while Sophia Sullivan (127), Cassidy Daley (138), Laura Fellows (146) and Alexis Driggs (148) rounded out the team.
“A lot of these girls started last year as beginners, first time playing golf,” Kuwada said. “Now, they’re getting to the point where they’re getting better and better as the years go by.
“We have three sophomores and two juniors this year, so a lot of room to improve.”
