Girls golf loses to Castilleja on senior night

Coach+Ie-Cheng+hugs+Alexis+Gauba+%2812%29+in+the+ceremony+after+the+game.+The+girls+honored+their+captains+on+their+senior+night+in+a+199-201+loss+against+the+Castileja+School.+

Alex Youn

Coach Ie-Cheng hugs Alexis Gauba (12) in the ceremony after the game. The girls honored their captains on their senior night in a 199-201 loss against the Castileja School.

by Michael Sikand, Social Media Editor

Varsity girls golf lost its senior night game 199-201, in a close match against Castilleja School at the Los Lagos Golf Course on Wednesday.

Despite the outcome of the competition, the team celebrated and honored  its senior players, co-team captains Vienna Wang and Alexis Gauba. The team now has a record of 9 wins and 3 losses and enters the West Bay Athletics League (WBAL) qualifying matches next week in third place.

Friends, families and teammates congregated at the end of the ninth hole to watch the seniors putt on the final green of the course. As the two seniors finished their rounds, the crowd received them with applause to support the honored athletes. Supportive teammates also created posters for their two captains as a show of creativity and friendship.

Alexis Gauba (12) described the role of golf in her high school experience and the relationships she formed as a member of the team.

“Golf has been a large part of my high school experience these past four years. I’ve made so many lasting friendships through the sport and I’ve had a wonderful time,” she said. “Coach has been so supportive these past four years and has really put in a lot to make sure we succeed. She’s been more than just a coach to me, but also a wonderful mentor. I’m so proud to have been a part of this team and I am so excited to see everything they will accomplish in the future.”

After the scores were tallied and the last of the players had finished their rounds, head coach Ie-Chen Cheng led the players to the Los Lagos clubhouse, where she gave a speech to honors the seniors as players and people, noting their contributions to the team, honoring their unique talents and recounting humorous stories.

Despite playing golf longer than both seniors, Katherine Zhu (11) described what each captain taught her through the years.

“Alexis’s positive attitude teaches me to always look on the bright side and to never lose hope. She always has a smile on her face no matter what she’s doing,” she said. “Vienna inspires me to never give up and to always try my best. Whether we’re on the course or off, I always see her doing whatever she can to achieve her goals.”

Following the speeches, friends, family and players enjoyed brownies while socializing and taking pictures with the seniors.

After the match, Vienna described her experience at senior night and her years as a member of the Harker golf team.

“Senior night was so fun. I’m a super emotional person, so it was hard to process that it was my last Harker golf match ever. I’m so grateful for my teammates, as they made it so special for me,” she said. “If it weren’t for [Coach Cheng] reaching out to me, I [probably] wouldn’t be playing golf at all. I fell in love with the sport, but mostly with the team.”

The girls head into their qualifying matches for the league championship next week, playing all of the teams in the league to determine who advances into the finals.