The Varsity golf team was promoted to Division I in the Mission League for the 2023 season after finishing second in Division III at the end of their 2022 season. The team credits their success to their unwavering dedication and hard work. 

“We are really gearing up to play our best,” Varsity golf co-captain Yuma ‘24 said. “We upped our game to win.”

Two seasons ago, the team competed in Division IV. Then, they practiced less frequently than they do now and focused on a narrow range of skills such as driving. 

Last season, after placing in Division III, the golf team moved on to CIF Regionals, where they competed against teams in higher divisions. 

The team succeeded against the 10 teams in Division I and against the other 60 teams in Divisions II, III and IV. They made it to CIF Finals, where they finished in the top 12. 

“Moving to Division I is a testament to the hard work and dedication from the team last year,” Varsity golf co-captain Kaila ‘25 said. “If anything, it has fueled us to work harder this year and fulfill the success of a D1 team.”  

Under Head Coach Rick Rielly’s guidance, the team has been steadily improving. Recently, they have increased practice time and expanded their range of skills to include mental aspects of golf such as course management and the ability to read greens.

“Coach Rick is really pushing us to figure out how to better strategize because in the end, golf is a game of strategy,” Yuma said. “It’s a mental game, rather than just a physical game.” 

Captains Yuma and Kaila, along with Coach Rielly, have placed an emphasis on consistency and attendance at their practices and matches this year to continue improving.         

“Many of the team members showed great improvement comparing the scores from the beginning of the year to the end of the year,” Rielly said. “Course management played a big role in the overall improvement of the team.”