Westlake sets gold standard on the links

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers STARE IT DOWN—Moorpark High's Natalie Rockefeller hits a shot at Camarillo Springs. The Westlake High girls' golf team didn't lose any players from last season's team. The Warriors also haven't lost a beat.

After winning a Marmonte League title in '07, the Warriors are on an early roll with a 10-0 overall record.

"We're all back," Westlake head coach Dave Costley said. "Last year I said our team had the potential to be the best squad I ever had. With us not losing one player to graduation, I believe this team will be even better."

Agoura head coach Gary Gray agreed that the Warriors will be a difficult team to beat this season.

"Royal and Simi will be good teams, but in my mind Westlake is just head and shoulders above the rest of the league," Gray said.

Westlake's top golfer, Charlotte Gibson, a junior, may be a sharpshooter, but senior Liz Cornelison isn't too shabby, either. In fact, Cornelison shot a match-low 36 (1-over par) against Rio Mesa on Tuesday.

WHS senior golfers Tiffany Uichanco, Kate Gatena, Kayla Picciano and junior Vivian Shi all have the potential to win a tournament on any given day.

"With a team like this, your only worry is they grow up and develop other interests and give up golf," Costley said. "Lucky for us that hasn't happened."

The top challenger to Westlake should be Royal, second-place finishers a year ago.

The Highlanders, 4-1 in league, are led by junior Taylor Gould, who, according to coach Bob Misko, is averaging "about a 39.5 on the season."

Royal senior Jenna Fisher and sophomore Maile Kim have played well, although Fisher recently suffered an injury and could miss the remainder of the season. Senior Lauren Fodor is also out with a shoulder injury, but Misko expects to have her back in a week.

Misko has been telling his squad to not think about Westlake.

"There are three things to compete against in golf: the other team, yourself and the golf course," Misko said.

"I'm not trying to be disrespectful to any team in our league, but when we show up to play Westlake at Los Robles Greens, in our minds we're playing Los Robles."

Simi Valley is 5-4 overall and 5-1 in the Marmonte thanks to the play of junior Clara Kim.

Kim has shot as low as 40 this year and was a medalist against Newbury Park on Tuesday when she posted a 42.

Seniors Sydney Zacsek and Brandi Hull, junior Megan Berman, and sophomores Taylor Cartwright and Kayla Sonsalla have all chipped in for the Pioneers.

Newbury Park is 1-3 in the Marmonte and is hoping to make the postseason behind strong efforts from senior Sidney Dobner and sophomore Reina Adams. Dobner shot a 43 against Simi Valley on Tuesday to lead the Panthers.

Other Panthers that have contributed are sophomores Nicole Janson, Natalie Smalldon and Melissa Han, as well as senior Kirby Welsh.

"The biggest thing with our team is learning course management," Panther head coach Nori Parvin said. "I'm looking forward to seeing this team grow as the season progresses."

Moorpark finished in seventh place in '07, and with a 0-4 record in league already this year, it doesn't look too good for the Musketeers.

With top golfer Madison McBride, a sophomore, out for the season, this squad may be a year away from being a serious threat to the contenders.

Freshman Ashley Baker, who shot a 45 against Camarillo on Tuesday, is the Musketeers' top golfer. Juniors Alexa Liacko and Erin Dilley, along with senior Lara McKowan, are worth watching.

Although Moorpark is struggling, head coach Dave Chapman does his best to keep the girls' spirits up.

"My goal is for them to have fun and not quit," Chapman said. "In the past, many members of our team were coming out for the golf team to just give it a try and nothing else.

"This year the girls are working very hard and are really dedicated. They enjoy being at practice, and they enjoy being around each other. For me, that's very exciting."

Another team that's struggling is Calabasas. The Coyotes won a league title in 2003, but have been near the bottom of the standings ever since.

Head coach Midge McChristy believes CHS (1-4 in league) is improving thanks to a change in how the team is run. For the first time, Calabasas now has a sixth period golf class.

Some of the Coyotes taking advantage of the extra training time are seniors Alli Hirshfield and Jessie Philipps, as well as sophomore Sinead Brenner, who McChristy calls the "team's most improved player."

Although Agoura had a stellar season in '07, the team is in what Coach Gray calls "a down year" due to the graduation of many seniors.

The Chargers, 4-3 overall and 2-3 in league play, will still try to get into the postseason behind the standout play of Katherine Liu.

Seniors Alexa Halloran and Cailyn Steinhardt, as well as sophomore Kelsey Freedland, have also made an impact at Agoura.

Thousand Oaks, 1-3 in league, is led by Stacy Mann.

Agoura, Moorpark, Newbury Park, Royal, Calabasas and Thousand Oaks all played matches Thursday afternoon.