By Lauren Shin, Staff Writer
For many sports, the fall season has come to an end. One of the most underrated teams, the girls golf team, has had a season filled with firsts.
The River Hill golf team is known to be one of the best in Howard County, consisting of two Howard County Players of the Year. However, the number of girls on the team decreases each year. This year, however, everyone was taken by surprise by how much more girls tried out for the team.
Sophomore Carolina Herrera shares her experience, “This season was fun, especially because I got to play with so many more girls than last year.”
Julia Baek, also a Sophomore, agrees. “I liked how we were able to improve and bond a lot together,” she says.
The girls formed a strong bond as they met frequently in and out of the team practices. Early on, the meaning of being a team became more than just other people whom you play with. Under the guidance of their welcoming team captain, Senior Mehar Sandhu, new and returning players showed much improvement throughout the season as they helped one another. Thanks to our large group compared to the other schools, the girls showed true River Hill spirit.
“I loved having tryouts, because everyone was so nice and we got close really quickly. It didn’t feel like we were competing against each other,” freshman golfer Gina, says. “It was more like we’re friends, we’re working together to achieve a common goal, and we’re going to help one another.”
Julia recalls that her most memorable experience was “the tournament at Timbers of Troy because we weren’t playing against anyone, so it gave us the chance to just improve ourselves. I learned that your mental game is so important, sometimes even more important than the actual game, because if you let your scores get to you, it just ruins everything after that.”
The girls’ tournament at Timbers of Troy against Howard High School was definitely a new experience for everyone. They played in extreme weather conditions without any competition, due to Howard not having enough girls to form a team.
With their outstanding performance, both the River Hill girls and boys made it to championships undefeated. The team unfortunately lost to their rivals, Marriott Ridge, but stayed strong until the very end and proudly represented River Hill.
In the end, the girls agree that they learned a great deal, and most importantly, formed a connection with one another. As a matter of fact, they thoughtfully approached the River Hill journalists to request an article dedicated to their captain and senior, Mehar.
Since this was her last year playing for River Hill, her teammates wanted to share their gratitude towards the captain before sending her off for college. The team would like to say: “Thank you so much for setting a good example of what a captain should be, and for being so welcoming to everyone. You are just so sweet and ready to explain or give help when we need it. Many of us were new and unfamiliar with everything, but you showed us how everything rolls, and made us feel like we belong. It was such an honor to be able to play with you, and we wish you the best of luck in college. We will miss you!”