The close of the 2019 spring season marks only the second year the Girls Golf Team has been in place at Wayne Valley. Though there were only nine girls in the program this year, they all can say that their record this season did not matter, but rather they valued the experiences they had both on and off the course. Melanie Gianinio, Katie Pavlak, Amanda Jones, and Emily Carvalho have spent their last spring season as a Wayne Valley Indian playing on the Girls Golf Team. All four seniors all had great things to say regarding their experience on the Golf team.

Captains Melanie Gianinio, and Katie Pavlak were participants in both the Big North Tournament and the Passaic County Tournament. Freshman Amanda Vogt and Maddy Martin also partook in both of these events. Senior Emily Carvalho, and Junior Kelly R

eynolds were also participants in the Passaic County Tournament. Qualification for these tournaments is determined by score averages throughout the matches that are played during the regular season.In this years County Tournament, Maddy Martin placed 3rd, and Amanda Vogt and Katie Pavlak tied for 6th. Maddy Martin also won 1st Team All County for the year.

Amanda Jones, Emily Carvalho, Katie Pavlak, and Melanie Gianinio also participated in most of the regular season matches. They were joined by Junior Kelly Reynolds, Sophomore Catie Carvalho, and Freshmen Kendra Aragona, Maddy Martin, and Amanda Vogt. Six girls play per match, and the four lowest scores are recorded. In both rain or shine the golf team plays, and unfortunately, this season there were many more rainy days then sunny!  

Golf is just as mentally challenging as it is physically. It is very important to stay focused and not crack under pressure. Melanie Gianinio proclaims, “The Girls Golf Team is an amazing group filled with people I consider my close friends. I am glad I got to be apart of a team that showed me it is okay to not be perfect at something as long as you don’t let it get you down.” Additionally, Katie Pavlak says that the golf team feels like a family supporting each other, “through all the good and bad, the laughs and the tears. We never give up on each other. I have learned that even when you want to give up or you’re not doing your best, just pick up your head because the end can turn into something amazing.” Even in times of frustration, these girls played on. The one year seniors of the golf team, Emily Carvalho and Amanda Jones, also said that the team was just like a family. Emily is glad that she joined from the lessons that she had learned during the duration of the season. The most important thing that she claims to have learned was that “golf looks a lot easier than it actually is.” Amanda Jones remarks that, “It was so cool how quickly the team connected and was able to have fun while learning and practicing and getting better.” The season started off with practices at the Willowbrook Driving Range, and then at the Preakness Valley County Course. Matches followed along with tournaments.

In order for this program to successfully continue, the Girls Golf Team will need more players. The experience is so different from all other sports and if you are not playing a spring sport next season, JOIN GIRLS GOLF!

In words of Coach Camb, “People thinking about joining should absolutely come out and play this great game. Even if they do not have any experience, we can teach them how to play. The team is filled with great girls and it’s a supportive and fun environment. This is one of the only games someone can play until they are 100 years old, why not start now!”

“Golf is very similar to life, no matter how hard you try, you will not be good unless you take it step by step, stroke by stroke.”-Amanda Jones