The Upper St. Clair Girls Varsity Golf Team had a strong season. With a record of 14 wins and 4 losses, the team finished the season with the title of Section Champions. The coach, Matt Henderson, mentioned that the most important match of the season was the second match against Peters Township. Peters already beat his team earlier in the year, and USC needed to step it up to beat Peters on its home course, St. Clair Country Club Terris, to be section champions.
“It was a great match and the better team won: USC!!!” the coach proudly said following that match.
Later in the season, the team placed third at WPIALs by a loss of one stoke. Henderson stated, “I had very high expectations for the year. I felt we could have come in second at WPIAL Team Finals. Shady Side is a tough team to beat. I felt my expectations were validated when we only missed second place by one stroke,”
At individuals, Danielle VonWaldow and Melissa Kearney both qualified and advanced to WPIAL Individual Championships. Danielle finished in 11th place and advanced to the Western Regional Qualifiers for the State and Melissa came in 14th place. Overall, the players as well as the coach were pretty satisfied with the season.
The team captains were seniors Danielle VonWaldow and Alyssa Beynon. They felt lucky to have a group that was so supportive.
“The team was a solid group of friends I’ll always have,” Danielle said proudly. Danielle remembered her favorite round of golf, which was at tryouts her junior year. Vonwaldow’s score, a solid 33, impressed her, since it was her best yet.
Alyssa was proud of her performance at tryouts senior year when she shot her lowest, 83, breaking 90 for the first official time. They have been playing golf since their youth; they knew they would join the golf team from a young age.
“Being a golfer in general has helped me grow a lot, because I got a chance to do something that was a little more out of my comfort zone and something that challenged me in a way that I wasn’t used to. Golf is such a mental game you have to be an all around strong person and player to be successful in this game. I enjoyed my years on the golf team so much and would consider it one of the most significant experiences I’ve had so far!” exclaimed Alyssa.
The team has always been a friendly group. This year, they accepted eleven players, with three seniors, two juniors, five sophomores, and one freshman. Everybody loved pasta dinners and team bonding. Not everyone got to play at the away matches, but everyone was out playing on the Terris at home matches, most would say the Terris was their favorite course to play. To their luck, it was their home course. Coach Henderson liked to motivate the team before it went out onto any course.
“I reminded the girls to play their own game, and to not be intimidated by the opponent. The point of golf is to always have fun and enjoy it, and I try to tell the girls that before every round. ‘Have fun, please!’ The captains offered great support to the team and reminded them to play well and to be confident,” Henderson said, satisfied.
The coach said, “I truly enjoy being a part of the team. I feel fortunate to coach at our beautiful home course of St. Clair Country Club, and the girls on the team make all the difference. They are all great teammates, awesome students, and even better young adults. I am proud to call them ‘my girls’.”