Girls golf shoots season low to beat Valley Center
By Bill Tamburrino
Coach John Rathbun has said all along that his Bulldog girls golf team was improving and would continue to do so. The girls proved him right and shot their best team score of the season to beat Valley Center High School on Oct. 4.
Two days before that match, the Bulldog girls lost to Del Norte at Rancho Bernardo Inn, but they improved their scores over the previous week’s play. The Bulldog girls were consistent with four shooting in the fifties. Ramona lost to the Valley League foe, 226-287.
Del Norte’s Alisa Nguyen took medalist honors by shooting a 41 on the par 36 front nine. Ramona’s Caitlyn Doulgeropoulos and Rachel Costan both carded 55 to lead the Lady Dawgs. Courtney Kiesel shot 57 and Shannon Curristan recorded a 58. Bre Hirsh finished off the scoring with a 62.
As a team, Ramona shaved 16 strokes off of its previous loss to Mission Vista. Hirsh improved her score by 15 strokes. Costan shaved 11 strokes off of her last effort, and Curristan improved by 12 strokes.
The team continued to improve and Rathbun’s Lady Bulldogs shot their best match of the year at Woods Valley Golf Club, beating Valley Center 245-310.
“Wow! What a great win,” said Rathbun. “Every girl seemed to put it all together at the same time. We shot our low score of the year as a team. Kailey Hill shot her low score of the year. Caitlyn Doulgeropoulos shot the low score of her career and Rachel Costan shot the low score of her career. Talk about a team effort!”
Hill fired a 39 on the par 36 front nine. Doulgeropoulos carded a 43. Costan shot 52. Kiesel improved to a 55. Amanda Raines shaved nine strokes off of her previous best with a 56. Curristan also improved by recording a 57.
When interviewed on Friday and asked how she did, Hill answered with a smile bigger than the divots usually left by this reporter’s wedge shots.
“We won! We had a great match,” she said.
When pressed, Hill added, “I shot a 39!” She failed to mention that she was the medalist in Ramona’s biggest win of the season. She did, however, put the team first.