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Focused Greenwich High girls golf team dominates the field

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Members of the Greenwich High School girls golf team pose with the trophy for second place at the CIAC championship.
Members of the Greenwich High School girls golf team pose with the trophy for second place at the CIAC championship.

Another season and another pleasing performance by the Greenwich High School girls golf team, as head coach Marie Shimchick was able to see her squad become one of the best teams in the Nutmeg State.

“It was a really good season,” Shimchick said. “Between the weather, not being to get out on the course too much and having our first test so early in the season, we weren’t really sure how good we were going to do. The first match of the season it was probably about 40 degrees on April 8 and the kids shot a 186. I had a feeling then that in those conditions to shoot below 190 would be pretty spectacular. They did really well.”

This year, Big Red started its regular season 1-0-1. However, it was the last time that another number would be added to either the loss or tie column, as Greenwich ended the regular season 15-0-1.

A fourth consecutive Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference championship and second place overall in the state championship cemented this team’s mark as one of the best teams to come out of the GHS girls golf program.

“I am really proud of how they all stepped up their game,” Shimchick said. “From the best player to the least experienced on the JV squad, they have all really committed to working hard. They are all going to be playing summer golf to get themselves more prepared and that is all you could ask for.”

The Cardinals entered the FCIAC championship match at Fairchild Wheeler Country Club in grand fashion. During the regular season finale against Trumbull High School, Big Red carded its lowest score of the season, a 168.

Greenwich kept the good times rolling at FCIACs, as GHS dominated the competition and finished with its fourth consecutive FCIAC crown and a score of 342. The next closest team was Staples with a 364 on the day.

Overall it was junior Catherine McEvoy that was the player to beat, finishing with an FCIAC record 2-under par 71 on the day. Senior Mana Fujiwara took second on GHS with an 87, while senior Kendyl Nethercott and sophomore Ashley Feighery each carded scores of 92.

“There was a lot more parity going into tournament this year,” Shimchick said. “We knew there were going to be a lot teams that were really strong. At the beginning of the season I never thought we would win the FCIAC tournament by 22 strokes, so it just showed how hard the kids worked. They were very diligent about playing practice rounds and making sure they were as prepared as possible.”

At states, Greenwich was seeded second overall to a very tough Berlin team. Although it was Berlin that came away with the state championship at Orange Hills Country Club with a total score of 346 on the day, Big Red wasn’t far behind. In fact, they were close throughout the 18 holes and finished with a score of 359.

The next closest team was Simsbury with a total score of 375.

“With the rain that we had night before, we were nervous that the course was going to be tough, but it was really nice,” Shimchick said. “All I wanted them to do in states was to go out and shoot their best. Berlin was truly the team to beat, but we came close. I think this will inspire the team to do even better next year.”

Yet again it was McEvoy who was stellar on the course, firing an even-par 74 on the day. No one else on the course finished the day below a 6-over par 80. McEvoy connected on three birdies, including back-to-back on the 16th and 17th holes.

In addition to McEvoy, Nethercott was second on the team and 21st overall, firing an 92 on the day. Right next to her was Ashley Feighery, who had a round to remember and took home a 93.

“Ashley’s only a sophomore,” Shimchick said. “She went from splitting her time last year between JV and varsity to taking more than 10 strokes off her nine-hole average. That’s tremendous that she could do that all within a year and for her it was becoming mentally tougher.”

Fujiwara cracked the top 50 individually and was fourth on the team with a 100. Freshman Tess Lamhaouar shot a 107 to round out the GHS performance at states.

Just for Lamhaouar to be on the course was impressive. The day after the team’s regular season finale against Trumbull, Shimchick received an email from Lamhaoaur’s mother, saying that her daughter was having an emergency appendectomy.

“She wasn’t able to play FCIACs, but she was determined to play states,” Shimchick said. “Tess carried her bag and did a great job. She really stepped up her game and her determination.”

Big Red’s only regular-season blemish happened in the second match of the season against Staples.

Shimchick and the rest of the Cardinals didn’t really know what to expect from the Wreckers, as it was their first match of the season and had first-year head coach Patty Kondub at the helm. In that match, both teams shot a 182 to end in a draw.

“To end up in a tie was a great way to start the season with them,” Shimchick said. “There’s a rivalry between the two schools and to take that and turn it into something positive was good for both teams.”

However three weeks later, Greenwich once again saw Staples, this time at the Griffith E. Harris golf course, and came away with the 18-stroke margin of victory.

“The biggest difference that we had was confidence,” Shimchick said. “Our scores consistently went down for the most part, so it was easy to see that we were gaining more and more confidence and were consistent on the golf course.”

One of the reasons for Big Red’s success this season came from the performance of McEvoy.

“She was amazing,” Shimchick said. “She was so much more consistent than she was the past two years. She’s been great the past two years, but this year she was mentally tougher and was really able to hone in. The other girls were able to support her.”

Another reason for the team’s great success was in its senior leaders Fujiwara, Nethercott and Alexandra Ng, as well as McEvoy.

“These girls brought a lot of consistency, which is inspiring,” Shimchick said. “Every year it seems to get harder and harder to get that four-year commitment to a sport. It’s out of commitment and responsibility to the team that they choose to come back. Catherine’s overall game and focus was amazing for us. She is, by far, the most focused player I have ever had. When she’s on the course, there really is nothing else.

“Kendyl is consistent and very rarely does she have those blowup rounds,” added the head coach. “Mana has grown the most from freshman year to senior year and Alex is a real leader. She implemented a big sister, little sister program that pairs a varsity player with a junior varsity player. Each one of them have contributed their strengths. Between what they all have to offer made for really solid leadership on the team.”

While Big Red had a plethora of strengths, one of the things that troubled Greenwich throughout the season was the putter. During the regular season, the Lady Cardinals averaged 73 putts per match.

“One of our lowest rounds of the season was the first time we played Ridgefield and we had a 170, but we had 84 putts,” Shimchick said. “If we are going to be as successful as I think we can be, our number of putts need to go down. We also need to learn how to grind it out. That’s the hardest thing for them to learn. Instead of playing something smart or taking a penalty stroke, they want to go for the hero shot. They learn the hard way that it’s not the way to do it. Hopefully as we mature as a team, the scores will improve.”

In a season full of highlights, one of the team’s greatest moment from this season actually took place during an exhibition match.

Shimchick planned a week-long break between the final match of the regular season and the FCIAC tournament, so that way girls that wanted to play in the Connecticut Women’s Open wouldn’t miss any varsity action. However due to course conditions not being favorable, the Open was postponed and that gave GHS a free week of being able to practice.

That hole in the schedule gave Greenwich the opportunity to play with the the women’s club team from the Griffith E. Harris golf club.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time,” Shimchick said. “I want my girls to see that golf is a lifetime sport. There will only be a few kids that will play in college and I hope more and more want to do that, but for the most part, they are going to be recreational golfers. I want to put them in situations where they are playing with adults that they don’t know and still be able to interact. It was such a phenomenal team and we had so much fun.”

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