Delaney Whittet
Sports Editor
Hole in won.
The Mira Costa girls golf team scored a collective 391, bringing it to victory at the California State Championship on Nov. 17 at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach.
“It’s a super hard course, but we outplayed the other teams,” senior Danielle Richman said. “We are now number one in state, which is a great feeling.”
According to Costa golf coach Thomas Cox, Costa faced additional pressure during the State Championship match because it had to play against Walnut High School, a team that Costa finished behind in the Southern Section Team Qualifier, and the State Championship course had fast greens.
“Losing to Walnut High School earlier in the qualifier was a wake-up call, but the course’s conditions affected all the teams,” Cox said. “The girls bounced back and did what they had to do to win.”
Senior Marni Murez shot Costa’s best score, a 72, which was one over par. At hole 18, she gained a birdie after hitting a long shot out of the bunker and landing it six feet from the hole. Her performance on hole 18 gave the Mustangs a comfortable three-stroke lead.
“The team was able to watch Marni’s last hole, and when her shot out of the bunker landed on the green, there was a moment of pure elation,” Cox said.
Senior Andrea Lee placed second and shot a 73, while junior Ashley Kim shot a 75 and placed third. On the seventh hole, Kim drove her second shot and hit the ball into the hole from five feet away and got a birdie.
“I didn’t play as well as I would have liked, but for a difficult course, my score was decent, and we were able to pull out the win,” Kim said.
Richman struggled to shoot low on the first nine holes, but she hit her approach shot 15 feet from the tenth hole, leading to a birdie. She finished the tournament with an 84 after getting a second birdie on the eleventh hole.
“I didn’t have a good start,” Richman said. “However, I heard that our team was ahead, so I collected myself and was able to finish my round strong.”
The Mustangs’ victory at the State Championship ranked them as the number-one varsity golf team in California. This season, the girls achieved the titles of Bay League Champions, CIF Central Division Champions and Southern Regional Champions. For the second season in a row, Costa went undefeated at 12-0 in Bay League and 19-0 overall.
“Winning State was a goal we set the beginning of the season, and we knew we were capable of it,” Cox said. “The girls played their best golf, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
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