It had been a tight race all season among Fox Chapel, Armstrong, and Oakland Catholic, with all three girls golf teams vying for the section title. In the end, it came down to the final days of play before it was official – for the seventh consecutive year, Fox Chapel Area captured the WPIAL Class 3A Section 4 team championship. The Foxes now head to the WPIAL playoffs with an impressive 15-2 overall record, and a 11-1 mark in section play.
“After being in third place in the section just three weeks ago, I can’t be more proud of how the girls have played down the final stretch of their section schedule,” says coach Jon Koteski. “Their focus and desire have been remarkable.”
Great Chemistry, Practice Propel Team
Senior co-captains Baustin Bitar and Gabby DeVita are the only players on the team who have experienced the excitement of winning a WPIAL team championship. While that occurred their freshman year, Gabby notes that that this year’s team also has similar strengths.
“I think our team’s ball striking is definitely our biggest strength,” Gabby says. “The girls are incredibly consistent when hitting the ball, and I think our team has really good chemistry. We all get along so well and bring different perspectives to the game. I’m beyond proud of everyone and grateful that Coach K stepped in to coach us. This year has been one of the best since I’ve been on the team.”
Baustin echoed Gabby’s thoughts. “Our team is able to stay focused and does not give up. For example, although we lost a match against Armstrong by four strokes, that made us even more determined to keep practicing and gave us motivation to keep getting better.”
Much of team’s success can be attributed to off-season training, with many of the girls playing two or three times a week throughout the summer. Some players also competed in regional tournaments. The payoff was seeing the players’ scores continually trending lower throughout the season.
“Our motto this year has been to trust our preparation and seek the challenge,” explains first-year coach Koteski. “We’ve had the girls focus more on the training process than the absolute idea of winning. They believe if they put the repetitions in during the organized and self-practices, the winning will come on its own.”
The Captains’ Perspective
Both captains believe the team’s resilience and determination are key factors in their success.
“I think our ability to plow through and win the matches shows just how much we want to win,” Gabby says. “Every player takes a part in winning each match. We have had a couple matches where it genuinely comes down to one swing and, as coach says, every shot counts.”
Baustin notes what she believes are driving forces behind the team’s success.
“We have a great team that is still very young for the most part, but the commitment and drive from everyone is what I think makes our team so valuable, and sets us apart from everyone else,” says Baustin.
Coach Koteski credits Baustin and Gabby for their leadership and instilling a positive team culture. He remarks, “This team is a direct reflection of the values and culture our two seniors have nurtured over the past four years. They have taught the underclassman how to win with passion, commitment, and dignity.”
Both captains believe the team has what it takes to make a deep playoff run.
Individual Success
Meanwhile, three Foxes’ players advanced individually to the postseason. Sophomore Clara Koteski brought home the section 4 individual gold medal with a score of 82 on an 18-hole course. Junior Morgan Monteverde was the runner-up, and junior Ava Calandra, who led the squad during the regular season with a nine-hole low stroke average of 43, also qualified.
Clara believes one of her greatest strengths is understanding the mental aspect of golf.
“I try not to allow one bad shot to create another,” says Clara, whose age belies her remarkable maturity about her game and how she approaches it. “Most people don’t realize that bad shots are just part of golf and overact when they occur. When a bad shot occurs, I just try to focus on my routine and approach the next shot without any memory of the last. This just works for me. The higher the stakes, the greater my focus.”
Clara explains how teammate Ava has helped her grow as a competitor.
“I’ve played more golf with Ava than any other person,” Clara says. “We have the ability to feed off of one another’s momentum and to pick the other up when one of us is down. As an upperclassman, she has taught me how to stay disciplined on the course and to win while having fun.”
Morgan, in her first postseason appearance, is happy with her progress and views her short game and the ability to drive the ball as two of her strengths.
“It’s very nice to see the hard work finally pay off,” she says. But, she’s also very cognizant of how her improvements are helping the team. “We’ve been preparing for the postseason, and I really think we have the ability to go far. It will take a lot of hard work and focus. What has also helped us this season is the positive environment that this team has created and the help and feedback from coach Koteski.”
Although she was the team’s top golfer this year, last year Ava missed out on the individual tournament in 2023. She has channeled her disappointment into determination and is enthusiastic about how 2024 might end.
Ava comments, “I didn’t do my best last year, but I’m ready this year. I’ve put in a lot of work over the summer in tournaments, and I also played in the Pennsylvania juniors tournament. I’ve also worked on strengthening my mental game. But also having coaches like Mr. Koteski and Mr. (Dave) Busch, who take golf very seriously, helps us be more competitive.”
Looking Ahead
With strong leadership, a deep team bond, and a belief in the training process, Fox Chapel Area is well-positioned for a deep postseason run. Even though their season has already been a success, they are eager to see how far they can go.
As Gabby comments, “With the amount of experience we have, I don’t think anything is out of reach for us. Every girl has put in the work.”
Fellow varsity members of the squad are senior Riley Francis-Perka, juniors Molly Classen and Madison Rothert, sophomore Abigail Freyvogel, and freshmen London Bitar and Brooke Leone.