Fox Chapel Area girls golf coach Christine Smith has good reason to be optimistic about the upcoming season. After leading the team to the WPIAL Class 3A Section 4 playoffs last year, she says this year has the promise of being even better, thanks to a mix of returning players and young talent.
“Freshman Clara Koteski is one of our top scorers right now,” says coach Smith of the youngest member of the varsity squad. “She might have an adjustment period playing girls who are as much as four years older than her, but I am very encouraged by what I’ve seen so far.
“We also are looking for Laila Golla to be a very big contributor again. She was one of our top players last year and qualified for the individual WPIAL Class 3A playoffs.”
Over the summer Laila, a sophomore, considered one of the best far hitters for her age, played on the junior circuit and says the level of competition and the difficulty of some of the courses pushed her to improve and become more consistent.
Coach Smith also says sophomore Morgan Monteverde is playing very well and positioned toward the top of the lineup. She also expects juniors Gabby DeVita and Riley Francis-Perka to be game-changers in some of the tougher matches. Junior Baustin Bitar and senior Lucy Rygelski also will have opportunities to contribute to the team’s march toward success.
One of the most welcome additions to the lineup is sophomore Ava Calandra. She has played at high-level tournaments, including those on the Pennsylvania Golf Association (PGA) junior circuit, Hurricane events, and others. In 2022, she was named the PGA Tri-State Section Player of the Year in her age group and has continued to earn gold and silver medals in more recent events. Ava’s driving, putting, and chipping have added to the Foxes early success.
Even with so much talent among her players, coach Smith still says the entire group must, “Practice, practice, practice. All of the girls worked hard over the summer to lower their scores, and we are looking forward to being competitive. Our top six girls all are consistently shooting in the low 40s and sometimes even in the high 30s.”
If the players continue to produce solid low scores, it’s not hard to picture them earning a sixth consecutive section title. That task appears to be especially attainable because there were no seniors last year, the group has remained intact, and the newest players all strengthen the group.
“The girls already have accomplished a lot,” coach Smith says. “It’s going to be exciting to see how they mature and improve as the season progresses.”
Editor’s note: There were so many girls vying for spots that the high school’s first girls golf junior varsity team was established as a pilot program. The JV team will be coached by Fox Chapel Area High School art teacher Amy Wickman. “We’re excited that the program is growing and that there has been enough expressed interest in piloting a junior varsity team this season,” says Fox Chapel Area Athletic Director Mike O’Brien. “Our goal is always sustainability for each sport, so this will allow us to examine our ability to continue to grow the program.”