After finishing the season as the WPIAL Class 3A runner-up, the Fox Chapel Area girls golf team faced a week of uncertainty while waiting for a decision on whether they would advance to the state championships. Nothing was guaranteed. Fortunately, the Foxes’ strong schedule and how well the players shot at WPIALs earned them a spot at the PIAA tournament on October 23 at Penn State University. The Foxes will compete as one of Pennsylvania’s top eight girls’ high school teams.
“The girls played relentlessly all year,” says first-year coach Jon Koteski.
Interestingly, trophies and medals were not the primary focus for coach Koteski and assistants David Busch and Bruce Valinsky. Rather, their goal was to build and develop a team that was both mentally and physically prepared for tough challenges. His philosophy was that if they could establish a firm foundation of the basics and have a strong, supportive team culture, the rest would fall into place – and it did.
Several players are no strangers to the state championship.
“This is the second state tournament for senior captains Gabby DeVita and Baustin Bitar, who went as freshmen,” says coach Koteski. “We are going to lean on their experience and insights as we prepare.”
Baustin says the team is very young, but the commitment and drive from everyone is what she thinks makes the team so valuable.
“We are able to stay focused, and we don’t give up,” says the senior. “As a captain, I feel it is very important to give words of encouragement and always be positive. When I was a freshman, I still remember how the older girls would always be cheering us on, no matter what our score would be. Seeing they believed in me as a younger golfer really made me want to keep trying harder and keep doing the best that I could.”
That’s the positive culture that Baustin and Gabby want to pass on to the younger players when they graduate in June.
A Stellar Season
Even before advancing to the PIAA tournament, the Foxes already had an outstanding season. In addition to earning the WPIAL Class 3A runner-up honor, they also won the Section 4 crown with an 11-1 record. Sophomore Clara Koteski won the section individual title and junior Morgan Monteverde was the section runner-up. Clara, Morgan, and junior Ava Calandra qualified for the WPIAL individual championships.
Coach Koteski attributes their success to the hard work that the girls put in at team practices, tournaments over the summer, and on their own at local courses.
“On any Saturday or Sunday afternoon during season, many of the starters could be found putting and chipping by themselves at a local course,” says the first-year coach. “That desire and their will to improve made the difference by the end of the season.”
Playing more than 20 matches in the regular season – many against some of the best teams in the state – the Foxes entered the postseason battle-tested.
“That gave us a tremendous amount confidence going into the postseason,” says coach Koteski.
Younger Players Lean on Veterans
Freshman Brooke Leone credits the upperclassmen and seniors with a large role in the team’s success and for making it enjoyable to play the sport.
“The captains always brought high energy and got the team in the right head space,” Brooke says. “Juniors Ava Calandra and Morgan Monteverde also played a huge role. All four of them have taught me so much about golf and sportsmanship and how to play the game the right way. These girls are leaving me with a legacy, and continuing it is one of my biggest goals in high school. They’ve left us in a great spot, and I have great role models and teammates.”
Another freshman, London Bitar, is looking forward to the chance to compete at states and continue her family’s tradition.
“I’m thrilled to even get to experience this special opportunity,” she says. “To follow the footsteps of my older brother and two older sisters, all of whom made it to states, is an incredible team achievement. The seniors have built a team-building culture. Their leadership, kindness, and example led us to be the team we are now.”
Focus on States with an Eye Toward the Future
The players’ journey is not yet over for the year, however, no matter what the results may be on October 23, coach Koteski is confident the future looks bright.
“With a bunch of offseason work and dedication to self-improvement, I believe we can build another championship team, maybe one that even surpasses the success we experienced this year,” says the coach.
His confidence is based upon the strength and talent coming up from the underclassmen.
“We are very lucky to have such depth in our golf program,” says coach Koteski. “Our junior varsity team, which went 10-1 this year, could beat many of the varsity teams in the area. We have a bunch of hungry underclassmen waiting anxiously to fill the leadership void next year, along with current starters Ava, Morgan, Clara, and Abigail Freyvogel.”
Maddie Rothert, Molly Classen, Abby Shelton, and Liesel Schwartz are also expected to round out the varsity lineup next year alongside Brooke and London.
“The girls’ numerous hours at the range, on the putting greens, or playing practice rounds until dark finally paid off. They couldn’t be more excited,” says the coach.