Holmdel Girls' Golf Team Wins Shore Conference Title

HOLMDEL, NJ — Holmdel is very proud of the Holmdel High girls' varsity golf team, which just captured the Shore Conference Championship title for the second year in a row!

On April 18, the team won their second-straight Monmouth County Tournament and followed that up twelve days later with their second-straight first-place finish at the Shore Conference Championship. The team, coached by Geri Semenza, has been undefeated at 5-0 so far this season.

Those following the New Jersey high school golf scene know that Holmdel has long been a standout on the links. Since the team was launched in 2009, they have consistently posted winning seasons every year, and finished 12-0 in 2017, their best record to date. Semenza has coached it from the beginning.

Things are also looking good for 2019.

“We have a graduating senior, Emily Yasharpour, but our other top four players, Sophia Taverna, Lexi Stewart, Claudia Zhang and Lane Fontana are only sophomores, which bodes well for next season," she said.

There are 13 players total on the team, 9 varsity and 4 JV golfers.

“This group is a very coachable group and of course it doesn't hurt that they are solid golfers," said Semenza, noting that the biggest challenge so far has been New Jersey's unpredictable spring weather.

“The most challenging part of golf is managing your emotions. It's important not to get too overexcited or too fixated on one bad hole," said player Sophia Taverna, whose outstanding performance at the Monmouth and Shore Conference tournaments earned her the individual player award for both events. "Although golf sometimes seems intimidating, it's important not to let that affect you.”

"We spend a lot of time on the course, and sometimes miss full days of school for tournaments, so we need to be able to balance both athletics and academics, which can be hard sometimes," says sophomore player Lexi Stewart. "The hardest part about this sport is the mental challenges we have to endure. Golf is a game of ups and downs, and there will be plenty of good scoring days and bad ones as well. It is hard to not let the bad days get to you, but all golfers must push through low points in their game.”

“Not only is golf a very mental and individual sport, being on a golf team is a difficult task because your score affects the team’s outcome in any tournament or match," said sophomore Lane Fontana. "This pressure can cause your game to deteriorate. The sport can be extremely mental causing one stroke to set you back for an entire hole. In addition, it is hard to come back from a 10 on a hole, so concentration is key."

"When you play with your friends, the pressure goes away and the bad shots are laughed at," she added. "When the coach buys us doughnuts for the 6:00 a.m. bus rides helps as well."

“Our last major goal is to finish in the top 4 in the State Sectionals to qualify as a team for the Tournament of Champions,” said Coach Semenza.