Girls’ golf has put in the work: Ready to shine

Catherine Aguilar / Contributor

Cash Henton ('25) takes a swing during the Same girls' golf team's first game at Penmar on Sept. 17 vs. North Torrance High School.

Last year, the Samo girls’ varsity golf team faced various challenges that impacted their performance. Despite the best efforts of the players and their coach, Roshni Mejia, the team often found themselves forfeiting matches due to insufficient team members. This persistent issue overshadowed their potential on the course and the team only managed to get one win last year, against Redondo Union. However, the team still made a huge accomplishment last year, with the current team captain Cash Henton (’25) making League Finals.

Henton qualified not only for the first but also for the second round of CIF. She shares how it’s all about having a good attitude and that becoming frustrated with the results is never the right way to play. Henton expressed her feelings about CIF. 

“It was such an amazing feeling having all the hard work pay off. But as I was excited I knew I had to stay humble because it was only going to get harder from there,” Henton said. 

Mejia additionally emphasized the importance of team growth and skill development for the upcoming season, which is something the team is especially striving for, as there are many new members and first-time players this year. 

“We expect to spend the season building our team…we really worked hard on skills and team building, which is a driving force behind our approach this season,” Mejia said. 

Additionally, the team captains, Henton and Frances Aguilar (’26) are looking forward to the new season.

 “What I love about our team is that we are family. Even though golf is very much an individual game, at the end of the day, we have prioritized our team bonding and making sure everyone is comfortable with each other and the space they are surrounded with,” Henton said.

Aguilar echoed the importance of team bonding, highlighting the positive atmosphere of the team and noting that the team is focused on improving their performance and lowering their scores. With a supportive environment in place, Aguilar is hopeful for the upcoming season. 

“Everyone is so welcoming… it's really easy to be there and speak to everyone,” Aguilar said.

The team has been preparing for the season by focusing on honing the skills of some of their standout players, while also dedicating time to help the new team members, many of whom are brand new to the sport. 

“We just started, so we're focusing on getting everyone ready for the season,” Mejia said. “Our main goal of focus this year is to continue building our team and to grow as a unit. We have more girls interested in golf than ever!”

The girls’ golf team played their first game on Sept. 17, facing a challenging start with a loss against North High School. Despite the result, the team is ready to build on the lessons of the past, aim for growth and evolve as a team.