There’s no denying that girls golf is the most dominant sports program at Benicia High School.
Benicia’s Lady Panthers haven’t lost a Solano County Athletic Conference golf match since 2009 and have won 13 league championships in the past 15 years. No golfer on the current Benicia roster has ever experienced an SCAC defeat.
Last season, the Lady Panthers set a team record for lowest round in a nine-hole tournament (209), won the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship for the first time in school history and had their best finish ever at the Masters Tournament.
Even with such high standards, Benicia’s 2014 squad may end up being its best ever.
“It’s scary to think we may be even better than last year,” said Benicia assistant coach Mike Prolo. “We have a nice mix of some very experienced players and some promising younger players.”
Seniors Rachel Mahrt and Nicole Ramirez return after earning All-SCAC honors last season. Mahrt was runner up to American Canyon’s Sarah Chang for Most Valuable Player honors and should challenge for that award again this year.
Junior Jennifer Eleccion started most of last season and is an All-SCAC candidate this year. Senior Jazmine Norman and sophomores Jordan Whiting and Bailey Hall saw some action last year and practiced all summer working on their games. Seniors Kelsey Cassick and Samantha Ross return to the team after taking last year off.
Several other youngsters are working hard to earn some varsity playing time. Freshman Sofia Young has been actively playing in tournaments during the offseason and shows lots of promise. Fellow freshman Catherine Mahrt (Rachel’s younger sister) has a great swing and has already posted some good scores during recent scrimmages. Junior Kasadhe Digby and sophomore Sydney Jones are brand new to the game but seem to be fast learners.
If history is any guide, expect the Lady Panthers to once again dominate their SCAC competition and go deep into the postseason.