While Troy took the inaugural Crestview League title with Sunny Hills coming in second, one of the Lady Lancers’ top returners became the bright spot for the season being the only one to advance as far as the third round in CIF individuals.
Sophomore Jimin Nam’s overall performance throughout the season allowed her to qualify for the first round of the 2024 CIF Central Regional Individual Tournament.
Nam then advanced to the third round, ending at Temecula Creek Golf Club on Thursday, Nov. 7, tied for 10th place with three others at 76 under.
“I felt relieved that I qualified for CIF because I felt that my hard work paid off,” she said. “I also feel more pressured since I’m the only one going without my teammates. But when I get on the golf course, I feel really calm and confident.”
Nam said she started off as a TV viewer of the sport at a young age, and then at 8 years old, she started hitting the links. Her parents also played a role in her golf development as both played the sport as a hobby as well.
“[Nowadays] I practice every day and haven’t skipped a day of practice since last year,” she said. “I practice about five hours a day right after school ends and 10 hours on the weekend.”
After finishing her second season with the Lady Lancers, Nam has decided to move to Florida, where she aims to develop her game to the point of becoming a professional. For the spring semester, she has enrolled in the International Management Group (IMG) Academy in Bradenton.
According to the school’s home page website, it touts itself as “the world leader in sports education.”
“I have been doing everything I can in my power to achieve my goal,” Nam said. “As the days go by, I learn more about the sport I love, and I’m very excited to thrive and see what the future holds for me.”
With the sophomore this season, the Lady Lancers finished 13-1 overall and finished in the Top 10 in the CIF Division 2 Team Championships at River Ridge Golf Club on Monday, Nov. 4.
“[The season] went well considering the loss of Yurang Li and Lauren Lee from last season,” girls golf head coach Scott Enrico said. “It was something to be proud of.”
The team qualified for the CIF Division 2 preliminary round and placed 10th out of 20 schools, losing out on the chance at competing for the state title; had the Lady Lancers placed first or second, they would’ve advanced to finals.
Freshman Nana Kim said she had an enjoyable experience for her first season.
“Even though we had many ties that made us very anxious, we ended up winning all of those matches,” Kim said. “This season was super fun because of the coach and my teammates, and even though this was my first year on this team as a freshman, I felt very comfortable, so I can’t wait for next season.”
Enrico said that although it was challenging to play in the top tier of the conference against strong teams, such as Troy High School, in the new Crestview League, the girls made the adjustments necessary.
“They encouraged each other all season long,” he said. “They totally love each other and support each other. It was a great thing to witness and be a part of this season.”
