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GIRLS’ GOLF SEASON PREVIEW:Indians’ Tubert leads fine group
Burbank and Burroughs have to play all league matches on CV’s home course.
By Jeff Tully
BURBANK — Most teams will admit that they feel a distinctive advantage when they play contests at home.
In high school golf, that advantage is intensified, as players develop a wealth of knowledge and insight about their home course after playing and practicing on it for countless hours.
In sports like cross-country, the Pacific League spreads the league meets around so squads have the opportunity to run on their home courses and no one team has a distinct advantage.
Apparently some of the league powers that be in girls’ golf don’t believe the same way.
For the 2007 season, six league matches — including the league preliminaries and finals — will be held at Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena. The location just happens to be the home course for league foe Crescenta Valley, the defending champion.
It is the second year for Burroughs and Burbank in the Pacific League after spending years in the Foothill League. In their former league, the Indians and Bulldogs would routinely host league matches at their home El Cariso Golf Course.
Burroughs Coach Mike Krose isn’t happy with the league schedule this season.
“I tried to convince those in our league that maybe it wasn’t the most fair thing to have all the league matches at one team’s course,” Krose said. “But they told me that they’ve always done it that way.
“I just think it gives a team a big advantage playing all the league matches on [its] home course.”
First-year Burbank Coach Branko Sevic isn’t as upset about the situation as Krose.
“It doesn’t bother me that much,” he said. “I think my players will be happy to just be out there playing.”
Here is a look at how the local teams are shaping up:
Krose said he expects Indians sophomore Emily Tubert to compete with defending champion Christine Cho of CV for the individual league championship.
Last season, Tubert placed second in league and advanced to postseason tournament play, qualifying for the CIF Southern Section Individual Final and missing the cut for the CIF-Women’s Southern California Golf Assn. Championship by two strokes.
“Emily has played a lot of golf this summer, and she has continued to work hard on her game,” said Krose about the player who has only been golfing for two years. “She is always improving.”
During the summer, Tubert qualified the 2007 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in Lakewood, Wash.
The Indians — who finished fifth in league last season — should also have consistent golfers in seniors Alexa Petroski and Sydney Dunivant and sophomores Natasha Wells and Elizabeth Ramos. Other athletes who could make impacts are senior Ashleigh Moro and juniors Angela Milosevic and Madeline Gharabagh.
Sevic takes over the Bulldogs program after heading the Muir Duffers at John Muir Middle School for years.
The coach said he likes the group he will put on the course.
“I know most of them, because they played for me on the Muir Duffers,” he said. “It is a very good group.”
Leading the way is senior Amanda Keith, a four-year varsity player. Sevic said Todd’s leadership is a tremendous asset to the team.
The team also has experience in seniors Kristine Lee, Kierra McIntyre and Jenna Todd, who have two or three years of varsity experience.
Sophomores Shabby Azizi, Esther Bang, Jessica Cho and Alice Kim, along with freshman Jill Welker, should give Burbank some depth.
“My expectations are very high for this team,” Sevic said. “I will be very surprised if we don’t finish among the top three in league and make the playoffs.”
The Bulldogs placed fourth in 2006 and didn’t make it to CIF.
In high school golf, that advantage is intensified, as players develop a wealth of knowledge and insight about their home course after playing and practicing on it for countless hours.
In sports like cross-country, the Pacific League spreads the league meets around so squads have the opportunity to run on their home courses and no one team has a distinct advantage.
Apparently some of the league powers that be in girls’ golf don’t believe the same way.
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It is the second year for Burroughs and Burbank in the Pacific League after spending years in the Foothill League. In their former league, the Indians and Bulldogs would routinely host league matches at their home El Cariso Golf Course.
Burroughs Coach Mike Krose isn’t happy with the league schedule this season.
“I tried to convince those in our league that maybe it wasn’t the most fair thing to have all the league matches at one team’s course,” Krose said. “But they told me that they’ve always done it that way.
“I just think it gives a team a big advantage playing all the league matches on [its] home course.”
First-year Burbank Coach Branko Sevic isn’t as upset about the situation as Krose.
“It doesn’t bother me that much,” he said. “I think my players will be happy to just be out there playing.”
Here is a look at how the local teams are shaping up:
Krose said he expects Indians sophomore Emily Tubert to compete with defending champion Christine Cho of CV for the individual league championship.
Last season, Tubert placed second in league and advanced to postseason tournament play, qualifying for the CIF Southern Section Individual Final and missing the cut for the CIF-Women’s Southern California Golf Assn. Championship by two strokes.
“Emily has played a lot of golf this summer, and she has continued to work hard on her game,” said Krose about the player who has only been golfing for two years. “She is always improving.”
During the summer, Tubert qualified the 2007 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in Lakewood, Wash.
The Indians — who finished fifth in league last season — should also have consistent golfers in seniors Alexa Petroski and Sydney Dunivant and sophomores Natasha Wells and Elizabeth Ramos. Other athletes who could make impacts are senior Ashleigh Moro and juniors Angela Milosevic and Madeline Gharabagh.
Sevic takes over the Bulldogs program after heading the Muir Duffers at John Muir Middle School for years.
The coach said he likes the group he will put on the course.
“I know most of them, because they played for me on the Muir Duffers,” he said. “It is a very good group.”
Leading the way is senior Amanda Keith, a four-year varsity player. Sevic said Todd’s leadership is a tremendous asset to the team.
The team also has experience in seniors Kristine Lee, Kierra McIntyre and Jenna Todd, who have two or three years of varsity experience.
Sophomores Shabby Azizi, Esther Bang, Jessica Cho and Alice Kim, along with freshman Jill Welker, should give Burbank some depth.
“My expectations are very high for this team,” Sevic said. “I will be very surprised if we don’t finish among the top three in league and make the playoffs.”
The Bulldogs placed fourth in 2006 and didn’t make it to CIF.
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