Osman (left) and Cheng (right).
Photo Credit: Barstow Girls Golf
The girls golf season has come to an end, after a strong performance from Izzy Osman ‘24 at districts and Esther Cheng ‘23 at state. The team has faced several challenges this year but overcame them through hard work and commitment to the sport. The duo will be remembered as one of the smallest teams in Barstow history but also one of the most dedicated.
With a team of only two people, the golf team was bound to face struggles. The team did not even have enough people to actually qualify for team events. Osman and Cheng ended up mostly competing in dual matches and individually. Still, they achieved great success in the competitions.
At one of their first matches against Pembroke Hill, St. Teresa’s, and Notre Dame de Sion, the pair won with a score of 39. In another, Osman and Cheng tied for 29th place out of 74 players. The matches were an opportunity to showcase their hard work and also create connections with other golf players.
The golf team usually played against the same schools every tournament, so they got to know the other players well.
“The last match we played in was really fun. The group I was playing in was Sion, St. Teresa’s, and Pembroke,” says Osman. “I used to go to Pembroke, and the girls I was playing with from Pembroke were girls I knew and used to be really good friends with but lost contact with. So that was a fun surprise.”
This created a sense of community among the Kansas City girls golf players. But more significantly, Osman and Cheng were able to form their own strong sense of camaraderie. Cheng, who has been on the team since 9th grade when there were more players, feels having a smaller team helped build friendship.
“It’s easier to develop friendships like this because you can kind of single each other out and just talk to each other one-on-one,” she says. “So, in a way, I feel like this can develop team spirit just by starting small.”
Having a small team also helped the practices move along smoothly.
“I think it made it easier for us as players because we felt like we could get more attention from the coaches and get equal amounts of advice,” explains Cheng. “We also didn’t have to wait for a lot of people [during practice] since it’s just the two of us.”
Their hard work during practice paid off at their Districts match. Cheng placed fourth and was able to qualify for State. Because of a technicality, Osman was just shy of the qualifying score 106 by three points.
Cheng went on to place 31st at State. She remarks, however, that the course was a lot harder and that it was really cold. Because of this, the athletes had to bundle up, which impacted everyone’s swing.
“I wasn’t super happy about how I did at State because I feel like I definitely could have done better,” says Cheng.
However, making it to State and placing was a highlight of Cheng’s career. She only started “taking it really seriously this year” and was surprised that she was able to improve so quickly.
But with Cheng graduating this year, the girls golf team could be down to one. Osman is hopeful that more people will join next season though.
“I’m really trying to change the narrative. Golf isn’t a boring sport, and it can be really fun,” says Osman. “Five is a dream team because then we could qualify for actual things as a team, so that’s my hope for next year.”
If you are interested in girls golf, you can contact Osman or Coach Gabler. Congratulations to the girls golf team on a great season!
