Golfers hoping to build on fifth place

By Brent Hinckley

Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008 | midnight

Brent Becker hopes that one day the girls golf team at Southeast Career and Technical Academy will be a Southeast Division power.

For now, he’s just glad there are four girls to field a team score for the first time in the program’s three years.

Tech’s four golfers shot a 279 over nine holes Sept. 4 at Black Mountain Golf and Country Club to finish in fifth place in the Southeast Division match out of six teams — Basic didn’t enter the match. It was Tech’s second-ever team score.

Finishing fifth at a division meet wouldn’t be cause for celebration at most schools, but it’s a starting point for Roadrunners. They finished three strokes ahead of Del Sol.

“We weren’t at the bottom,” Becker said. “This gives us something to look forward to the rest of the year.”

Sophomore Breanna Fawley is the only returning player, while freshman Hillary Pauli, Morgan Sorenson and Jessica Jimenez are all newcomers.

Fawley enjoys being the oldest and team leader.

“It’s fun to see how far you’ve progressed,” she said.

Becker made phone calls during the summer to recruit girls for the team because he knew Fawley was the only returner.

“It wasn’t easy. A lot of girls asked if it was miniature golf,” he said.

One of the girls who responded to Becker’s call was Sorenson who had golfed when she was younger, but hadn’t picked up a club in years.

“I tried out and made it and am really excited about it,” she said. “It’s cool to come out and golf with other girls and learn from them and have fun.”

Becker said the thing that has amazed him the most about his team is how quickly they have bonded, especially considering they come from all across the valley. Sorenson lives in Seven Hills, Pauli lives in Centennial Hills and Fawley lives near Spring Valley.

“We do everything together. We eat lunch together, we always practice together,” Fawley said.

Being an athlete at Tech isn’t easy because of the time commitment involving travel to the school, after-school practices and travel home. The girls said their school days typically last about 10 hours each day.

“It’s good because it keeps you away from the bad stuff that can take place at high school,” Pauli said.

Becker knows that with a young team, competing in a tough division with Coronado, Silverado and Green Valley High won’t be easy.

“I’m really looking forward to their junior and senior years,” he said. “I think this is a special group as long as they stay together.”

Brent Hinckley can be reached at 990-2687 or [email protected].