Gorman golf star wants to return team to former glory

By Christopher Drexel

Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008 | midnight

Nichole Corpus-Massucci is the final link to a dominating era for Bishop Gorman's girls golf team.

She is the only player still with the Gaels from when they captured four consecutive state titles, the last coming in 2006 when she was a freshman.

Now a junior, Corpus-Massucci finds herself as the leader of a Gaels team that has no seniors, but is eager to recapture past glory.

What she wants is to get back to where Gorman golf has been," first-year coach Ben Gutman said. "She's going to do it anyway she can. Anytime you are on the pedestal and fall off, you know where you want to be and she is working to get back there."

Corpus-Massucci has the credentials of a leader, too. She is the highest-placing returning player in Nevada from last year's state tournament, when she shot a two-day 164 to finish sixth.

Corpus-Massucci has been on the course nearly every day trying to improve her game. She estimates spending about 40 hours a week golfing.

"I definitely want to win state and win regionals and try to shoot in the low 70s," she said.

Corpus-Massucci spent most of the summer traveling to tournaments with the American Junior Golf Association. Most events were in Southern California but some stretched as far as Ohio.

"I was on the road all summer," she said. "I had a tournament pretty much every other week. But I got to visit colleges. So I thought it was really fun."

Though she is just starting her junior year, Corpus-Massucci has already gotten letters from a handful of colleges. But before she looks at potential NCAA opportunities, she wants to focus on her high school career.

"Nichole is better than a lot of people, but she also works harder than everybody — I can guarantee you that," Gutman said. "She's always trying to find different things that will help her game. It's obvious she is going to be the anchor of the team for a while."

The coach added Gorman has a chance for a rebound year after ending up fourth at state in 2007.

Behind Corpus-Massucci in the No. 2 spot is sophomore Nicolette Rivera, who has the best distance on the team and is expected to regularly shoot in the 30s for nine holes, the coach said. Freshman Kelly Horrell is the No. 3 player and is expected to shoot in the 40s, and sophomore Amanda York and junior Katie Wells round out the lineup.

Rivera said the team looked at being young as a positive because it will have a chance to grow together. She said Corpus-Massucci is a perfect leader for the bunch.

"Nichole has always helped us," Rivera said. "She's given us encouragement and helped us with what we need to get better. I think we are capable of getting back to state and getting better scores than we did (last year)."

Even though she is the top returner from last year's state tournament, Corpus-Massucci doesn't feel any pressure to win an individual state title.

"I don't know what everyone else is thinking, but I'm not worried about it," she said. "It's encouraging to know I didn't play as good as I wanted to (at state) last year and still finished sixth. I know I can do better."

Christopher Drexel can be reached at 990-8929 or [email protected].