The girls tennis and golf programs have always been the two of the mainstays of Diamond Bar High School athletics. The relatively young and inexperienced teams were expected to win their seventh consecutive league titles, and they did just that.
Despite the graduation of talented players Carly Simpson and Valerie Wijaya, the Lady Brahmas golf team was still able to become co-league champs. The team, which consists of five members on the First All-League team and one member on the Second All-League team, finished the season with a 29-1 overall record and an 11-1 league record. Senior co-captains Kristie Yang and Isabelle Shee earned golf scholarships to Southern Illinois University and UC Riverside, respectively. “We have set a standard that will encourage our future teams to work hard because anything is possible,” Shee commented.
Not only did the team win league, but it also won the Eastern Division CIF Championship for the first time through a “card-off.” A card-off happens when two teams have the same score at the end of the round. To determine the winner, both teams have to look at their sixth member’s score card and the team with the lowest score wins. “It was so special winning CIF and it was so hard to do,” Coach Tony McCabe admitted. After the CIF playoffs, the team reached the State finals but lost to Torrey Pines High School, the reigning champions.
The tennis team, however, had a tougher time than the golf team. Even with many inexperienced players, the team finished with an overall record of 15-4 but was still able to win the league Title. The Lady Brahmas defeated Walnut High School on the last day of league play to capture the title. “Every match we went into, we gave it our all,” senior co-captain Melody Chen said. However, the team’s season ended quickly when they lost in the quarterfinals of CIF. “ The team did extremely well and played their hardest,” Coach Tisa Shavers said.
Both teams in the past year played exceptionally well, setting the bar even higher for succeeding years and teams. With their hard work and dedication, it is no wonder that both programs outplay their competition each and every year.