Athlete of the month: Crystal Wang
After finishing second at CIF State, DB golf captain has high expectations for her last year.
Photo Courtesy of WATCHARA PHOMICINDA/SCNG
Senior Crystal Wang has played on varsity in all four years of high school.
September 13, 2017
With more than 10 years of golf experience and multiple accomplishments that stretch back to her freshman year, Diamond Bar High School senior Crystal Wang has earned her position of captain.
“Crystal is impressive as always. She was state runner up last year and is going to be the core of our lineup this year,” golf coach Tony McCabe said.
During the 2014 CIF playoffs, Wang was the only freshman on a team of upperclassmen, placing fourth in CIF Individuals and helping the Brahmas clinch the title. In the last three years, Wang and the Lady Brahmas have remained undefeated in the Palomares League, winning three league titles.
Wang first started playing when she was four, but Wang truly developed a passion for it at age 12 when she began winning tournaments.
Her most memorable match was in the American Junior Golf Association Enagic Junior Championship, an individual tournament that was held in Temecula last year. At the three day event, Wang won by five strokes, with a six under par final round.
“I played better than I expected,” Wang said, “Everything just went right for me, and I never expected to shoot that score.”
She participates in the AJGA, playing year round as well as ranking 181 in the group’s rankings. Since golf is an individual sport, Wang has never had the experience of competing together with other players until she joined the golf team at DBHS.
“I wanted to play great for the team, make it into state and have fun,” Wang said of her thoughts when joining DBHS.
Wang practiced intensively during her freshman and sophomore year, training four hours a school day, seven hours on weekends and six to nine hours during the summer. This dedication paid off in her junior year when Wang placed second in CIF State Individuals, and was the only Lady Brahma to advance to the state tournament. In the same year, she was named Player of the Year by the Daily Bulletin.
However, Wang said that she hit a roadblock during the spring of her junior year, when she was unable to practice. Since her mother had a surgery in the winter, Wang didn’t have anyone to drive her to her practices. To make up for that lost time, she trained on the golf course in the summer, practicing a minimum of five hours a day.
Wang’s goal is to make it to state this year. Although she advanced individually last year, she is confident in the ability of her teammates.
“I don’t want to go alone; I want to go with the team,” Wang said.
Rewarded for her success and hard work at DBHS, Wang was offered an athletic scholarship from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
