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Senior Jillian Marcotte is the only returning varsity player. Photo by Marc Allard.
Everything fell into place for the Woodstock Academy girls’ golf team last year.
Mia Dang came into the school and earned the top spot on the team which had already included solid seniors Kaily LaChapelle, Ciara MacKinnon, Alex Vaida and Maria Santucci.
The Centaurs brought home a CIAC Division II girls’ golf state championship and Dang was the individual state champion.
It was a year to remember and cherish as state championship teams are hardly commonplace in most sports.
“We knew there was a load of seniors that were leaving and they would be hard to replace,” said coach Earl Semmelrock.
The veteran coach had considered stepping aside, but decided to stay one more season thanks to the continued urging of Dang. Big things were expected from Dang, in this, her senior season.
But Dang played hockey over the winter and injured her hip. Just a week ago, she underwent surgery for the injury and will be on the sidelines for the entire golf season.
Dang will play golf in college — she has chosen to attend and play for Occidental College in Los Angeles.
But her injury leaves the Centaurs with only one returning varsity player, senior Jillian Marcotte. “We lost all of the other seven varsity players: four seniors, one injury, one transfer and one chose not to rejoin the team. It’s definitely a rebuilding year. We have four members who moved up from JV and two new members,” Marcotte said.
Dang may still be helpful to the team as more of an assistant coach than player.
Marcotte is a four-year player for the Centaurs. She played No. 6 or No.7 most of last season.
The senior has committed to the sport, having gone out and purchased some new clubs.
“She has to be the leader and I’ve made that clear that’s the expectation. She is very organized, took lessons last summer and was a girl who was trying to compete with all the good seniors last year and took it seriously. I can see from the little bit of work that we’ve had this spring that her game has come a long way,” Semmelrock said.
Juniors Ella Musumeci, Celeste Robbins, Makayla McDermott and Shannon Conniff come up from the JV ranks.
The Centaurs have only two other players on the roster, sophomore Isabella Siwiko and freshman Lydia Orlowski.
“The numbers are down, but we will make the best of it,” Semmelrock added.
Girls’ Golf Schedule:
Wed., April 13: at Waterford, 3; Tues., April 26: vs. NFA, 3; Wed., April 27: at Bacon Academy, 3; Tues., May 3: at NFA, 3; Wed., May 4: vs. E. Lyme, 3; Thurs., May 5: at Suffield, 3; Tues., May 10: at Glastonbury, 3; Thurs., May 12: vs. Suffield, 3; Mon., May 16: at Berlin, 3; Tues., May 17: vs. Glastonbury, 3; Wed., May 18: vs. Bacon, Waterford, 3; Tues., May 24: vs. NFA, 3; Wed., May 25: at E. Lyme, 3; Thurs., May 26: vs. Bacon Academy, 3.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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