2021 Cougar Women's Golf Season Preview
Led by second-year head coach Chelsea Carroll, the South Mountain Community College women's golf team features five young women excited to make their mark on the course and among the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference's best. Miriam Verdugo, Emma Fisher, Jenna Lee, Victoria Negrete and Gracie Henderson bring a host of accomplishments to the Cougars in 2021.
"The pandemic presented challenges, but the most important thing was to keep the team together at a distance," said Carroll. "We had weekly team skills video challenges, did volunteer work to give back to our community, read self-help books and created vision boards to focus on a positive new year. We learned that we could be creative, practice and do team activities through distance."
Verdugo returns to the squad after a solid debut in the shortened 2020 campaign. She ended the year on a strong note, posting a ninth-place finish at the Scottsdale CC Women's Invitational. She recorded a birdie and four pars in her second round to help the Cougars post a 21-shot improvement and leap past two conference rivals to place second at the event.
Off the course, Verdugo earned First Team NJCAA All-Academic Student-Athlete honors. She also posted a 10th-place finish at the Mesa CC Women's Invitational, carding three pars and five bogeys in the second round.
"We are very excited to have Miriam back this year. She has continued to work hard during the off-season to prepare for this spring," Carroll said. "Her scoring average has improved incredibly, and she has continued to lead the team through this offseason."
Fisher is a freshman from Chandler, Ariz., who prepped at Basha High School. She lettered in golf all four years of her high school career and served as a team captain. Fisher earned all-conference honorable mention honors for her performance on the course.
"Emma came to the program with a passion for the game. She has grown through the challenges that we have faced and has taken it as an opportunity to improve," Carroll said. "Her tenacity and drive are what sets her apart, and we are looking forward to seeing her compete this spring."
Lee is a freshman from Peoria, Ariz., who attended Liberty High School. She also played four years of golf and took fourth at the Peoria Unified School District Championships twice. Lee also earned 6A Desert Valley Region Second Team honors and helped her squad reach the state tournament three times.
"Jenna brings a lot of experience from high school career, where she has played some incredible golf," Carroll said. "We know that her best golf is right in front of her. She is a tremendous force on the golf course and the caliber of student-athlete that will continue to elevate our program."
Henderson is a freshman from Tuba City, Ariz., who prepped at Tuba City High School. She initially came to SMCC to play volleyball for head coach Melissa Hess. However, when the Maricopa County Community College District canceled their 2021 spring season due to the coronavirus pandemic, Henderson joined the women's golf program to give the Cougars a full line-up.
"We are delighted to have Gracie part of our program," Carroll said. "She is one of our newest players and joined the team just over a month ago. She has made tremendous strides with her game, and we are thrilled to have her on the squad this spring."
Negrete returns to the Cougars after competing in 2020. She tied for 19th at the Chandler-Gilbert CC Invitational and placed 22nd at both the Mesa CC Invitational and the Scottsdale CC Invitational. Negrete also played two years of soccer for the Cougars, totaling four goals and an assist.
"Victoria was in a similar situation as Gracie coming on to the team late last year. She is back for year two and, with a year of experience under her belt, I know she will be unstoppable," Carroll added.
Carroll and the Cougars will play a host of tournaments throughout Arizona this spring. They open the year at the Mesa Community College Invitational on Feb. 15-16 at Dobson Ranch Golf Course in Mesa. The Cougar men's golf team will also be starting their season at the event.
Later in the month, on Feb. 27-28, SMCC hosts its Spring Invitational at the Aguila Golf Course in Laveen Village.
"This will be the first women's tournament South Mountain CC has hosted in two years. We look forward to hosting this event and showcasing our home course," Carroll said.
In March, the Cougars will play in events hosted by Glendale Community College (Mar. 8-9 at Hillcrest Golf Club) and Pima Community College (Mar. 29-30 at Randolph Golf Course). The men's team will also be competing in the Pima CC event.
April sees SMCC competing in tournaments hosted by Estrella Mountain Community College (April 2-3 at Coldwater Golf Course), Chandler-Gilbert Community College (April 17-18 at Las Colinas Golf Course) and Paradise Valley Community College (April 26-27 at Wildfire Golf Club).
The NJCAA Women's Golf Championships runs from May 10-13 at Plantation Bay Golf & Country Club in Ormond Beach, Fla.
"I think this pandemic has taught us all to be thankful for the simple things in life, like traveling to tournaments, giving hugs and high fives, and having team dinners," Carroll added. "These simple things all mean so much now. Now, after a long wait of 11 months, we are ready to be back competing. This year is special to us as we have had to overcome many hurdles to get to this point. This is only the beginning."