By Ed Piper
"Maybe we could have a JV team."
Those words have never come out of Viking golf coach Christie Quinn's mouth before, during her several years coaching the girls' team.
She looked around, and there were 16 girls--a few returners, some new but experienced players, and some total "newbies" to golf--at tryouts at Balboa Golf Course Wed., Aug. 13.
Last year, maybe seven girls were at tryouts.
For example, best friends Jolie Schulze and Liesl Kijora--who have known each other since kindergarten at La Jolla Elementary School--arrived together. Both freshmen attended eighth grade at Muirlands Middle School last year, after Liesl took a two-year hiatus in Sweden, where she is a citizen.
Asked if she played golf, Kijora (pronounced "kee-YOUR-ah") said, "The last time I played, I shot an 83 (over nine holes) at The Plantation on Maui."
Her grandfather, Bob Bergstrom, who drove the two to tryouts, backed her up. "Liesl shot an 81 here (at Balboa) on the whites (men's tee markers). She hits it farther than I do."
Kijora was impressing some of her future teammates with her work on the driving range as the girls warmed up.
Others, including her best friend Jolie, tried their hand on the driving range, before moving over to the chipping range to try their wedge. Quinn asked some girls to hit shots as she jotted notes, while fifth-year assistant Jarid Morrison stayed with those at the driving range.
Returners attending tryouts were captain Maddie Quach, now a senior ("It's different now," she said, communicating some dis-ease), junior Isabella "Bella" Itkin, and 6-foot Milena Malik, who is very social.
Becca Durst, a senior like Quach who also wrestled for the Vikings last winter after moving from St. Andrew's School in Sewanee, Tennessee, is going to play golf as well. She played golf for St. Andrew's last fall.
Junior Samantha "Sam" Cousino just got her clearance to tee off Wednesday afternoon after talking to her mother by phone. Cousino is starting goalie for La Jolla's soccer team, and plays lacrosse, too.
Another Samantha, sophomore Sami Brodsky, was wearing her "LJ" golf shirt from last year. She has flaming red hair. Her mom, Marci Shear, stood by, giving tips and support during warmups.
McKayla Matkov, a junior, showed some proficiency. "I play with my grandma," she said.
Natalie Sutton, a freshman up from Muirlands, started playing at age seven, then again more last year.
Tiffanie Brownson is another freshman, as is Anya Vishnevskiy, whose brother Stanley wrestles for LJHS. Joining that group is Catalina McDonnell.
Sophia Trinidad "has played some", she said. She's a junior.
Dorae (pronounced "dor-RAY") Gibson "has played before". She's a sophomore.
Turi O'Brien, a junior, is trying out for golf at LJHS for the first time.
Schulze, who came with her best friend, Kijora, was using Liesl's sister's clubs. Karlyn Kijora is a seventh-grader at Muirlands.
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