Did you know that there are now several women golfers representing the Broncbusters? Since the addition of the women’s golf program in 2022, faculty have struggled to bring golfers to Garden City. Last year’s roster contained two sophomores who proceeded to join Division Two teams after graduating.
Coach Michael Salazar recruited only two ladies before the year ended. Not only was finding golfers difficult but retaining a coach was as well. Salazar departed from GCCC to join James Madison University as an assistant golf coach. GCCC welcomed current coach Jaden Chavez back in February mid-spring season. Left with an incomplete roster Chavez continued coaching individuals.
“There were many tournaments where if we had a fourth player and were able to compete as a team, we would have a really good chance at winning some tournaments,” Chavez said.
Realizing that he quickly managed to add an additional golfer to the roster. This year the team consists of one returning golfer and three newcomers.
“Having more girls on the team has made a big difference, my game is just as important to the team as it is to me. We can compete and try to win as a team whereas last year I was only playing for myself,” Summer Griffiths, sophomore, said.
Three out of the four golfers are international students. Traveling across the globe to enable education growth and athletic endeavors is beyond brave.
“Coming to the States has opened up so many opportunities for me in life such as making friends from different cultures and traveling around America whether it is for golf tournaments or my enjoyment,” Griffiths states.
A complete roster allows the women to look forward to playing as a team and use all four scores to compete with other colleges nationwide. The program has grown more every year and hopefully, its continued growth will bring noticeable success.
“I think playing as a team could help the ladies come together as a whole and compete for each other toward a common goal. Hopefully, we can win some tournaments as a team, individually or even both, but have fun while doing it,” Chavez concluded.
It is safe to say that the development of the women’s golf program here in Garden City has come a long way since it started.
