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New Trier trio leads way
New Trier's Callie Nelson follows through on her tee shot during the Carmel Sectional at Bonnie Brook Golf Course in Waukegan on Monday. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media
Updated: November 12, 2012 11:39AM
WINNETKA — The New Trier girls golf team has finished first or second in the state in each year of Callie Nelson and Ellie McGuire’s varsity careers, despite losing two seniors after each season.
The pair, along with three-year varsity player Nerissa Denenberg, spent years seeing how a successful team is led. They became team captains this season, providing the Trevians — who finished second Monday at the sectional (334) and advanced to the state tournament — with valuable leadership they hope can lead the program to another top 2 finish at state and keep the program strong for years to come.
“This year me, Callie and Nerissa are captains and with that, I think it’s your job to guide the younger players and try to teach them from your own experiences,” McGuire said. “Last year, we lost two really good players – Elizabeth Szokol and Dana Gullen – and I think that in itself has made it more of a priority not only for me, but for everyone else, to step up their games and work harder to shoot well.”
Along with the squad’s quality of play – New Trier has had a variety of players shoot low scores to lead the team this season, including Julia Schuham (76) at the CSL Conference meet and Denenberg (78) at the New Trier Regional – sharing advice and previous experiences has been an asset to the Trevians.
Denenberg has used her years of playing on varsity to help the team’s less experienced players, such as sophomore Lois Suh and juniors Schuham and Lexi Salberg.
“We have the experience and we’re able to tell the other girls what to do in certain situations, and not to give up,” Denenberg said. “We have a lot of experience in playing certain courses, so we can tell them about those courses.”
Beyond the leadership consistently provided by the senior class over McGuire and Nelson’s careers, the varsity’s standard has always been set very high. That standard is something Lois Suh, a sophomore, has felt during her first two years on the team and something she’s aspired to match.
“They’re really great role models for the entire team and keep my spirit up while I play,” said Suh, of the team’s seniors. “(Having the seniors) helps me reach for a higher goal and it motivates me to play better.”
