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Borges agrees to tee off for Capital |
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Thursday, 08 May 2008 |
By JOSHUA KEERAN
Sports Editor
Make it a perfect 2-for-2 for the Wapakoneta varsity girls golf team.
Just two years ago, Wapakoneta High School decided to add a varsity girls golf program to its athletic department and the decision has paid off tremendously as for the second year in a row, a Redskin has been given the opportunity to play golf while pursuing a college education.
Last season, Rachel Cox became the first Wapakoneta female golfer in the program’s history to sign with a college as she agreed to play golf for the University of Northwestern Ohio.
This season Redskin senior Becca Borges equaled Cox’s feat by agreeing to take her golfing talents to the campus of Capital University.
“We are now 2-for-2 which is pretty good for a program only two years old,” Wapakoneta varsity coach and professional golfer Dawn West said.
Capital wasn’t the only school courting Borges. The college athlete to be said she strongly considered playing for Muskingum College and that Ohio Northern University was also an option.
In the end, however, Capital won over Borges’ heart.
“I liked the area, and I liked the size of the school,” she said. “It’s not too small and it’s not too big.”
Helping to rebuild the program also sparked Borges’ interest in the Crusaders.
“I liked the coach a lot, and the program really wants to improve its success,” she said. “I like the fact I get the chance to try and help the school regain its success.”
If West is correct, Borges will have an immediate impact on the Capital program.
“I think she will do really well. She took her game to the next level this year, and she’s been working hard in the offseason,” West said. “She is a very determined and hard-working lady. I look for her to jump her game up again another five-to-seven strokes this upcoming season to the low 40’s or high 30’s.”
Had someone told Borges just three years ago her golf game would be at the level it is today, she probably would have laughed.
“I started taking lessons three years ago, but I had no idea I would be playing golf in high school,” Borges said. “I was playing soccer two years ago when I heard the school was getting a golf program together, so I told coach West about it and she got the job.”
At first, Borges tried playing soccer - her first love - and golf at the same time, but admitted it wasn’t working out.
“For some reason I chose golf over soccer even though I played soccer most of my life,” Borges said.
So what’s behind Borges’ success on the golf course?
“Coach West pretty much taught me everything I know about golf, and she is probably the best coach a golfer could have because she guides you through everything,” Borges said. “When the program started two years ago, coach just showed a lot of patience in us. She never got mad when we made mistakes, instead she just kept teaching us how to become better golfers.”
As for her first-year goals with the Crusader squad, Borges simply wants to continue to take her game to the next level.
“I want to keep developing my skills, and I want to help get the program going again so it can be successful for years to come,” she said. “I’m pretty excited about the opportunity.” |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 09 May 2008 )
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