CdM appears to be precisely on course

After a record-setting year in 2005, the Corona del Mar High girls’ golf team doesn’t expect a letdown this season.

The Sea Kings should continue to excel, with four valuable returners coming back this year. Seniors Jessica Milner, Jonna Kim and Courtney Wright, along with sophomore Kelly Moorhead, provide a very solid base for Coach Mike Starkweather’s team.

Last year, the Sea Kings set a school record by shooting a collective round of 418 at the CIF Southern Divisional in November, en route to a fifth-place team finish.

Katie McKitterick, Kelly Kawata and Michelle Drucker all graduated, but Starkweather is very optimistic.

“The competition is going to be tougher than ever to make the team this year,” said Starkweather, in his 11th year as CdM coach. “We had a competitive summer camp, and that’s going to raise the bar. And we have four girls coming back from last year who were very solid.”

Milner and Kim went back and forth in their scoring averages for last year’s Sea Kings, alternating between the second and third positions.

Kim is in her fourth year on varsity and was first-team All-Pacific Coast League last season, while Milner is in her third year on varsity and captured second-team all-league status.

Both have been playing plenty of tournament golf over the summer, Starkweather said.

“I expect a lot,” he said. “They’ll be very strong.”

Also returning is senior Courtney Wright, a two-year varsity golfer who was a cheerleader prior to that.

“She has really progressed,” Starkweather said. “She was our most-improved golfer last year, and she has been shooting in the low 80s. She really aspires to play college golf.”

Sophomore Kelly Moorhead has also played a lot of summer golf and is in the mix.

“I think those four girls are really solid, and they’ll help drive the other kids to play well,” Starkweather said.

Junior Katherine Hanson, who was the Most Valuable Player of last year’s junior varsity team, also looks to make an impact, as does Quinn Kawata, Kelly Kawata’s younger sister.

Adding depth are seniors Therese Heinfeld and Michelle Mabanta, juniors Katie Hitch and Meghan Low, as well as sophomore Baylee Robertson.

Last year, Corona del Mar finished second in the Pacific Coast League behind University before its postseason run.

“University always comes up with some star players who I’ve never heard of before, so we’ll see,” Starkweather said. “But I think we should be considered the favorite to win the league.

Laguna Hills and Irvine are newcomers to the Pacific Coast League, but Starkweather said both of those teams should also be solid, and Beckman is also improved.

In addition to shooting the school record last season, the Sea Kings also won the CIF state girls’ golf academic team championship, with a team grade-point average of 3.88.

“It’ll be hard to match some of that,” Starkweather said. “But these girls have the potential to do as well, if not better, than last year’s group … It should be a good year.”

Corona del Mar meets Aliso Niguel in a scrimmage Sept. 6, before opening the season on Sept. 12 against Back Bay rival Newport Harbor.

Starkweather said he looks forward to the San Clemente Tournament, to be held Sept. 15 at the San Clemente Municipal Course.

“All of the top schools will be there,” Starkweather said. “That should answer some questions.”