Southington Girls Golf Begins Inaugural Varsity Campaign
- Dan Fappiano
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
At the beginning of their inaugural varsity season, the Southington girls golf team was struggling, dropping their first two matches. Head coach James McAloon then had a talk with the new squad to remind them how far they had already come.
“I think in the first two matches we pressed a little bit,” McAloon said. “The girls really wanted to win. That’s understandable. We had to have a conversation about, ‘you’re good enough, the wins will come.’ Just focus on the process of getting better, hitting one shot at a time, staying in the moment.”
In their third match, Southington took on Northwest Catholic at their home course, Hawk's Landing. With a final team score of 178, the Blue Knights won their first varsity match, and with that achieved the first victory in program history. McAloon said that everything clicked that day and the win won’t be forgotten any time soon.
“When the match finally finished and we realized we had our first program victory, you could see the excitement on the girls’ faces,” McAloon said. “I was very proud as a coach. Very proud that they got to experience that and be a part of it. Take a picture with each other and celebrate the victory. It was a great day.”
Junior Allison Zajac led the way with a low score of 40. Junior Lilly Steindl was right behind her with a 44, while junior Chandra Vasamsetti and senior Emerson Fortin shot a 46 and 48 respectively.
As the Blue Knights continue their inaugural varsity season, McAloon wants them to focus on the three pillars of the program, “Three Cs” that will form the foundation of Southington girls golf.
“Our focus as a program, our standards, are commitment, competitive character and coachability,” McAloon said. “The coachability part has been awesome with these girls. They soak up everything that we give them. They are sponges for information. This is still new to a lot of them. But they have taken it and really committed themselves. The competitive character shows up every day on the course.”
Blue Knights’ Start To First Varsity Season
Southington’s first match as a varsity program came against Berlin at Timberlin Golf Club. While the Blue Knights were defeated, McAloon noted that it was a great experience for the team, since the Central Connecticut Conference and State Tournament are played at Timberlin. Furthermore, Southington began their journey against one of the better teams in the state.
They then took on Plainville, who shares Hawk's Landing as a home course. Southington came up just four strokes shy of victory. But after their win against Northwest Catholic, the Blue Knights rallied for two more wins against Lewis Mills and New Britain.
At the time of McAloon’s interview with the Outsider, Southington was 3-4 overall. They lost their seventh match of the season to Cheshire. However, McAloon called it a strong learning experience, since it gave them an opportunity to play at the Southington Country Club.
Course management will be key for the girls team this season and in years to come. Not every match will be held at Hawk's Landing. As they continue to play different venues and revisit the same obstacles, the Blue Knights will become more comfortable with each course’s challenges.
“We’ve got to get a little better with course management,” McAloon said. “That’s something that takes some time and experience as a team. Knowing when to take your chances and when to take your medicine and set up the next best shot. It’s something we’ve been practicing and focusing on. The girls understand the importance of it. Every shot can have an impact on a team’s score.”
McAloon has seen Southington’s practice habits translate into success at their matches. Their competitive drive has been unmistakable. While they may be a first-year program, this year’s Blue Knights are already proving why they belong.
“Having three wins at this point of the season is a great accomplishment for a first-year program,” McAloon said. “I know a lot of the state and the CCC might’ve expected less from us. They might have thought, ‘They’re a start up program, how well can they actually do?’”
“In our girls’ minds, they believe they belong here,” he continued. “They expected success. They’re going to keep pushing that way. We’ve got the State Tournament within our sights. It’s nice to pinch yourself and realize that you’re there for the first varsity season ever. But these girls aren’t settling for the warm, fuzzy story. They want to win. They want to compete for their school and show that Southington girls golf is the real deal.”
Building The Team
After getting officially approved by the CIAC to become a varsity sport, McAloon and the coaching staff began working towards building their first roster. Along with their work on the links, the coaches wanted golfers who were truly committed to the program. Once tryouts concluded, ten athletes became the first varsity members of Southington girls golf.
“We had a competitive week of evaluations in terms of determining the roster. We had a lot of girls express interest throughout the year. This year we’re looking for commitment,” McAloon said. “It’s no longer a club. The ten girls we ended up with are really dedicated and committed to the program and have been with us the last two months. They’ve been showing up every day and putting in the work that is required to be a varsity program.”
Before the season even began, many of the Blue Knights were preparing for the upcoming campaign. Happy’s Indoor Golf on 22 Center Street gave the team an opportunity to work on their game during the offseason by letting them play on different courses across the state in a virtual environment.
When practices began at Hawk's Landing, securing a home course advantage became priority number one. McAloon wanted his team to understand everything they could about the place where they will play the most, since opposing teams won’t know as much about the greens or fairways.
McAloon also brought over a tradition from the boys team, introducing a year-round Solheim Cup challenge. The Blue Knights are split into two sides and will compete all season for glory and bragging rights. While they may be playing against their teammates, McAloon believes the Solheim Cup will prepare each golfer for the tensest moments on the links.
“The girls use that as another way of competing,” McAloon said. “They’re competing with their teammates, but there’s going to be a winner and a loser. It allows them to have that feeling of pressure, to prepare for when the match matters.”
For the coaching staff, the team will have succeeded if they follow through on their commitment, competitive character and coachability. The players, however, have their eyes set on finishing as high as they can in the CCC as well as the State Tournament.
They understand that they won’t achieve those goals without hard work. McAloon has noticed that the players come to practice before the coaches, chipping and putting as they wait. They’re playing the sport on their own, beyond practice and game days. The coaching staff wanted commitment, and they found exactly that in the 2026 roster.
“The commitment and dedication to getting better and making sure we’re prepared for the first varsity season ever was evident prior to March when we first had tryouts,” McAloon said. “From there, the girls have been showing up every day. They’re not just standing around hoping to get better. They’re putting in the work and committing to the process.”
Southington’s First Roster
Senior Emerson Fortin was one of the golfers preparing at Happy’s before March came. Once Southington’s official roster was constructed, it was clear that she was a leader of the program. It was an easy decision for McAloon and company to name her the first captain in program history.
“Very well respected in our school. Very well respected amongst her teammates and definitely respected by her coaches,” McAloon said. “We appreciate her leadership and what she offers to our program. Couldn’t be happier with her as our first captain in program history. She has done everything to help lead these girls and be a secondary voice for the coaches to relay information and keep everyone on the right track.”
Joining Fortin in early preparations was junior Lilly Steindl. McAloon said she has put in more work than anyone on the team, training in the fall, working with swing coaches and competing in the winter league. Now Steindl has become the team’s No. 1 golfer and an example of what Southington girls golf success could look like.
“She is proof that the work you put in will pay off in the long run,” McAloon said. “It has clicked for her this year, I couldn't be happier. She shows up every day ready to learn, ready to get better. We’ve seen it in her performance.”
The head coach was also quick to point out junior Allison Zajac, whose sister Brooke played for Southington’s boys team. With “golf in her bloodline,” McAloon believes the junior comes with plenty of potential.
The same is true of sophomore Zoey DellaVecchia, who shot a 43 to help Southington defeat New Britain. A former softball player, McAloon calls her the “future of the program,” and expects her to continue making varsity contributions.
For the ten members of this year’s team, the realization that they’re making history still hasn’t settled in; or at least they haven’t expressed it. The Blue Knights are too locked in at improving at every opportunity. When they look back at this season, however, McAloon hopes that this year’s roster realizes what they have done.
“I don’t think they think about it too much,” McAloon said. “They have gotten really good at being in the moment. We talk about staying in the present, one shot, one hole at a time. It may be many years down the road, but I hope at some point they realize how special this is. They’re having fun competing, being a team and doing team bondings. They are just locked in on the moment of the season, which is refreshing for me as a coach.”
The 2026 Southington girls golf roster features seniors Alexa Weidl, Emerson Fortin and Maya Dura, juniors Allison Zajac, Chandra Vasamsetti, Juliana Grzeszczak, Lilly Steindl, Lily Coleman and Oksana Lysak, and sophomore Zoey DellaVechhia. McAloon is joined by assistant coach Dave Yanosy, as well as Kathleen Reynolds and Colleen Murphy, who helped build the program and have been constant supporters.
Southington Girls Golf Continues To Grow
At the time of McAloon’s interview, Southington ranked 14th in their division. They need to finish top 16 to qualify for the State Tournament. That will be the team’s goal each year.
But as the Southington girls golf team progress through their inaugural season, McAloon looks at the bigger picture. This team was once nothing more than an idea. Now, the Blue Knights are recognized by the school and the community at large.
“It’s really special. There’s nothing better than when, on the morning announcements, you hear that the Southington girls golf team won their match yesterday. Especially that first win ever,” McAloon said. “A lot of the teachers, students are coming up to you and saying how cool it is and how they’re rooting for your program. Last year it was kind of an idea, we didn’t know if it could come to fruition. Seeing it now is incredible, I’m really proud of the coaches, golfers and parents that have gotten us to this point. It’s really special.”
Moving forward, McAloon wants to see girls golf grow and become more popular. The team is working with Hawk's Landing to introduce more middle schoolers into the game, and the coach eventually wants elementary school parents and students involved.
After so much effort and preparation, Southington girls golf has made its official arrival. The Blue Knights are now ready to leave their mark on the links.
“I would like to see it keep growing. We need to get the youth involved in the town. Girls golf is here in Southington, and we’re here to stay,” McAloon said. “It’s a great sport for your kid to get into and can lead to many opportunities. Most importantly, a lifelong activity they can do with family members and friends. We’ve got to keep growing the game in town. We want to keep this momentum moving. The sky is the limit for girls golf in Southington.”
