"We worry about ourselves now and we're not in the shadow of the guys," Colts senior Toni Park said.
So far, the girls have had nothing to fret about and are reveling in the success of their inaugural season. After all, what could be better than being 6-0?
On Tuesday, May 1, Kinnelon engaged in a close match with Morristown and managed to keep the zero on the end of its record by prevailing, 222-230, at Sunset Valley Golf Course.
"This is really good. It's amazing. It's awesome," Colts freshman Francesca Bello said.
Kinnelon coach Jim Soules, of course, is proud of the girls. Soules knew there was talent among the golfers. However, he didn't figure on such a strong start to the season and the program.
"I think 6-0 snuck up on them," Soules said. "I didn't expect it. We picked teams we could be competitive with. These are great kids. They're motivated. So far, they're taking smart shots. They've got good golf IQs."
Sophomore McKenzie Gaw fired a 46 to lead the way for the Colts against Morristown. The golfers went out on the back nine and Gaw started out with a birdie on the 10th hole. She got three more pars during her round.
"I was doing well at the beginning," Gaw said. "I had the birdie and some pars. Things fell apart a little bit on the long par 5s. I couldn't get my second shots where I wanted them and that added on some strokes."
Bello, who became interested in the sport by going to the driving range with her father, Manny, didn't have her best nine-hole round on Tuesday yet was pleased to contribute and help the Colts remain undefeated.
"I guess I'm a swing in progress," said Bello, who carded a 46 on Monday versus Wallkill Valley. "I'm overthinking everything right now. That makes me do badly. I have a bad hole and I'm in a funk."
Another freshman, Emily Hegarty, has been a key performer. She certainly knows how to win, having been a member of the Colts swim team that claimed its first sectional title.
"I'm learning a lot from Toni about what clubs to use and what shots to make," Hegarty said. "McKenzie and Francesca give me help, too."
Morristown (3-3) relies on three seniors - Samantha Southard, Julie Darwin and Jess Park. The trio have been at the core of the Colonials program for four years.
"In the past, we'd schedule girls matches and have a tough time putting together a lineup," Morristown coach Mike Lockman said. "Once Samantha, Julie and Jess arrived, they were willing, ready and able to play. They're mature, reliable and great to be around. They've stuck with it. Having them makes my job easier."
Southard, who first took to the links near her family's Adirondack lake house with her father, Pete, and brother, Matt, enjoys golf because it is a life sport. She felt that she drove well in the match against Kinnelon and prides herself on recovering following a poor hole.
"For me, it's about not losing it on a hole," she said. "It's most important for me to bounce back from a bad hole rather than driving far. I have fun with it but want to do well. I'm hot and cold on everything. I don't lose my temper. I'm less of a head case."
Darwin, too, became acquainted with golf because of her family. Her dad, Steve, plays and her grandparents, Bill and Helene Callinan, live on a golf course in Florida.
"I've always liked playing," said Darwin, who is solid off the tee. "Spending time with my family is nice. I've always enjoyed it."
Park, also a member of the field hockey squad, played golf with her parents during elementary school. She gave it up in middle school and picked it up again in high school.
"I've developed my game a little and built relationships," Park said. "It's nice to be a part of a team in the spring, too. I play to relax after school. It's been a big part of my life, a bonding experience."
The Colts' Gaw, interested because her parents, Mark and Kimberly, took her to the driving range as a child, and Bello have played well enough to figure into the boys' scoring.
Gaw is proud of what the Kinnelon girls, in their infancy as a program, already have done. Soules noted that the golf program, started by Wes Waite 12 years ago, has seen "an infusion of girls."
"We're doing well," Gaw said. "I like that we're 6-0."
