Livingston ace Lexi Gonzalez is Girls Golfer of the Year

For Lexi Gonzalez, the accomplishments of the Livingston High School girls golf team this season far outweigh what she was did individually.

The Wolves’ main goal was to win the first Western Athletic Conference championship in the program’s history. To see that banner go up in the gymnasium means more to Gonalez than advancing to the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Championship.

Gonzalez helped Livingston go undefeated in their run to the WAC championship and is the Merced Sun-Star Girls Golfer of the Year.

“It was really important for us to do,” Gonzalez said. “We knew we were a good team coming into the season. We had been together for two years and we’ve worked hard during the last two years. It was a very rewarding season.”

As a fourth-year player, Gonzalez played a key role in the Wolves’ success not only as the top player but a team leader.

Early in the season, coach Matt Winton paired Gonzalez with some of Livingston’s younger players so she could help guide them on courses where she had experience.

“Having a legit No. 1 like her helps balance the team,” Winton said. “It’s nice to have that one go out and post a low score almost every time. It helps the rest of the girls know they have some leeway. It takes some of the pressure off them.”

Gonzalez returned to Livingston after a busy summer of junior tournaments throughout Northern California. Each week she traveled to places such as Fresno and the Bay Area for three- or four-day tournaments. In between, she competed in one-day, nine-hole events.

“She’s extremely driven,” Winton said. “Last summer she played more golf than she ever has, playing junior tournaments all over the place. What she did this year didn’t just happen because she hit a few balls. She played against some of the top talent in Northern California.”

Transitioning back to high school golf took some patience.

“I was playing with much more experienced players than me,” said Gonzalez, who committed to La Verne last week. “Balancing the pace of play from the junior tournaments to high school girls was different. The benefit was I was very ready for the season.”

For most of the season, Gonzalez played through a shoulder injury that affected her practice regimen. She played matches with KT Tape strapped to her shoulder and underwent physical therapy to manage the pain.

“It was really tough,” she said. “It was an issue with it popping while I played. I just tried to grind through it. I sat out as many nonleague matches as I could and moderated what I did at practice. I worked on my short irons and putting instead of my driving. It was tough because you want to be working with the rest of your teammates, but I did what was best.

“There were a few times where it was tough to finish, but I knew what I needed to do.”

Despite the injury, Gonzalez finished strong, posting an 81 at the section Division IV Championships at Rancho Del Rey, then turning in the lowest score of any area player at the Masters with a 93 at The Reserve at Spanos Park in Stockton.

The postseason run was a nice finish to a stellar four-year career at Livingston.

“It was fantastic having her for four years,” Winton said. “As a coach, it’s nice having one of your best players working on their craft year-round. It was really nice for me, knowing while I’m off coaching baseball, she’s still working on her game. Having someone like that in the program elevates the program.”

This story was originally published December 27, 2016 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Livingston ace Lexi Gonzalez is Girls Golfer of the Year."