Varsity Girls Golf Team Created in Westwood Regional School District

For approximately four years, conversations were occurring regarding a varsity girls golf team in the Westwood Regional School District.

Athletic Director Patricia Benevento and Boys Varsity Golf Coach Paul Levesque sat down and talked about the direction of the golf team for this season and it became apparent that there was much interest in a girls varsity program.

The number of female golfers had grown and it was evident to athletic officials that Westwood High School would be able to institute a girls varsity program. The converations led to meetings with Westwood High School Principal Thomas Gorman and Superintendent Geoffrey Zoeller, where a request for a stand alone girls golf season for 2011 was made. The president of the Board of Education and the Athletic Liaison were behind it as well and the next big step was taken last month.

Keith DeBlasio was named head coach of the new Westwood girls varsity golf team Feb. 17 during the school board meeting.

This is another step forward in sports for the district, which added swimming and ice hockey two years ago and girls bowling last year.

The girls varsity golf team will compete against 13 Bergen County schools and two Passaic County schools. As far as the postseason goes, there will be a county tournament, a state tournament and a divisional championship of the Big North. Benevento said this is the first time Bergen County will have a golf league for girls, so the district will be participating in the initial year.

Levesque called the decision "momentus and historic."

All parties involved stayed confident throughout the process and believed that this could come to fruition for the girls involved and for the Westwood High School Athletic Department.

Senior Jaclyn Hrbek, who has participated in the golf program for four years, said she is happy the girls now have a varsity team.

"We're very excited that our program was able to branch off and we were able to become our own team," she said. "We look forward to a successful first season of the Westwood golf program."

Michelle Sartor contributed to this report.