The LMU Gators Golf Team has made history this season, becoming the first team in school history to win a PSAL City Championship. After a season filled with hard work and dedication, the Gators achieved a goal that will be remembered for years to come.
For sophomore Carter Ea Shapiro, the feeling of winning the championship was unforgettable. “It was very euphoric because we were the first champions in our school’s history, and we felt like we made our school proud,” Ea Shapiro said.
The journey to the championship included many important moments, but one of the biggest came during the team’s final regular-season match against Bronx Science.
“The defining shot where I realized that the LMU Gators could win the whole tournament was a putt that I made on a playoff hole against Bronx Science,” said sophomore Sean Francia Cotter. “The whole team was watching, and that playoff hole was the one that decided it all.”
For Cotter, that moment helped him realize that both he and his teammates were capable of performing under pressure. “That putt gave me confidence that I could step up in high-pressure moments, but it also reassured me that our team had what it took to compete with the top teams in the city,” Cotter said.
Coincidentally, Bronx Science would also be the team the Gators faced in the City Championship Final.
Leading up to the finals, the team began approaching each match with a greater sense of focus. “I think we started to take a more serious approach to our time together as a team,” Shapiro said. “We started thinking more strategically and about how we could really take on Bronx Science as a team.”
When the championship match finally arrived, the nerves began to kick in, knowing they were one win away from the first championship in school history. “Not letting your nerves get to you is never an easy thing to do in sports,” Cotter said. “Luckily, I was able to transfer my experience under pressure in competitive tennis to golf.”
Rather than being overwhelmed by the moment, Cotter embraced it. “Moving into the final stretch of our finals match, I was familiar with the feeling of everything coming down to this,” Cotter said. “That’s something I try not to shy away from, but to fully embrace, knowing that I had my entire team with me.”
While the Gators are proud of their historic accomplishment and not skipping their celebrations, they are also already looking ahead to next season. Their goal is not just to win one championship, but to build a lasting tradition of success.
“Now that we are the city champions, a collective goal we have as a team is to go back-to-back,” Cotter said. “We’ve seen the run that Tottenville was on for six years, making it clear that a dominance like that is possible. Now all we can do is continue doing what we were doing this year and improve the little things as much as possible.”
The LMU Gators have already secured their place in school history. With a talented group returning and a championship mindset, they hope this year’s title is only the beginning.
