Golfing since the age of seven, senior Arianna Jaramillo qualified for the IHSA  golf sectionals which will be on Monday, Oct. 7. Jaramillio qualified for sectionals during her junior year. Hence, this is her second time going to sectionals. Not only that, but she also won the individual conference championship in the CSL North Division.

After sectionals, Jaramillo’s goal is to make it to state this year, which has been her major focus throughout the season. She has practiced countless hours to work on her consistency.

“Qualifying for the state would be a huge milestone and the next step toward my future goals of playing collegiate golf,” Jaramillo said.

Even with her goals, Jaramillo wants to improve on her short game. She has also faced challenges along the way with her inconsistency of scores. She could play good one day, but then ruin it when messing up at one hole. However, she is able to push through by changing her mindset.

“I realized I was too focused on the score and not staying present in the moment. Once I changed my mindset, my game and scores improved,” Jaramillo said.

The love for her sport started when her dad introduced her to golf. Impressed by how well he played, she wanted to challenge herself to beat him one day, which is what pushed her to grow her love for her game.

“No matter how bad I played, my dad would support me at all my games and tournaments. He even went as far as buying a simulator for the house so I could practice year-round and keep improving. His dedication to helping me and his belief in me have been the biggest reasons for my success and why I stay motivated,” Jaramillo said.

During the off-season, Jaramillo overhauled her golf swing, searching for a way to become better and more consistent. Because of this, Jaramillo’s advancement to sectionals did not come as a surprise to her coach.

“It takes a lot of courage, hard work, and trust to rework a golf swing. This reflected her commitment to improving and doing what was necessary to be a better golfer. Her scoring average improved by nearly 20 strokes with her new swing this season over last year’s average,” varsity girls golf coach Richard Lee said.

Also during her years golfing, Jaramillo has made friends along the way.

“Arianna is a really good and reliable friend. She is really charismatic, spends time helping others, and brings the best out of people. I believe she has a really good chance to make it to state, and she is very well-deserved because she has been working so hard for this,” senior Daniella Zambrana said.

Sectionals will be held at Bonnie Dundee Golf Club in Carpentersville. Come on down and watch Jaramillo play!

“No matter what happens, I’m grateful for the experience and everything I’ve learned along the way,” Jaramillo said.