On Oct. 29 and 30, Jupiter High’s girls golf team won the Florida High School Athletic Association State Championship for the first time in school history.

On the first day of the tournament, the team shot a 294, and a 290 on the second day, earning them first place with 584 shots overall. Following one of the team’s best seasons, where the girls won regionals with 299 shots and districts with 302 shots, they dominated the competition at states. They ended up  winning the championship by 21 shots.

“The most exciting part about the season for me was winning districts as an individual by shooting a 71,” senior golfer Isabella Galla said.

Senior Karlyn Falanga, a dominant member of the team, has been playing for Jupiter since her freshman year, and she has seen first-hand how far the team has come. “I have definitely noticed improvement from the team since freshman year when none of us could even shoot in the 70s,” Falanga said.

Preparing for a challenging season against tough competition not only at states but also locally, the girls practiced Monday through Thursday, from Aug. to Nov., for two and a half hours a day at Abacoa Country Club in Jupiter. These practices built stronger players and stronger bonds.

 “This year we had a really good group of girls, and we were all super close,” Galla said. “We have four seniors who made up the majority of the golf team, where the other years the seniors weren’t the majority.”

Falanga agreed the team chemistry certainly helped in their championship season.     

“[I] joined the team because the people you play with will become your best friends,” Falanga said.

The girls winning states was one of the biggest athletic accomplishments at Jupiter High this school year.

“The girls have played great the past two years, but this was the first time winning states for boys or girls in school history,” coach David Janney said.