Manto won’t get a chance to compete in the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Tournament this year, but by the looks of it she’ll be ready for the fall of 2021.
After earning the Valley Oak League’s MVP honor as a sophomore, she worked hard in the offseason amid the pandemic to remain sharp. Manto joined the Junior Golf Association of Northern California circuit to help make up for competition time missed because of the high school sports calendar getting pushed back to late winter.
“It was a bit tough,” she said of the pandemic-delayed season. “It gave me a lot of emotions because I was really ready for this fall season but they had to cancel it.”
The season, much later and shorter, is now in full swing, and Manto has been on a tear. She had a three-day stretch last week in which she finished 1-under par over three nine-hole matches in duals against East Union, Ripon and Manteca, shooting 36-36-35 at Manteca Park Golf Course.
Manto looks forward to repeating as MVP next year and getting a chance to advance as far as the state tournament. Her ultimate goal is to land an athletic scholarship for college.
For now, she’s happy just to be back on the course with the team.
“Not everyone came out because of COVID, but I’m just glad I get to see them and we can enjoy our time together,” she said.