Girls Golf

( 14 - 0 | 8 - 0 )

Varsity Head Coach: Jill Hegna | email: hegnaj@smhs.org

Coach Jill Hegna joined the SMCHS Girls and Boys Golf Coaching staffs in 2005/2006. She coached the JV Girls and JV Boys teams for six successful seasons. In 2011, she transitioned to the Varsity Girls Coaching staff. Coach Hegna is currently the Associate Dean of Students and Director of Girls Golf/Head Varsity Coach. Her combined Girls and Boys Coaching record is: 265 - 47 (Overall) and 146 - 29 (League). Coach Hegna graduated from Saint Anthony’s High School in Long Beach, CA, and then attended LBCC for a year, then transferred to Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO on a volleyball scholarship. She received her bachelor’s degree in Physical Education K-12 and then attended Kansas University Graduate School. Coach Hegna has taught and coached various sports at the Elementary and Secondary level while living in Colorado, Kansas, Connecticut and California. She has three daughters who graduated from SMCHS: Megan Hickey-Barbosa ’04; Lauren Hickey ’07; Katy Hickey-Miller ’09. In her spare time she and her husband Mike share a passion for family, golf and boating.

Coach Jill Hegna's SMCHS Coaching Records >> Combined Overall and League Record

Varsity Assistant Coach: Michelle Ford
Coach Ford joined the Eagle golf program in 2017 as the assistant JV coach and has been playing golf since she could walk. Previously, she coached JV softball at SMCHS for 5 years. Coach Ford is also a member of the social studies department and MUN advisor at SMCHS where she has been a teacher for 12 years. She received both her B.A. in History and Post-Baccalaureate Secondary Social Studies teaching credential from Arizona State University. She has two children who graduated from SMCHS: Jason Ford ’15; Mia Ford ’18. Outside of SMCHS, Coach Ford enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, weight lifting, yoga and playing golf.

JV Gold Coach: Chris DeFries
Coach DeFries joined the Eagle golf program in 2006. He has ten years’ experience coaching football and eight years coaching basketball in the military. In his free time he enjoys going hunting, fishing and playing golf. Coach DeFries received his bachelor’s degree from Chapman and master’s degree from USC. He was a US Marine Corps Aviator for 36 years and is a retired colonel. He and his wife Sandra have three children, including two SMCHS graduates, Nicole and Michael.

Lady Eagles Golf Program Mission Statement:

Santa Margarita Catholic High School endeavors to bring the person and teachings of Jesus Christ to this time and place through a holistic and nurturing educational experience. This is reflected in the Lady Eagles Golf Program, which seeks to encourage in its golfers, a positive sense of self-worth, self-discipline, personal responsibility, successful interpersonal relationships, and a commitment to Gospel values. We strive to honor the tradition and integrity of the game of golf and promote the highest standards of personal character and leadership in all areas of competition and life.

Our Tradition of Excellence

As we enter our 15th season as a Girls’ Golf Program, the Lady Eagles look forward to continuing the legacy and tradition of success both on and off the golf course. Over the past 15 years, the Program has been blessed with numerous talented golfers who have won individual accolades, titles, and earned college scholarships. But it is our achievements as teams for which we are most proud. Over the past years, the Varsity Lady Eagles have been the CIF Championship Runner Ups twice, have qualified for the CIF Championship Finals 14 times, have captured the league title 9 times, and is the only team to have appeared in the Orange County Register’s top 5 rankings each of those years. Also in 2008, Coach Amy Connelly was named Orange County’s Girls Golf Coach of the Year by the OC Register, and in 2010 she was named one of the top female high school coaches in Orange County by the Association of Athletic Directors.

SMCHS Girls’ Golfers have advanced to play collegiate golf at the following colleges and universities: Arizona State, Princeton, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara University, Cal State San Marcos, Chico State, Saddleback College, Wheaton College, Wofford College, San Diego State, Cal State Monterey, and Regis University.

• Trinity/Serra/Sea View League Champions:
  • '98, '99, ’00, ‘03, '05, ‘06, ‘07, ’08, ‘09, '15, '16 and 2019
• Undefeated Championship Seasons:
  • 2003, 2007, 2008, 2015 and 2019
• CIF Championship Finalists:
  • ’99, ’00, ’01, ’02, ‘03, ‘04, ‘06, ’07, ’08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15, '16, '17, '18, '19
• CIF Championship Runner Up:
  • 2000 & 2010