DANIEL WONG Gina Umeck, left, and
Melissa Martin have already conquered the world of
collegiate golf in one year.
By Michelle Coppolella
Daily Bruin Contributor
If you’ve ever sat atop the Bruin Bear, you know that
it’s not only challenging to climb the massive, 10-foot
structure ““ it’s scary. Even more important, screwing
up could be one of the most embarrassing moments of your life at
UCLA.
However, freshmen golfers Melissa Martin and Gina Umeck showed
no hint of embarrassment or fear; these things faded into the
background as they each boosted one another on top of the Bruin
Bear and shared the satisfaction of being on top of the world. And
these two Bruins are definitely on top of the world ““ the
world of golf and life at UCLA.
After UCLA placed seventh in the Pac-10 Championship last
Wednesday, both Umeck and Martin received an honorable mention on
the All-Conference team along with sophomore teammate Saki Uechi.
With this tremendous accomplishment, a sense of satisfaction and
pride would have been a likely reaction ““ but the award has
only left the girls salivating for more.
“I definitely think I have a lot more to accomplish, but I
think it’s such a great honor,” said Martin. “I
was actually shocked when they called me up. I think Gina (Umeck)
is outstanding and to be put in the same category as her and other
top golfers is such an honor.”
Despite being surprised, their performance on the course tells
the story of their worthiness. Of the 10 tournaments UCLA has
played, Martin has been UCLA’s top golfer in two of them and
Umeck has led the Bruins in four of them, with all of Umeck’s
scores meriting a top-25 finish.
But these girls share a lot more than the ability to lead the
Bruins in more than 50 percent of their matches. Since the age of
eight, they’ve been playing golf together, and each has
watched the other’s game and life develop over the years.
Future roommates who share pride in their Italian heritage, their
close relationship on and off the course radiates in the smiles
that form when the other’s name is mentioned.
“I love Melissa,” Umeck said. “I think
she’s an awesome part of this team. We definitely both have a
fire and a lot of internal drive that cut through a lot of the
anxiety. She has a real desire to perform, and that’s what I
admire most about her.”
Similarly, Martin can’t say enough about the teammate and
friend to whom she will often chant “birdie for the
bambini” on the course.
“I respect her so much on and off the course,”
Martin said. “I’ve learned a lot from her and I know I
have a lot more to learn. I really look forward to being with her
and competing with her in the next year.”
But before these Bruins can think about next year, the NCAA West
Regionals this Saturday is another reminder that these girls are
nowhere near done ““ the season will ultimately come down to
this tournament.
“I’m absolutely confident that we have the ability
to do well,” Martin said. “But I think we each need to
go out there and play our own game. We all know how to do it, but
it’s a matter of finding our own game as a team.”
“I think we need to just stop trying to press things and
let things unfold,” Umeck added. “We just need to let
the natural sequence of events flow in our own games.”
But not all things flow as naturally as we would like, and
Martin and Umeck know this better than anyone. Adjusting to being a
student-athlete at UCLA is about as easy as sinking a hole-in-one,
but they both took on the challenge with eagerness and the process
was relatively painless.
“If you don’t already know time management, you
definitely learn it,” Umeck said. “But it really
didn’t take me very long to adjust here because I
actually like being busy. I feel like I’m milking each
day for everything it’s worth.”
“The hardest thing is traveling because I miss so much
school, but the athletic department gets so much support,”
Martin added. “I came to UCLA expecting a lot and everything
has surpassed my expectations. I’m completely satisfied with
everything that has happened.”
Undoubtedly included in that was the thrill of sitting on the
Bruin Bear for the first time. But if you ever see these girls on
the Bruin Bear again, feel free to point a finger and laugh at them
““ they won’t mind. They’ll still be on top of the
world.