It’s a nice sunny day, with a cool breeze and clear skies. On a grassy field, you can see Senior Luke Granillo practicing his stroke and working on his game.

   Granillo started playing golf relatively recently. He said, “I began playing golf during the end of my sophomore year. I started out by going to the driving range with my friends just for fun, and it ended in them convincing me to try out for the school team.”

   As someone who just started a new sport, Granillo had to find different ways to improve. He stated, “During quarantine, I set up a hitting net in my backyard made out of old sheets and a soccer goal. I spent a ton of time just practicing there and watching YouTube videos of ways I can get better.”

   Granillo’s teammates often praise him for being a great teammate. Senior Todd Reddish said, “When talking about golf, Luke is super passionate. He always gives us tips to improve our swings and is overall just a great person to have on the team.” Junior Wyatt Horner couldn’t agree more with Reddish when he said, “Luke has been an incredible teammate. He always has an amazing attitude towards the game and is always willing to offer a helping hand with anything.”

  UC Athletic Director and Golf Coach David Asuncion had high praise for Granillo. He stated, “Luke is one of our top golfers so we have high expectations for him. He’s also a captain on the team and is a great leader for the younger guys. He is always giving out tips to help the team improve.” He added, “Luke is constantly improving. In his first match he threw up 47 and in the next, a 42. Once he’s in the grove, I can see him throwing low 40s.

   Along with always helping his teammates improve, Granillo is seen as someone who boosts the team spirit. Senior Armando Castillo said, “He never hesitates to take any opportunity that can boost the team’s morale.” Horner added, “Mentality has a huge effect on the way we play golf. Luke is someone who is constantly reminding me to have a positive mentality which helps us out a ton.”

   As a two sport varsity athlete [soccer and golf] Granillo enjoys golf as it is a change of pace for him mentally. He said, “Golf is a really relaxing sport. I play golf to have fun with my friends and to meet new people. It helps me relax my mind.”

   Senior Nadiv Meltzer said, “Seeing Luke transitioning straight from playing varsity soccer to golf is really impressive.”

   Granillo attributes his golfing success to some of his friends. He stated, “I’d say my friends Dylan and Armando helped me out a ton. They gave me tips on how to get better at swinging when I first started playing.”

   Out of all of the games that he has played this season, he believes that he played one of his best against Madison High School. He said, “I think I played pretty well against Madison. I shot a 36, which was an even par.”

   With this being the final season of his high school sports career, Granillo has set high goals for himself and his team. He said, “My goals for this season are to qualify for CIF both as an individual and as a team.”

   The UC spirit is all about those with great sportsmanship and good spirit. Granillo is a standout athlete in two sports and is for sure someone who deserves to be one of the UC Athlete of the Month.