Seven of the top-10 finishers from the 2025 PAL girls' golf championships are returning this fall, and three San Mateo schools sit at the center of the action.
Aragon seniors Autumn and Ariel Ogawa, twin sisters who helped the Dons win a share of the 2024 Bay Division title, headline a loaded roster heading into the season's first matches the final week of August, according to the San Mateo Daily Journal. Autumn Ogawa finished fourth at the 2025 PAL individual championships, and both twins are set to anchor the top of Aragon's lineup. The Dons finished second in the Bay Division last season behind Mills.
Jim Daniel, who already coaches the Aragon boys' team, takes over the girls' program from Mike Loy for 2026.
At Hillsdale High School, junior Kayla Corcoran returns after a runner-up finish at the 2025 PAL championships. The 2024 PAL individual champion and Daily Journal Girls' Golfer of the Year entered last year's tournament as the top seed but lost to Carlmont's Tessa Lee on the final hole. Corcoran spent the summer competing nationally, posting a tie for 11th at the Stanford regional qualifier for the USGA Girls' Junior Championship.
Lee, who won the 2025 PAL title by a single stroke, also returns for Carlmont, giving the Bay Division at least three proven contenders at the top of the individual standings.
New era at San Mateo High
Across town, San Mateo High opens a new chapter. Joe Dito replaces retired longtime coach Jimmy Ikeda as head of the Bearcats' girls' golf program. The school's official athletics document for incoming freshmen confirms Dito in the role.
The field is deep.
San Mateo's first match is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 31, at 2:30 p.m. at Aragon, per the school's athletics directory.
Bay Division gets tougher
The competition won't be limited to familiar faces. Burlingame, which went 10-0 to win the 2025 Ocean Division title, moves up to the Bay Division this fall. The Panthers return senior Elaina Foley, who finished fifth at the 2025 PALs, and Jolene Liu, who tied for 10th.
Mills graduated PAL All-League standout Angelina Chen after winning the 2025 Bay Division title with a perfect 10-0 record, though junior Christina Chen returns after a ninth-place finish at the 2025 PALs.
Carlmont coach Hari Kurup told the Daily Journal he is "hoping a couple of girls from last year, now a year wiser, can step up." The Scots finished third in the Bay Division in 2025 and return Lee plus three other starters.
San Mateo High's opener at Aragon on Aug. 31 will be the first chance to see how Dito's squad matches up against the Ogawa twins and a Bay Division field that looks deeper than it has in years.
