The Golden Trident

By Rowan Watkins and Nina Wither 

Photo courtesy of Jeorge Cuartas, Noah Carr, and Carter Edwards

Women’s sports have been overlooked for far too long, causing society to miss out on world-class athletes and talented teams around the world. Over the past decades, women’s sports have seen exponential growth, from local high school matches to record-breaking championships in the country’s largest stadiums. The progress in women’s sports is undeniable, and Golden High School (GHS) is no exception. 

The women’s athletic program at GHS began in the 1940s. Soon after, many other programs and sports blossomed, creating a strong community of female athletes. 

From soccer to softball, the school’s athletes continue to excel. Athletes fueled by passion, skill, and leadership get their opportunity to shine on the school’s athletic teams. GHS offers women’s soccer, golf, tennis, volleyball, softball, swimming, lacrosse, and basketball. 

When it comes to funding for sports, each program gets $1,000 from the school each year. However, programs get most of their money from their booster clubs, which are composed of parents and sponsors who support specific teams. Teams with more participants often have larger booster clubs and booster club fees, translating to a larger team fund for these programs. 

The women’s soccer team has shown continuous grit and strength. Having visited the state tournament multiple times, the team’s dedication remains unwavering. In their 2024 season, the team had 13 wins and four losses, making it to the quarter-finals in the state tournament, showing their determination and resilience. The team is set to have an excellent 2025 season, hoping to continue their dominant streak from last season. Sophia Nichol, in the class of 2024, received First-Team All-State honors in 4A in 2024, only confirming her incredible career and season. The program also welcomed a new coach, Isaac Clark, in the 2024 season, who led them to a standout first season with a winning record, securing second in their league and second overall in the state.  With this strong foundation to rely on, the team is ready to chase even more extraordinary achievements in the upcoming season and those following. 

The women’s swim team has also remained a powerful program over the past years. The coach, Gail Laurence, has been coaching both the girls and the boys’ teams for several years. Her first year coaching the girls’ team was during the 2018/19 school year, and her first year with the boys’ teams was during the 2019/20 school year, taking a team of swimmers to state every year. In the most recent 2024/25 season, they finished 3rd in the 4A league, took first place in the 200-yard medley relay, and placed 2nd in the 200-yard free relay. At the 4A state, they placed eighth out of 33 teams. Current sophomore Mica Gillaspie took first place in three events at the 4A League this year, holding a time of 24.38 in the 50-yard free. Golden has never failed to be a home for strong and determined swimmers, even sending some to Division 1 universities. 

Our Demons softball team, known for its powerful hits, has dominated the past few years. The Lady Demons won their league title in the 2024 season. One of the team’s stars, Madeline Stubenrauch, who is committed to playing Division 1 softball at Brown University, led the team to a dominant run that saw them reach the quarter-finals of the 2024 state tournament.

 

Our tennis team continues to serve up victories with a new coach this year, Missy Rhen. She has a lot of experience playing tennis and brings a positive, energetic attitude and a keen eye for organization to the program. As the season progresses, she has begun to significantly change the social dynamic of the program by creating a larger sense of community that unites the JV and Varsity players and encourages more sportsmanship. The team has a new high of 40 participants and is excited to see what the rest of the season brings. 

The girls’ lacrosse team at GHS has a plethora of talent to choose from over the next couple of seasons. Led by head coach Robby McClure, the team has dominated for years and is on track to continue doing so. The 2024 season was the first year that the girls’ lacrosse team had enough players for both varsity and junior varsity teams. During the same season (2023/2024), they ended with a 13-4 record, allowing their determination to shine through in their results. The team is going strong in the current 2025 season, one of their star players, Stella Gibbons, spoke about how the season has been.

“We have grown closer as a team and I feel like that is really reflected in our play,” adding “we have started to play as a unit and the goals are coming alongside that.”

The GHS community is committed to fostering a supportive and competitive environment for its female athletes. If that desire is to be met, women’s teams will need better access to facilities, increased support for coaching staff, and more opportunities to pursue their passions. This school and community have the power to make this happen, and they won’t regret it. With the school’s support, the athletic potential of GHS’s female athletes is limitless. 

If you want to support some of the women’s teams mentioned in this article, please see below for the sports team names and their corresponding social media page usernames. 

Soccer: Instagram (@ghsgirlssoccer.25) 

Tennis: Instagram (@demons_tennis )

Softball: Instagram (@demonssoftball )

Lacrosse: Instagram (@goldengirlslacrosse) 

Volleyball: Instagram (@goldenhs.volleyball)

Golf: Instagram (@ghsgirlssgolf)

Swim: Instagram (@ghs.girls.swimdive)

Basketball: Instagram (@goldenwomensbasketball)