Nicole Gargarella, golfer is Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame, May Athlete

Nicole Gargarella is a 19-year old, Etobicoke resident, born and raised in Etobicoke and currently attending the University of Victoria where she studies Biology and plays varsity golf. Nicole attended grade school at Mentor College in Mississauga and later joined her older sister at Richview Colegiate for high school.

Nicole’s love for sports started at age 7 when she attended hockey 101 at Central arena. The following year she joined the Etobicoke Dolphins organization where she played hockey into her final year of high school.

Nicole first discovered golf while spending the summer months at her family cottage in Jackson’s Point. Both parents were (are) currently members of the Briar’s Golf course. Nicole decided that joining the junior golf program would be a great way to forge friendships with peers in the area. At age 10 Nicole held a golf club for the first time and found hockey had provided a solid foundation for formulating a golf swing. With three years of recreational golf under her belt, Nicole decided it was time to take the next step – competitive golf.

With hard work, and guidance from her coach, Nick Trichilo, Head Golf Coach Men’s Golf, Guelph Humber, Nicole entered tournaments with the Golf Association of Ontario (GAO), Canadian Junior Golf Association (CJGA), and the Maple Leaf Junior Tour (MJT). Nicole was a member at Weston Golf and Country Club from 2012-2015. She currently plays and practices at Lambton Golf and Country Club, where her Uncle Mike McCarron, a 2016 Sports Hall of Fame inductee, is also a member.

Although Nicole’s intentions were never to play golf professionally, she has had many notable successes.

In 2013 Nicole went to Edmonton to take part in the CN Future Links Skills Challenge Championships after qualifying first in her age group for Canada. She returned to Ontario with a second-place finish. This is a challenge that focuses on the four basic golf skills – putting, chipping, iron play and driving. As well, in 2013 Nicole won the Ontario PGA Jr. Open and the Ontario Junior Series at Braeburn, both CJGA events .

In 2014 Nicole was one of two girls named to the Canadian Junior Golf Association’s Team Canada to play a North American Cup style tournament in Bluffton, South Carolina against Team USA. Team Canada was victorious for the first time since 2007.

In 2015 Nicole won the Junior Girls Championship at the Briars as well the TDSB City Championships giving way to her third visit to the TDSSA Championship. The same year Nicole was named MVP Girls Golf at RCI and the recipient of a golf scholarship from the Golf Association of Ontario.

Playing golf at the varsity level has been an amazing experience. While Nicole attends a Canadian University, golf is played in Washington State, Oregon, Nevada, California, Indiana and British Columbia. The work load of both a demanding academic program and vigorous play/practice/tournament schedule makes school life busy, but rewarding.

Nicole is disappointed that she will be unable to play in the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame celebrity golf tournament held at Royal Woodbine Golf Club on Tuesday May 30th. Nicole is a die hard Leaf fan and a bigger fan of the guest of honour Connor Brown. Instead, Nicole will be participating in the Canadian University Championships held in Barrie.

After the University Championships, Nicole will stay in Toronto and hopes to return to work with Golf 101 where she has been employed for the past two summers leading summer golf camps for Etobicoke’s youth at Centennial golf course.

Nicole is thrilled to be named athlete of the month and is hoping to be inducted to the hall of fame in the future, like her uncle, Mike

The Athlete/Team of the Month is sponsored by The Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame, Humber College, Canadian Tire-The Queensway, Boston Pizza-The Queensway and The Etobicoke Guardian. ESHF: Promoting, Supporting and Developing Sporting Excellence in Etobicoke. To nominate an athlete/team, please visit www.etobicokesports.ca and follow us on Facebook.