Fraser Valley – The University of the Fraser Valley women’s golf program has augmented its roster by signing a pair of standout athletes from the high school ranks.
Coral Hamade (Langley, B.C.) and Ella Gifford (Beaumont, Alta.) comprise head coach Cody Stewart’s 2021 recruiting class. Coach Stewart believes that with the Cascades’ entire 2020-21 roster – including Emery Bardock, Lucy Park, Alex Brunner and Avery Biggar – set to return, the addition of Hamade and Gifford could take the Cascades to a new level of competitiveness.
Coral Hamade
Langley, B.C.
R.E. Mountain Secondary
Hamade is relatively new to competitive golf, but she boasts a diverse multisport background, having played softball and hockey at the AAA level. She won a provincial championship with the Langley Girls Ice Hockey Association in 2017, and competed at the provincial softball championships every year from 2015 to 2018, highlighted by trips to nationals in 2017 and 2018. She also competed in softball at the BC Summer Games in 2018.
She deepened her passion for golf after joining the Delta Golf Academy at Seaquam Secondary in 2018, and played on Seaquam’s senior golf team in grades 10 and 11.
“I’m excited about Coral,” Stewart enthused. “She’s coming from the Delta Golf academy, and she’s got a really good, athletic golf swing with a lot of power. Her scoring average has been coming down over the past couple of years, and she’s shown a lot of improvement. I think she’ll contribute to our team right away.”
“I’m really excited to be joining the team,” said Hamade, who will pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree at UFV. “My goal with the Cascades is to develop to become the best golfer I can be. I also want to be a good teammate and contribute to the team’s success over the coming years.”
Ella Gifford
Beaumont, Alta.
Beaumont Composite High School
Like her future teammate Hamade, Gifford also has a multisport pedigree, having played basketball and volleyball as well as golf. She’s competed in junior golf tournaments for the past five years, and was part of the Beaumont Bandits high school squad in grades 10 and 11. Highlights included a victory at the Edmonton junior championship, and a bronze medal at the Alberta high school championships.
Gifford also excelled as a member of Edmonton’s Royal Mayfair Golf Club, helping the club’s junior team win the Royal Cup. Individually, she won the Royal Mayfair junior championship, and won the Squires junior and junior of the year awards. She also notched multiple podium finishes on the McLennan Ross Junior Tour and the Maple Leaf Junior Tour.
“Ella has a really good swing, and she’s shown steady progression over the last couple of years,” Stewart noted. “She’s in that range we need her to be in to make an impact next year. The lower end of her scoring range is where it needs to be to compete for us, and she’ll be a really great addition.”
“One of the biggest reasons I chose UFV was for their top quality golf program and the ability to play golf during the school season,” said Gifford, who will study kinesiology at UFV. “I had some opportunities to play elsewhere but UFV’s small class sizes and variety of programs fit all my needs for a university making it an easy choice. And coming from Alberta I’m looking forward to the warmer weather.
“With golf being an individual sport, I am looking forward to playing with a team. My dream to continue my pursuit of golf is made possible with the longer golf season at UFV than in Alberta. My goals are to get a top-rated university education while playing a sport I love.”
