Gerardo Portela '12 Recruiting Profile

     My name is Gerardo Portela, but my friends call me Gerry. I started playing golf when I was 6 years old. I wasn't a very serious player, but I would ride along with my dad and grandfather. I picked up the game seriously when I was 13 years old. I made the Junior Varsity golf team as a 7th grader, and that was when my journey began. 
     I made the team the rest of the years and Sophomore year was the first time I made the Varsity team. I started in most tournaments and matches all season. My scores were very erratic and I wasn't used to the pressure of the golf tournaments. After that season, I worked on my game all summer, going to camps and hitting balls everyday. I made the team as a Junior the next year and started in almost all the matches as well. This was the first year my school team ever made it to the State Finals. In the summer I worked hard again on my game, traveling to tournaments outside of my hometown. My best tournament of the summer was at Atlantis Golf Club for a SFPGA tournament. I shot 78 the first day and was in the middle of the leader board. After 16 holes the second day I was 1 over par and finished with two birdies on holes 17 and 18 to finish -1 and in 6th place for the tournament.This year I am a senior and the captain of the Varsity team. I am looking forward to this year and hoping that my team will reach new heights.
     I want to go to school somewhere on the East Coast that is not very far from home. I am open to the schools in the North-East even though the cold weather is not my favorite. I am looking to go to a small Catholic school with a good golf program. My favorite and best subjects are Math and Science, so I am looking forward to pursuing a major in Engineering. I want to play college golf at the highest competition level possible for the talent that I have, and I wish to have an impact on my team by showing leadership, even as a Freshman.