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68 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, September 22, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 14, 2004 Making the Grade Twins Elaina and Stephanie Graham transferred to Ashland for academics, but their impact in golf has been aces By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune The misconception is that the Graham twins — Elaina and Stephanie — transferred to Ashland High this year in order to read greens and study putts. Oh, they read and study all right, but the subjects are much harder than 40-foot downhill double-breakers. Those are tap-ins compared to biochemistry, English and other honors and advanced placement courses the high school juniors take, or the calculus class they completed at nearby Southern Oregon University last fall, or their health occupations program, where they shadow doctors to better determine which field of medicine they want to pursue. They’ve tagged along for plastic surgery; now it’s dermatology. "We were in 4H," says Stephanie. Advertisement "We’re not squeamish," Elaina chimes in. "It’s a pretty cool experience." Nor are they willing to let anything usurp as Priority No. 1 their education. Which brings us back to golf. The Grahams, 17, live in Eagle Point and, after having been home-schooled, have attended three high schools. They’re a big reason two of the schools won Southern Oregon Conference titles: last year North Medford, this week Ashland. They’re also the cause of a few raised eyebrows. Most interdistrict transfers go unnoticed. Ashland, for instance, has 139 coming into the district this year and 46 going out. But the Grahams are athletes who regularly appear in the sports pages and have shifted the balance of power in SOC golf. "Everyone thought we did that," says Elaina of the notion they went to Ashland for golf. "It’s kind of sad. Everyone knows we’re good academically, but they think it’s for sports." "We’re very into our education," says Stephanie, "and that’s the main point of why we transferred." In fact, had it come down to it, the sisters were content to not play at all. Transfers used to have difficulty gaining athletic eligibility through hardship requests to the Oregon School Activities Association, but looser guidelines were adopted this school year, says Ashland Athletic Director Jim Nagel. The Grahams could transfer and compete as long as the Eagle Point and Ashland school districts agreed to it and the process occurred in the summer. It wasn’t until after school started that the girls learned they could play or that coach Stephanie Santos even knew they were in school. The Grahams bonded seamlessly with their new teammates, but they didn’t know how others would react when play began. "It was pretty stressful," says Santos, "but it’s all blown over now. It took a while for them to relax and feel at home." Ashland won the overall season title going away. Elaina had a stroke average of 80 and Stephanie 85, giving the Grizzlies — who already had the SOC’s best player in Stephanie Johns — three of the top five players in the conference. "I won’t lie," says Elaina, who was fourth at district, one spot ahead of her sister. "We knew Stephanie Johns was there, so if we got to golf, we’d have a heck of a team." A year ago, North Medford wasn’t too bad, either. It claimed the crown even though the twins, citing a conflict with schoolwork, left the team shortly before district. The Black Tornado placed fourth at district, 54 strokes behind winner Grants Pass, but had built a big enough lead to win the overall season title. Of North Medford, Elaina admits, "We didn’t leave it too sweet." The reduction of school days last spring because of budget cuts meant five days of work was jammed into four, making it difficult to keep up in their honors classes, says Elaina, and she and her sister ultimately chose schoolwork over golf. "Golf is extracurricular," says Elaina. "The key word there is ‘extracurricular.’" When school ended, they were on the move again. Ashland seemed an ideal fit for a number of reasons. Similar to Eagle Point, it’s smaller. It offers a variety of college prep classes that appeal to the Grahams and is close to SOU, where they’ve already gotten a head start on college credits. Pre-med will keep them in school long enough, says Elaina. From a golf perspective, they’d come to know and like Santos when they were freshmen at Eagle Point playing for the first time and she was the Grizzlies’ coach. "She was so friendly," says Stephanie. "She encouraged us so much to keep playing. She was supportive of everybody." They also like the connection they have with a woman coach and appreciate that she lets them work on whatever is necessary. The twins and Johns are tutored by pro Ed Fisher. "I could be having trouble with my drive and Steph could be having trouble with her putting," says Elaina. "We’re not always in sync, although that would be a lot easier to coach." Ahh, twins in sync. Don’t get them started. "People ask us all the time, ‘Do you feel what she feels?’" says Stephanie. "No, we are not identical." The two did have holes-in-one a month apart, and the first time either shot in the 70s was when they teamed up to win a Nike best-ball tourney, each shooting 76. Nevertheless, says Elaina, "I think it’s completely coincidental. I don’t believe in the interconnection between two separate people." It might be a subject for more study, something they’d happily undertake. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities