Athlete of the Week: Zanny Merullo
A crack sounds through the air as co-captain Zanny Merullo’s club catches the cratered golf ball. Grass is thrown in all directions, the ball soars over the course: a perfect drive.Coming to Exeter as a new upper, senior Zanny Merullo joined Big Red’s co-ed golf team last spring. Merullo spoke of how being a part of the team was a great way to get connected within the Exeter community.When speaking of the friendships she has built here, she said that “The team means a lot to me- we spend more hours of the day together than most teams do, and I have gotten to hear some of the life stories as well as the terrible singing of many of my teammates in the long rides to golf matches.”Teammate and lower Kathryn McCaughey spoke of Merullo’s invaluable attitude, saying, “She’s essentially the mom of the team and is always making sure we are on time and prepared for practice. I know that when I first joined the team, she was the kindest and most welcoming.”
"No matter the pressure of the match, she maintains calm in it all, and I admire that about her."
Merullo began golfing with her father from a young age, swinging clubs the moment she could hold them. When she was seven she began to hit from the 100 yard marker and played regularly during the summer. Merullo won several tournaments up until the age of twelve. Between that time and coming to Exeter, golf has always been a family activity, but Merullo did not take up the sport competitively again until joining last year.Lower Diana Davidson also described Zanny’s character, saying that she was always welcoming and with a smile on her face.This season, Merullo started a separate girls’ golf team, saying, “Although I loved playing in matches against guys and with guys last year, I thought it would be great to give girls who love golf at Exeter a chance to play on a more even playing field.” This past summer, Merullo emailed all of the women’s golf teams in the area and will be competing in Exeter’s first ever girls’ golf match this upcoming Friday, April 6th.Regarding her exceptional leadership as one of golf’s four captains, lower Maria Lee said, “She makes everyone on the team feel included, and if I have a question about something I can ask her and she always helps me out.” Senior Elizabeth Kim added, “She’s really confident in herself and it’s clear that she really loves this team.”Davidson expressed her admiration of Merullo’s perseverance in the sport, saying, “ Her leadership and perseverance is quite inspiring. No matter the pressure of the match, she maintains calm in it all, and I admire that about her.”Senior Tom Appleton also expressed his gratitude for Merullo’s upbeat attitude when the team is struggling. “Zanny is always positive. She’s always there to keep our heads in the right place when we’re playing poorly. She’s consistent, hardworking, and is a great role model for younger members of the team.”Additionally, lower Grace Pan expressed how valuable Merullo has been to the team by taking the initiative to give more girls at Exeter an opportunity to play golf. “There are now more girls than ever on the team, and we’re all grateful that Zanny found opportunities for us to play and be a part of the team. She always has a positive attitude during practices as she always cheers and encourages me and the rest of the team,” she said.Upper and co-captain Charlie Dubiel agreed. According to him, she has organized several initiatives over the past two years such as a team dinner where she made a home-cooked Italian meal for all the players.“Zanny’s been a really good leader. We’ll miss her next year. The last two years, she’s done a lot for the team and she’s had a really important role, so I don’t know if we’ll be able to find someone to fill that place. No one can really replace Zanny,” he said.Always positive and encouraging on her teammates, you can be sure to hear Merullo cheering for her teammates or killing it on the course through her final term at Exeter.