Naturally, student-athletes share stories about school. Young, however, is the only one who may talk about Drosophila flies.

Last year, Young completed an undergraduate internship with the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato. Her job was to mix chemicals, meats, sugars, and other elements for food to pour into vials on trays served to Drosophila flies. They possess a model organism wildly used for research for life history evolution. That species of fly is ideal for research because it is easy to care for and breeds quickly.

For Young, it was a learning experience being on the frontline of age research.

“It was nice being in the field,” she says. “I had a view of what the researchers were doing.”

Yet, trying to convey the importance of her job to coaches, teammates and opposing players on a golf course and explaining exactly what it is that she does was a lot harder than making an eagle. Their vision of her role was much different than hers.

“They just think I play with flies,” Young says, grinning. “They don't understand what I really had to do in there.”

At some point, Young, who might spend as much time over hovering over microscope as she does a putt, just backed away.  She'd drop the conversation.

“They'd say, 'Wow. You worked at the Buck Institute?'” Young says. “And then I'd tell them what I did and they'd just laugh. So now I just say I was a laboratory aide.”

Young's internship at the Buck Institute ended last semester which should allow more time for her to focus on golf this season. The Lady Penguins start their spring season today in the Point Loma Super San Diego Championship before they come home to play the Dominican Duel at the Meadow Club in Fairfax on Feb. 13.

The Penguins' men's golf team, led by Sean Nadir, Kevin Santos, and John DeDonatis, doesn't  begin its 2012 season until March 5-6.
Young's role this season as captain of the Lady Penguins is part mentor, part mother hen. She has taken the team's freshmen — Miranda Zulueta and Victoria Grajeda, and Kimberly Harris — under her wing.

“Kari has been an outstanding a team leader,” said Head Coach Gary Nelson, who has his team practicing at Peacock Gap Golf Course in San Rafael. “All the players gravitate to her because she leads with heart and her actions. Every player wanted her to be team captain and I must say I completely agreed with them. Kari has really been working on her game and it is paying off. The rest of the team is all improving with her leadership.”

With Young, the lone senior, and sophomore co-captain Noelle Mathew, who has improved dramatically from last season, leading the way with a new coach, the Lady Penguins feel good about the upcoming season.

“This is the best year I've had in golf so far,” Young says.

And Young has played for a long time, since fourth grade when her father, Ignatius, came home from Burma after playing golf the first time. He wanted to teach his daughter how to play it on the driving range.

“Whacking balls with a stick? This is isn't bad,” Young recalls. “But I don't know what a good shot is.”

Young figured out what makes a good shot but at Salesian High School in Richmond she decided to concentrate on swimming because she wanted to do something different. It wasn't until her junior year in high school that she picked up golf again.

“I regret taking that time off from golf,” Young says. “I felt like I would have been more experienced and better than I am.”

At Dominican, Young's game has gradually improved.  Last season, she was named the Lady Penguins “Outstanding Golfer” by posting her team's lowest score in each match. Her breakthrough moment came on March 15 in the Dominican Invitational at Peacock Gap. She caught fire on the back nine to record a pair of birdies about the time her father joined her on the course.

Young wound up shooting an opening-round 77 to tie for third place after the first day.

“It felt different being one of the top players,” Young says.  “It was like, 'Well I actually can win and represent Dominican.'”

Young finished sixth overall but the wheels were set in motion. She knows she is capable of playing good steady golf.

“Golf is just such a funny sport,” Young says. “If you are playing well one day, and you think you have it dialed in, the next day you don't know how to play.”
It's not easy, especially for Young. She has long days where she might play 18 holes in heat approaching 100 degrees and face other obstacles — such as an Organic Chemistry test — when she returns to her hotel room or dorm.

Yet golf always will be a part of Young's life. Her goal is to someday work in a hospital setting analyzing human cells while doing clinical laboratory research.

That's much better than playing with flies.