Twin sisters Jasmine and Janae Leovao are competing in the NCAA Women's Golf Championships at the Omni La Costa — just miles from where they grew up.
The Oceanside natives are two of the top amateur women's golfers in the country. After spending their first three years of college at Long Beach State, the sisters, who are El Camino High School graduates, entered the transfer portal and landed at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
It was not an obvious choice.
"Never heard of the school before, and wasn't considering leaving California, being from SoCal," Jasmine Leovao told ABC 10News after Friday's opening round.
Despite the initial hesitation, the twins committed to a bold vision at Eastern Michigan — and it paid off. The Eagles earned their first-ever trip to the national championships, bringing Jasmine and Janae back to North County.
"Going so far away makes you appreciate what you have. To come back after a long time of being away from my family, and seeing everyone here come out to support, it really means a lot and is such a special moment," Janae Leovao said.
Janae said the crowd of family and friends made her a little nervous heading into the opening round, but she still led her team with a 1-under 71, nearly sinking a 50-foot birdie putt on the final hole. Jasmine finished the round at even par — a fitting result for a pair of identical twins who tend to post nearly identical scores.
When asked about their best rounds ever, Jasmine said 63 and Janae said 64.
For the Leovaos, the tournament already feels like a victory.
"It's just so cool to have the final tournament of the year be at home, and to have made it as a team. This was our goal from the beginning," Jasmine said.
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