Traditions are important when shaping who a person might become. 

When shaping a record-breaking athlete, Sofia Torres‘ family’s tradition of golf has been an important piece of who she has become. 

“I started pretty young — I think I was 4 or 3 years old maybe,” Torres said. “I used to play with my dad all the time. I went to the course with him. My dad, my sister and I, it was always the three of us, and that was really nice.”

Torres’ golf roots started in Bogota, Colombia, where she is from. The tradition of golf helped launch her career, with one of her big moments coming when she played with the Colombian national team at the 2019 World Junior Girls Championship in Canada. 

“It was great — it was the first time that I played in the cold weather because we don’t have seasons back home,” Torres said. “It was like a new golf for me because it’s windier, you’re in layers, your swing changes. … We didn’t play that well, but it definitely helped me prepare for college.”

Her preparedness came in handy, especially when head coach Laura Cilek first saw Torres play. 

“I had her circled on my sheet,” Cilek said. “I had never seen her before or talked to her, and I kind of watched for a few holes and just really liked her demeanor. She was athletic and calm.”

Although Torres was recruited by several other schools, she always knew Colorado State was where she would end up. 

“I visited a couple other universities,” Torres said. “But (CSU) was my first official visit, and I just saw Fort Collins, the team (and) the coaches, and I just loved it.”

Despite other offers, there was just something about CSU that set it apart in Torres’ eyes. 

“I think we want to compete and be in the golf mood all the time,” Torres said. “But also, we’re like a big family. We hang out a lot; the environment is really nice. The coaches are really close to the players so we can be open to each other.”

Torres knows she’s a good golfer and is extremely competitive because of that. 

“She’s very humble,” first-year Kara Kaneshiro said. “She knows she’s good, but she is very supportive of all of us. It’s been great to get to know her as a person — she’s super sweet.”

Torres broke the record for best average strokes last season with 72.67, which helped her make the NCAA regional tournament. But despite her success, Torres doesn’t have an individual goal because, for her, it’s about team success.

“I’m not trying to think about it as an individual,” Torres said. “I think the team has that goal; we all want to go to regionals as a team this year. We saw that it’s a great experience, and we want all of us to go this year.”

One of the reasons Cilek believes this is possible is because of Torres’ leadership. Torres isn’t a super vocal leader, but she’s excellent at leading by example. 

“I think (the team) can count on her, and she’s inspiring,” Cilek said. “To see what she’s done in the last three years, I think they all look at her and say, ‘Wow, that’s pretty awesome.’ Now her name is atop the record book, and I want to go and beat that. I think as long as you have that competitiveness inside a team, they can do anything they want.”

The team is certainly watching: Kaneshiro said Torres has taught her a lot and said she’s impressed by how consistent she is. But one of the things that is most noticeable about Torres is when she gets on the course and enters the zone.

“You can tell by her walk and her posture,” Kaneshiro said. “It’s like, ‘Ope, Sophie’s doing good today — it’s a good day,’ and it’s really great to just feed off of that energy.”

While Torres might be in her final season as a CSU golfer, she has every plan to keep golf in her life. While she hasn’t decided on whether or not to go pro after this season, sports is where her heart is at.

“I want to keep golf in my life whether I play or not,” Torres said. “I really want to write or do something related with communications in sports. If it’s golf, great. If not, then just keep sports in my life.”

Torres has no doubt created a lasting impact on CSU golf and everyone in her life. This is especially true for Cilek, who knows her time with Torres has been special. 

“She’s just an awesome person,” Cilek said. “I’m already thinking, like, ‘Oh gosh, I’m sad she’s going to leave.’ In her golf obviously but more so her as a person. She’s fun to have around. She’s just a really special and unique person that we’re definitely going to miss a lot. Not just for her golf but just as a person and her family. It’s hard when you lose them, but you’re happy that they get to move on to the next chapter, and we’ll be a fan of Sophie’s forever, that’s for sure.”

Reach Damon Cook at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @dwcook2001.