The Common Interest Management Gael Spotlight is a monthly feature story about Saint Mary's Athletics and a behind-the-scenes look at the Gaels.

MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's College Athletics often brings athletes from all across the world together to be Gaels. But it can also create a new bond for athletes who grew up just 35 miles apart from each other.
 
Jonathan Curran and Zack Missigman of the SMC Golf Team played in some of the same junior golf tournaments growing up in Arizona and knew of each other when they attended rival high schools, but it took both of them coming to Saint Mary's to create a brotherhood between the two.
 
"Zack played at a rival high school in a different division," said Curran who grew up in Scottsdale, Ariz. "So, I never played high school golf with him, but I was always aware of him, always a good player. It's funny, I don't know if I ever told Zack this, but Head Coach Scott Hardy texted me my freshman year and asked me if I knew anything about a guy named Zach Missigman, I said 'I know he's a good player, but I hadn't played with him before.'"
 
It was a similar story for Missigman, as the two began to evolve from just golfers in the same area to potential future teammates.
 
"We played in a couple junior tournaments together, knew of each other, but after my senior year of high school – the summer before coming here – we played together for fun and got to know each other," Missigman of Goodyear, Ariz. said. "During my senior year of high school, I texted Jonathan and asked him about Saint Mary's since I hadn't made my decision yet. He said a bunch of good things and we played together in a tournament that summer and talked about it more."
 
And from there the bonding began between the two who have spent the past three years as teammates, both adjusting to the golf courses SMC plays on around the country compared to the desert courses they grew up with.
 
"After Zack had committed to Saint Mary's, I reached out and we got in touch and whenever we were both in town so we could try to play together," Curran said. "Just to try and get that teammate aspect up and running, knowing we'd be the only Arizona guys on the team so we have that kind of bond. Now we live together and tend to travel together back to Arizona during breaks."
 
The two have grown so close that now they parents are good friends as well.
 
"We do have a special bond that goes beyond golf," Missigman said. "Our parents became friends last year over winter break. We all met up at a Saint Mary's basketball game in Arizona and I think they all kind of hit it off there and have been friends since then."
 
"I really like playing in our SMC Invitational because it's one of the few tournaments where we can play with a teammate," Curran added. "It's nice being in a pairing with Zack, it's super comfortable, we can talk up and down the fairways, when we're traveling we're rooming together, so being in that competitive environment with someone you'd call a brother makes it that much better."
 
Both players were sold on becoming Gaels by the opportunity to play for Coach Hardy, compete in golf at the NCAA Division I level, and the beautiful campus, but the community of Saint Mary's has been better than either imagined.
 
"I really like the small community aspect of Saint Mary's," Missigman said. "All the athletes, across all sports are looking out for each other and push each other to get better."
 
"I love the responsibility that comes with being a Gael," Curran commented. "When you go out into the Moraga community or the greater community in general, people ask you where you go to school or if I have a Saint Mary's Golf sweatshirt on, they react differently when they know that you are a Gael. I love representing this school and love the community aspect of the school as well."
 
The Saint Mary's Golf Team will resume action at the Arizona Intercollegiate on January 30 and 31 in Tucson hosted by the University of Arizona.