The boys varsity golf team is off to a strong start to the year, with a 3-2 record, as they continue their play this season. As the season hits its stride, several standout players are leaving lasting impressions as they continue to build on strong play.
Sophomore Jordan Cipriano explained that fellow sophomores Austin Perkins and Jared Paldino have had particularly strong starts to the season, consistently shooting in the 36-40 stroke range. In the first match at Hamden Hall, Paldino shot a 36 and Perkins shot a 34, demonstrating just how much talent these two young players have.
These strong performances from underclassmen demonstrate how much potential and optimism the golf program has, as these already strong performers continue to perfect their craft.
Other highlights from the year include two wins against Kent on April 13 and April 17, and a big win over Fredrick Gunn on April 15. These wins demonstrated the growth that this team has experienced throughout the early part of the season and represent the younger members integrating well into the team and helping contribute to immediate team success.
Senior Ty Russo explained that these strong performances have really defined their season as a team to this point. Furthermore, Russo gave some insight into the makeup of the team this year. ”We have a really deep team and have had nine different players play in varsity matches this year,” Russo said, “including Kaden Rodriguez and Lucas Kollen, who played their first varsity matches.” This depth and a wide array of contributions in varsity matches demonstrate the “next man up” mentality this team has developed this year.
In practice this year, the team has worked to improve in a variety of ways under Head Coach Michael Wolf. “Practices this year have been focused on working on the range and becoming better course managers,” Cipriano said. As the team works on these skills, they also continue to become a tighter-knit group, approaching practices with a lighthearted spirit and developing great camaraderie and communication throughout the program. The team hopes their productive and focused practices continue to translate into successful match play as they finish the year.
As the golf team continues to grow and play their way through the season, they look forward to upcoming matches against Choate Rosemary Hall, Suffield Academy, and Loomis Chaffee. Furthermore, they have agreed to participate in several invitational matches towards the end of the year, including the Newport Invitational.
With lots to look forward to, the golf team looks to continue to grow and get better as a group as they build on a strong start to the year.
