This season, the boy’s golf team is off to a strong start under new Head Coach Joe Sobowicz, with a 5-11 record and many more matches around the corner.
The team practices daily at Gillette Ridge in Bloomfield, focusing heavily on fundamentals and skill building. Additionally, the team has been spending lots of time together and is a tightly knit group. Senior Captain Alex Braunstein shared that the team has excellent chemistry.
As a team, KO experienced exciting victories such as a 220-226 victory over Kent on April 16 and a 202-229 victory over Fredrick Gunn on April 14. Additionally, they had difficult losses, like the 191-188 loss to Hamden Hall Country Day. Also, the team experienced a 217-217 tie with Choate Rosemary Hall. The success of the team has been fueled by their three captains, Braunstein, junior Austin Perkins, and senior Ryan Sadowsky, as well as junior Jared Paldino.
Individually, Perkins has been a standout, shooting 35, 35, and 40 in the team’s first three matches. Also, Braunstein shot 36, 36, and 39 in these matches. As a team, the greatest accomplishment was shooting 191 against Hamden Hall, which, although it was a tough loss, is still a really good team score, according to Braunstein.
Perkins, Braunstein, and Sadowsky are all phenomenal leaders for the Wyverns. They’re always eager and interested in improving the swings of the younger and less experienced members of the team. This is so important because it allows multiple players to get valuable information on their golf game when the coach may be working with other players.
Furthermore, senior Jack Neikre has been a valuable addition to the team, according to Perkins. Neikre shot 44 at the Suffield Invitational. The team has also benefited from the presence of freshmen Ansh Buduguru and Raphael Blocher.
As the season progresses, the team is looking forward to playing more matches together. “We are having a good time this season,” Braunstein said. Coach Sobowicz has set a great tone for the season, and his players describe playing for him as a great experience. “He is always supportive of us and focused on how we can improve as a team,” Perkins said.
With the spring sports season in full swing, it will be exciting to see how the rest of the season goes. The KO community will support the Wyverns as they play the rest of their matches and compete in key tournaments such as the Founders League Tournament on May 17 and Western New England’s on May 7. Perkins looks to regain his crown at Western New England’s something he did his freshman year, and the other Wyverns also look poised to compete in the upcoming end-of-year tournaments. We wish the Wyverns good luck on the rest of their season.
