With spring sports kicking off, the boys golf team has come into the season with high hopes and fresh faces.
A couple of newcomers and a handful of veteran players have coach Don Elwell looking forward to seeing how everyone’s game will improve.
Elwell spotlighted the potential for growth and change within the team.
“We’re tired of finishing last,” Elwell said. “I want to make sure that we don’t, and I think that this year we’ve got a good shot at that.”
Senior Jack Gallagher expanded on the specifics of his goals individually and collectively.
“I’m hoping I could qualify for state and finish in the top 20,” Gallagher said. “For the team, I’m hoping that we can at least get three of us to regionals and place top three in the PIL.”
Senior Ethan Stafford has been playing golf for nine years. He has seen the team change a lot throughout high school and hopes that their joint hard work will be put to good use, even if they don’t make it to state.
“I feel I’m closer to my teammates this year than ever before, and I hope that all of us will succeed this year,” Stafford said. “Some of the players have been with us for the full three years and some have joined this year.”
Playing an outdoor sport comes with quite a few challenges for the team. Elwell expanded on how Oregon’s rainy climate has affected practice and games.
“We’ve really had a hard time with the weather,” Elwell said. “It’s been horrible. It’s rained hard which makes the court soggy. You can’t really play on a course like that.”
But weather isn’t the only concern; Gallagher is more worried about the team’s overall morale.
“I just feel like we have a lot of golfers that get in their heads a lot, and I feel like our mindsets could use a little work,” Gallagher said.
However, Elwell has focused on cultivating an environment in which he can help uplift various aspirations amongst the team.
“A personal goal is to help various golfers to deal with adversity,” Elwell said.
Stafford has also valued interdependence and symbiotic effort throughout the team.
“I don’t think we will make state, but I always look out for my teammates on the course and help out where I can,” Strafford said.
Their match at the Rose City Golf Course on Apr. 23 is certainly one to look out for, being the team’s first and only home match. But since Oregon’s weather is so inconsistent, as Elwell mentioned, “any game that’s sunny is one to look forward to.”
