Golf team takes the win at Old Hawthorne

The members of boys varsity golf team walked off of the Old Hawthorne golf course on Thursday, April 12, feeling satisfied with their win. The overall team score of 304 allowed the Bruins to triumph over Hickman High School, Helias High School and Jefferson City High School.
Despite the positive outcome, senior Austin Evans was not entirely confident before the match because of previous experiences. The team was right to  be nervous, Evans said. The course was challenging, especially since the greens are harderbto read than most.
Even with the win at Old Hawthorne, Evans is not sure where the team stands. The team has hopes of winning another state championship, but the road to success could be bumpy.
“I think we’ll make it to state as a team, and we have a shot at winning,” Evans said. “We’re just a really young team. We have some good players though. Matt Echelmeier is a freshmen and he shot a 79 which is really good.”
Having a young team means less overall experience, less coaching influence and some potential bad form habits. But with only 3 losses,  the age of the team does not seem to have held the Bruins back. Thus far, the boys have lost to Francis Howell, Rockhurst and Parkhill South.
“The hardest match has been Tanglewood in Fulton because the weather was bad. It was cold and windy,” Evans said. “Plus we lost to Francis Howell by only one stroke.”
These close losses point out the  obvious ability of the team. They have been able to remain strong through the older leadership of Evans and senior Will Echelmeier. At the Old Hawthorne tournament, Echelmeier shot the best score on the course with a 70.
“Will is the best, but I’m the second best,” Evans said. “As defending state champions and seniors, we both lead the team.”
By Maddie Davis