The boys golf team took third place in conference and placed second in the UEC Championship tournament on Sept. 30.

“We finished second in the tournament, just missing winning by two strokes. (Sophomore) Jason Gimre shot a 79 and finished second in the tournament. (Senior) Corey Scudder finished fifth and (senior) Dominic Lobocki finished eighth, both golfing an 84,” head coach Nick Kempski said. “It would have been nice to edge out West Aurora for the win, but overall it was a great day and I was very proud of our kids.”

Despite struggles, the team managed to earn a high place in conference.

“We finished 5-5 for our head-to-head matches, and took third overall in conference. As a first year coach, there were definitely struggles along the way; but overall, our team continued to get better and saw some success,” Kempski said.

Kempski is new to the boys golf team, but was previously coaching girls golf.

“The transition from boys to girls was not very difficult because it’s the same game. It was hard to leave the girls team because we made a lot of strides last season, and I was fully expecting to carry that momentum into this season,” Kempski said. “I’ve always wanted to coach boys golf, so when the opportunity opened I jumped at it.”

The team is not unfamiliar with adapting to a new coach joining the program.

“It is hard when a new coach comes in to a program because it changes the dynamics of the team,” Kempski said. “The most difficult thing was earning the respect of the players.  The seniors have had three coaches in the past four years. There hasn’t been consistency for these kids.”

Players have seen consistent improvement throughout the season, leading up to conference.

“The players are getting better, appreciating the game, and having fun. Jason Gimre and Dominic Lobocki both received All-Conference Honors for their consistent play throughout the season,” Kempski said.

Team members also recognize their success.

“The team is doing pretty well, we have a strong line up with some experienced golfers. There are also some underclassmen that have made an impact on the team this year,” senior Jacob Watkins said. “We have a lot of fun as a team and it’s great to be around this group of guys.”

Team expectations were met during the season.

“Overall I think my expectations were to come out, play golf and win some matches, as well as progress as a player,” Watkins said. “I expected our team to come out strong this year after a summer off and we accomplished that.”